Springtime Dos and Don’ts for Homeowners

Posted by Flora on June 4th, 2021

If you are looking forward to relishing a healthy vibrant summer, taking care of your home and lawn during spring is something you should take seriously. The spring season is about the perfect time for homeowners to revive life within their garden and home following the cold winter months, but this does not mean we can ignore the emergence of spring pests.

There are so many great things you can do now that the weather has turned warmer such as landscaping or growing flowers in the yard. However, we also need to consider several reminders so we can best enjoy what springtime has to offer.

Here are the things you should do and not do this spring:

Do's

1. Wear the right gardening attire.

Whatever you intend to do during spring, whether you get a tan in the sun or do landscaping, make sure you put on appropriate clothes for those activities. If you are landscaping in the lawn, for instance, the proper attire should be something that will protect you from possible bug bites and insect stings. Long pants, long sleeves, wide-brim hats, hand gloves, and closed shoes (i.e. boots) would be the fitting to wear if you want to avoid being bitten by insects and bugs while spending your time in the lawn.

2. Apply sunscreen, bug spray, or insect repellent.

If you want to spend a long time under the heat of the sun, think of your skin’s safety from the harmful UV rays by putting on sunscreen. You may also use a bug spray or an insect repellent lotion especially when you are outside tending your lawn, where possible spring pests like mosquitos and other stinging insects and bugs could be lurking around. 

3. Control growth of vegetation.

This is one effective pest control method you can do so that unwanted pests will be barred from entering your home. You need to watch out for overgrown bushes and trees and make sure to cut any branch or limb that is touching your house’s exterior. Remember that pests and insects get access to your home through bushy plants and overhanging tree limbs outside your window or any entry points. Controlling the growth of your plants during spring is therefore important.

4. Clean the gutters.

It is highly possible that rotting leaves and wood may have been accumulated in your gutters during winter. Now that spring has arrived, you better remove those decaying matters immediately before they attract the attention of devastating pests like carpenter ants and termites, which are a threat to your home’s structure. Clogged gutters may also lead to collecting standing water from the rain. Once there is standing water, mosquitos multiply easily and that is a bad news since mosquitos are known carriers of fatal diseases.

Don’ts

5. Don’t walk through overgrown areas in your lawn.

This is quite obvious. No one knows what might be hiding under those overgrown shrubs and vegetation in your lawn, so better not dare wading into these untamed areas until those grasses are already raked and cleared properly.

6. Don’t ignore water leaks.

If you notice your outdoor faucets leaking during this time, don’t drag the problem on and better fix it as early as possible to avoid the negative impact it will have on your water bills. Also, leaky faucets can result in waterlogged areas outside your home which may also create breeding sites for insects like mosquitos.

7. Don’t just apply pesticides unless the situation really calls for it.

Using pest control is something that should first be consulted with pest control experts. Unless you are sure that you really have an infestation, do not call a pest control company nor spray pesticides on your garden if you don’t want your lawn to suffer.

8. Don’t leave any debris or rubbish in and outside your home.

Anything that has no use in and around your house should be removed or discarded for good such as trash, unused logs, and unused water as these can be breeding spaces for dangerous pests like mosquitos and creatures like snakes.

The bottom-line of it all is to keep an alert mind as to the signs of pest infestation and other issues arising during this season. Make sure to have contact information of your trusted pest control company so can get in touch with their agents immediately if you need advice and guidance regarding the pest situations you are facing at home.