10 Tips for a Pest-Free Backyard

Servicing a backyard in Peekskill NY - Garrie Pest Control

We’re all excited about the weather finally warming up here in Peekskill NY. However, it’s not just us that take advantage of lovely spring and summer conditions every year. All sorts of pests will be out and about in your backyard, finding ample food, hiding spots, and breeding grounds if you don’t put in the work to prevent them. If you’re looking to pest-proof your backyard, read on. We’ve put together some advice from our expert exterminators at Garrie Pest Control!

10 Tips to Pest-Proof Your Backyard:

All kinds of pests live in our region, so there are many different types of pest attractions to keep watch for and prevent. Here are our top 10 tips for keeping pests out of your backyard in Peekskill NY:

  1. Cut your grass: Mow your lawn once a week to maintain a short but healthy grass blade length. Letting your grass grow out of hand will lead to a labyrinth of pest hiding places and standing water.
  2. Trim plants: Keeping your bushes, shrubs, and trees nice and neat will prevent pest hiding places. This can also get rid of small shaded spots that pests like ticks and mosquitoes take advantage of to rest in during the heat of the day.
  3. Remove yard waste: Piles of yard waste in your backyard can serve as perfect shelters or breeding grounds for insects, arachnids, and rodents alike. Dispose of yard waste often to discourage this.
  4. Get rid of standing water: Standing water pools can serve as hydration sources for all kinds of pests, but they are most infamously used as mosquito breeding grounds. Pour out or tip over standing water when you find it in gutters, planter boxes, tarps, buckets, or elsewhere.
  5. Use garden netting: Your garden can attract pests as small as aphids and as large as raccoons. Using netting to protect your plants will allow them to grow without the threat of thievery or destruction.
  6. Dethatch your lawn: A layer of thatch too thick for your lawn will suffocate your grass and allow for many types of common lawn pests to take easy shelter.
  7. Water your grass properly: Both overwatering and underwatering your lawn can lead to pest problems for different reasons. Installing a sprinkler system or irrigation system is the best way to ensure that your lawn is receiving a regulated and evenly-distributed amount of water.
  8. Store firewood properly: Leftover firewood stacks from winter can lead to termite problems in the house. Store your firewood above ground and away from your house in a place where it can stay dry.
  9. Keep bins sealed and far away: Make sure your trash cans are sealed and kept away from your home to prevent foraging pests ranging from wasps to opossums.
  10. Hire an exterminator: A professional pest control technician can be the expert eye you need to figure out why pests are invading your backyard!

Pest Control for Your Backyard in Peekskill NY

If you’re looking to keep pests out of every corner of your backyard all spring and summer long, it’s time to get help from a local residential exterminator. Our team at Garrie Pest Control can assess your yard for vulnerabilities, find active pest breeding grounds, and safely remove all active pests while setting up lasting exclusion methods. For a free quote or to learn more, contact us today!

Expect More Fall-Winter Pest Activity

What rats look like in Peekskill NY - Garrie Pest Control

With each passing season, a whole new group of pests passes through the area around Peekskill NY. New York is infamous for its unpredictable weather, and changes in rainfall, sunlight, and even barometric pressure all affect the active pest populations in the region. This means that pest prevention is an active and never-ending process for local homeowners.

If you’re looking to get ahead of our usual winter pest issues, read on. Garrie Pest Control’s technicians have some advice to share on recent weather patterns, how they have altered active pest populations, and what you can do about it!

Fall and Winter Pests in Peekskill NY

Have you noticed an increase in rainfall this autumn? With scattered waves of precipitation starting earlier in the year in 2021, certain pest issues have inflated, the most notable being mosquitoes and ticks. These blood-suckers thrive in warm and wet environments, so summer and early autumn rain allow them to sustain their breeding populations for longer than they usually would.

However, once temperatures drop to a consistent level of 50 degrees or below, rodent infestations become the primary problem. We expect to see consistent snowfall starting earlier this year, so rats and mice will be quick to look for homes to hide in for warmth and shelter during a long winter. Rodents are able to squeeze their bodies through smaller holes than an inexperienced homeowner might expect.

The National Pest Management Association (NPMA) has put out their biannual Bug Barometer for Fall & Winter of 2021. You can read the full report here.

2021 Bug Barometer - Garrie Pest Control

How to Prevent Pests in the Colder Seasons

As the temperatures drop, and especially as snow starts to fall, we have to adapt our pest prevention strategies to keep up with pertinent pest pressures. Here are three important ways to reduce your chances of an infestation this fall and winter:

  1. Make sure there are no gaps through which rodents can enter your home. Look around your home for cracks in the foundation and walls, broken vents and roofing, or gaps under windows and doors.
  2. Be careful with food and trash. Make sure you clean up promptly after your meals, sealing your food in airtight containers. Additionally, use sealable trash bins and take your garbage out often.
  3. Maintain your yard. Piles of firewood and yard waste will create temporary hiding places for rats, mice, and other pests. Also, keeping your grass cut short will prevent standing water from pooling up in your yard. This will limit mosquito and tick activity.

Need Help with Pest Control in Peekskill NY?

Whether you’re having trouble keeping pests out of your home or you’re not sure if you’re taking the right steps to prevent pest problems, the technicians at your local pest control company can help. Our techs at Garrie Pest Control can help you inspect your property for vulnerabilities, complete any necessary pest extermination or removal, and follow up with preventative treatments as necessary to keep your home clean all year long. Contact us today for a free quote!