When the weather gets hot we can’t wait to get in the garden and get the BBQ out and relax in the sun with family and friends! What you don’t want are the unwanted guests... Insects! From flies to wasps they are all a nuisance when trying to enjoy your food and a nice cold drink in the garden. This is why we have put together 6 tops tip to keep the insects away from your garden when you are having a BBQ or party this summer.
1) Remove Standing Water – Standing water is the perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes so if you’re planning a BBQ it is a good idea to clean the gutters out and make sure water in bird baths or kids pools is changed regularly to prevent the mosquitoes multiplying!
2) Remove Bins and Recycling – Rubbish is the perfect breeding ground for flies and sticky residue left on your recycling attracts ants and wasps! So make sure you store your bins and recycling away from your entertaining areas and try to keep them covered.
3) Keep Food Covered – Friends and family are not the only ones that enjoy the food available at your BBQ so do the insects! So to keep them away try and keep all your food covered or in plastic tubs.
4) Keep Landscaping Tidy – Bushes and weeds are the perfect habitat for most insects so if you have weeds or overgrown bushes then it’s a good idea to give them a trim before a garden party.
5) Citronella Candles/Oil Burners – Citronella is a natural bug repellent. It masks the scents of carbon dioxide and human lactic acid that attract all the insects, it’s perfectly safe and FDA approved. They also make a nice feature in your garden!
6) Insect Repellent Plants- Add some plants to your garden that are known for naturally repelling insects. Plants such as Lemon Grass, Lavender, Chrysanthemum and many more not only do they discourage insects from mosquitoes to aphids, but they also look and smell good too!
An extra couple of tips for those for you that enjoy inviting the wild life into your garden!
1) Attract Birds - Attract birds into your garden with bird feeders and bird houses. Not only are the birds petty to look at but they make pretty good pest controllers too! Most birds have a diet made up of berries, seeds and Insects so making them a nice place in your garden to take up residence then it should help reduce the amount of insects in your garden.
2) Get a Bat Box – Attracting bats to your garden is an effective way of reducing the amount of insects in your garden. A single bat typically eats around 6000 to 8000 insects in one night so building or buying a bat house will attract more bats to your garden and you will be glad to see them swooping around eating all the bugs in an evening.
If you have any issues with pests in your garden or in your home give Kapow Pest Control a call to see how we can help resolve your pest problems! - 01373 813 721