Bug Free Home Zone

Here are 7 ways to beautify and make your house a bug free home zone.

#1. Blood suckers:

Mosquitos suck at flying when it’s breezy. Adding fans in your patio area limits mosquitos ability to fly (& bite you).

#2. Standing water:

Mosquitos multiply in standing water. Make sure downspouts and gutters are working properly and wherever they drain to should not pool water.

#3. Do mulch right:

Too much is a problem and so is not enough. Keep it away from the foundation of the house. As real mulch, a living organism, decomposes it gives off heat which attracts things like ants and roaches. No mulch and you could be inviting Yellow jackets to tunnel and make their nests in the bare (or lightly mulched) earth.

#4. Curb appeal:

Ticks hide in tall grass looking to hitch a ride and a free meal from passerbys. Cut the grass regularly. Plus having a tidy yard attracts buyers.

#5. If you plant it, they won’t come:

Bugs don’t like certain plants and stay far away from them so if you want that to be the case, look into planting these plants the bugs want to stay away from.

- Basil: hated by flies and mosquitos

- Chrysanthemums: hated by roaches, ants, ticks, fleas, bedbugs

- Lavender: hated by moths, fleas, flies, mosquitoes

- Citronella: hated by mosquitoes

#6. Paint:

Lighter paint colors for your home's siding, doors, trim, and other features such as fencing, patio, and decking are less attractive to mosquitoes.

#7. Become Batman/Batwoman:

If you live in an area with bats, build a bat (cave) house. They say a bat can consume up to 1,000 mosquitos an HOUR! Riddle me this, Batman. Why wouldn’t you want bats in your yard?