Tips To Reduce Mosquitoes, Bugs, Ticks…

Summer is a wonderful season when get to spend time out of your household. As the weather is warm, going to the beach is certainly fun. It is also the perfect temperature to have a picnic or a barbeque in your yard. Have your friends over, while you cook delicious meals on the grill.

However, insects such as mosquitoes and ticks also love the increase in temperature. They become active, due to which, there is a higher chance you will come across these types of bugs.

The problem with these insects is that they aren’t harmless. If you are not careful, there is a chance you can contract dangerous diseases from them. For example, mosquitoes are known for causing health problems such as – Chikungunya, Dengue, Eastern Equine Encephalitis, West Nile, and Zika.

Ticks spread diseases such as Rocky Mountain spotted fever and Lyme disease with their bites. As the viruses responsible for these illnesses are present in the body of these insects, they enter your body, via the saliva of the pests.

Knowing that these bugs are in your yard, can be unsettling when you know they can spread diseases. The fear can prevent you from having fun outdoors. Why should you let these insects determine the way you have to lead your life during summer?

Fortunately, there are plenty of techniques you can use, which will help you eliminate these insects from your yard. Once you implement them, you can step outside without any fear of bugs. Let’s find out how you can reduce the number of mosquitoes, bugs, and ticks in your household every summer:

Lawn Doctor

The most common solution is to rely on professionals who know how to take care of the harmful insects on your property. They have extensive knowledge on how to take care of mosquitoes, bugs, and ticks so that you will no longer find them in your yard.

How will the lawn doctor take care of mosquitoes, ticks, and bugs?

When you get in touch with these professionals, the first thing they will do is arrive at your property and conduct an inspection. They need to know what they are dealing with, before applying one of the many techniques to eliminate the bugs in your yard.

After the preliminary inspection, the professionals will hand you an estimate of how much it will cost to take care of the insects in your premises. Their fees depend on the number of treatments the yard requires, along with the size of your property.

They will give you a comprehensive plan, informing you about how they will reduce the number of mosquitoes, ticks, and bugs. If you are okay with the estimate, they will ask you to book them on a specific date, to take care of the insects.

Techniques to eliminate bugs, mosquitoes, and ticks

Every lawn doctor will follow the same or similar steps, to manage the bugs in your property. The first step is prevention, where they will identify areas on your premises which are popular breeding grounds for insects. They will use different techniques, depending on the situation, to control the growth of mosquitoes, ticks, and bugs.

The next part of the program is to use special treatments, which help eliminate the insects from the property. One advantage is that it creates a perimeter around your premise, which acts a barrier against these types of bugs.

When it comes to ticks, the professionals will mow the lawn, to ensure the grass is at the right height. They will also ask you to install a fence (optional) which will make your property unappealing to these bugs.

If you are up for it, you can sign for maintenance services. It is an agreement between you and the professionals, that they will take care of the insects by creating a schedule. The timeline between each treatment could be one year, six months, or four months (subject to change depending on your property).

The products used by the professionals are high-quality, due to which their effects last a long time. You can ask them to use natural and organic substances if you want the treatment to be eco-friendly.

Cost

The price the professionals will charge depends on two main factors – size of property and number of treatments. On average, you will have to spend anywhere between $350 - $500 every season for reducing the mosquitoes, bugs, and ticks. If they require additional chemicals and labor to take care of the situation, you will have to pay extra.

If you sign up for their regular service, you will receive a discount ranging between 10% - 20% of the total amount.

DIY

If you think the cost of hiring professionals is high, then you can use DIY options. Do keep in mind that the effectiveness of these treatments tends to vary. You may not always get professional-grade products.

For mosquitoes, you need to identify the potential breeding grounds, to prevent a surge in their number over time. These insects prefer stagnant water so that they can lay their eggs in them. On average, they can lay a maximum of 400 eggs, where each one has a lifecycle of 14 days, after which they hatch.

Potential breeding grounds for mosquitoes are as follows:

·        Bird baths

·        Gutters

·        Open buckets or trash cans

·        Pots

·        Tires

In other words, any area of your property which allows water to collect is going to be a problem. You need to remove the water from these parts of your property, to prevent mosquitoes from breeding.

For ticks, they love hiding in tall grass, which is why you should mow the lawn frequently. Try to keep their height low, discouraging these insects from making your yard their home.

Solutions to reduce bugs, mosquitoes, and ticks

Once you eliminate the breeding grounds, the next step is to target the insects. There are several bug-repellent candles available in stores. Once you light them in your yard, they should keep your property safe for a couple of hours. However, the downside is that they won’t work during windy days. On top of that, their effects will only last a couple of hours.

A better solution would be to grow plants, which are known to keep insects away. For example, marigold, rosemary, catnip, and citronella are excellent when it comes to repelling these insects. The disadvantage is that it takes a while for the flora to boom, so you will have to deal with bugs, mosquitoes, and ticks during this period.

If you visit a major retailer, you will come across bug foggers, which provide relief against insects. You need to spray them throughout your property, but make sure you follow all the instructions not to put your health at risk. However, one disadvantage is that they aren’t always effective.

The last option would be to use bug sprays, which are more powerful when compared to foggers. You can attach the bug spray to the hose and spray it on various parts of your property. Make sure you focus on shaded areas and vegetation, to eliminate the insects. Their effects last longer than foggers, which is why people prefer to use them.

Cost of DIY solutions

If you are going to be using DIY solutions, they are extremely cheap. You can get insect repellants for less than $10 a bottle. If you want premium options, you will have to spend a greater amount, which can reach up to $50, depending on the strength of the product.

For growing insect-repelling plants, you won’t have to spend more than $10, for 100 seeds. You also have the option of approaching a nursery, which will bring down the time for them to keep the bugs away from your property. However, you will have to pay a greater cost such as $20 for a handful of plants.

At the end of the day, you have to decide which type of solution you want – DIY or professional help. Each one comes with a different set of pros and cons, so weigh them, before making a decision!