10 Tips for a Pest-Proof Backyard

Servicing a backyard in El Paso TX - Pest Defense Solutions El Paso

The warm weather every spring and summer here in El Paso TX brings people out of their homes and into their backyards to enjoy the sunshine. But how many times have you been excited about an outdoor event only to have it ruined by mosquitoes, flies, or otherwise? All sorts of pests can find something about our backyards that will help them thrive. Our job is to prevent our backyards from offering this hospitality. Read on to learn how from our exterminators at Pest Defense Solutions El Paso!

10 Tips to Keep Your Backyard Pest-Free

Many different kinds of pests will invade your backyard in our region, so it’s important to have a wide-scoping pest prevention strategy. Here are our 10 best tips for keeping your backyard pest-free:

  1. Keep your grass short: Mowing your lawn once a week can be the difference between a pest-free lawn and one riddled with ticks, fleas, and more.
  2. Trim your plants: Keep bushes, trees, and shrubs cut short and neat. Letting them grow out of hand will increase the number of pest hiding places, especially for blood-sucking pests like mosquitoes and ticks.
  3. Get rid of yard waste: Piles of yard waste prove useful for bugs as small as ants and animals as large as rats. Clear them out often to discourage unwanted guests from hiding inside.
  4. Eliminate standing water sources: Standing water sources are most infamous for attracting mosquitoes, but they also draw in many other insects. Cover or pour them out whenever you find them.
  5. Set up garden netting: From aphids all the way to raccoons, it’s hard to get a break from pests attacking our garden plants. Using netting can allow them to receive all the nutrients they need while staying safe from pests.
  6. Dethatch your lawn: Too much thatch buildup will trap excess moisture and allow pests to find hiding places more easily, so it’s important to keep watch and dethatch when necessary.
  7. Water your lawn properly: Overwatering and underwatering can both lead to pest problems for different reasons. This is why we recommend installing a sprinkler system or irrigation system to regulate your water for you.
  8. Store firewood correctly: Firewood should be kept off of the ground, far away from your home, and covered to prevent waterlogging. Taking all of these measures will reduce your risk of a termite infestation.
  9. Keep waste bins shut and distanced: Foraging pests as small as ants and as big as raccoons will take advantage of open garbage cans to look for food in. Keep them far away from your yard and seal them if possible.
  10. Hire an exterminator: A professional pest control technician will be able to identify potential vulnerabilities around your yard and help you set up plans to prevent infestations in the first place.

Pest Control for Your Backyard in El Paso TX

If you want to make sure that you don’t deal with pest problems this spring and summer, reach out to your local pest control company. At Pest Defense Solutions El Paso, we take pride in our holistic extermination approaches, working to outbreaks before they start using eco-conscious products and strategies. For a free quote, contact us today!

How to Be Pest-Free in Your Outdoor Living Space

Prevent pests in your El Paso TX backyard - Pest Defense Solutions

Pests and insects are a completely normal part of outdoor life. Whether you spend your time in your backyard barbecuing, doing yard work, or playing with your kids, you’ve likely dealt with pests from time to time. Mosquitoes in the birdbath or ants on your barbecue area can be frustrating to deal with, which is why it’s important to learn what you can do to lessen the risk of pest problems outside your home. At Pest Defense Solutions, we know that pests are common year-round here in El Paso. But we don’t believe they have to ruin your time spent outdoors! Our expert technicians have gathered info on how to be pest-free in your outdoor living space.

5 Steps to Be Pest-Free Outdoors

The last thing you want during a barbecue or family picnic is a pest problem. Chances are, there are several things in your backyard that could be attracting pests. The key is to make your yard less attractive to pests in general. Our top tips are to:

  1. Keep a clean environment. Crumbs and spills will attract ants and other insects.
  2. Remove any standing water. Stagnant water is one of the biggest attractants for mosquitoes.
  3. Keep your lawn and shrubs trimmed. Ticks and mosquitoes will shelter in overgrown vegetation or tall grass.
  4. Inspect all wood structures. Wood-destroying pests (carpenter ants and termites) will damage your wooden decks or porches.
  5. Use an insect repellent. Most store-bought repellent containing DEET will help repel mosquitoes and ticks.

What Pests are Common in El Paso Backyards?

If you’ve lived in the area for some time, you know that pests and insects are common during most months of the year. However, pests are more common than ever this time of year, and are likely right in your backyard! The pests you’ll see in your yard are mosquitoes, stinging insects (bees, wasps, and hornets), ants, spiders, ticks, fleas, and flies. While most of these pests are a nuisance to deal with, ticks and mosquitoes in particular are more dangerous. Because these pests can bite and transmit diseases, it’s very important to learn how to keep them away from your property altogether.

Year-Round Outdoor Pest Control

A pest problem outside your home can quickly become a pest problem inside your home. By preventing pests in your backyard, you can lessen the risk of those pests coming indoors. For expert help on staying pest-free, the residential pest control pros at Pest Defense Solutions can help. Contact us today!

Is Coronavirus Transmitted by Mosquitoes?

Mosquitoes and ticks do not spread coronavirus. Learn more from Pest Defense Solutions in El Paso Texas.

The team at Pest Defense Solutions understands how uncertain times are right now during the current pandemic. With a dedication to the health and safety of our communities here in El Paso, we are closely monitoring the information coming out each day about COVID-19. We understand there is a lot of misinformation spread about the nature of the virus, and we are here to set one of those myths straight. From what we know according to the CDC, coronavirus is not transmitted by mosquitoes or ticks. These two insects certainly play a role in the transmission of some of the world’s worst diseases, but COVID-19 is not one of them. Read on to learn what we know so far.

Do Mosquito Bites Cause Coronavirus?

As of now, there is no scientific evidence that mosquitoes or ticks transmit COVID-19. Coronavirus is a respiratory virus that is spread to pass from person to person. Droplets from saliva or nasal discharge are often the cause of transmission, often generated when an infected person sneezes or coughs. Studies show that it can be spread through contaminated surfaces, and it  is increasingly considered to be an airborne virus. From what we know, coronaviruses are best avoided by avoiding exposure with infected persons. Diseases that are caused and spread by mosquitoes and ticks are entirely different from this current virus.

Deadly Diseases from Mosquitoes and Ticks

Ticks, fleas, and mosquitoes are considered vectors for some pretty serious infectious diseases. Vector pests are organisms that transmit diseases to humans through bites. More-so than fleas, ticks and definitely mosquitoes are infamous for transmitting dangerous diseases:

  • Malaria, Zika virus, West Nile virus, chikungunya, yellow fever, and more are just a few of the dangerous diseases transmitted by mosquitoes.
  • Lyme disease, which is currently the most common vector-borne disease in the nation, is spread by ticks.
  • If these vector pests feeds off a diseased host, they can transmit pathogens that can infect other hosts it subsequently bites. This is why so many people are exposed to the above diseases.

Pest Defense Solutions is Here to Help

Even though mosquitoes do not transmit coronavirus, they can still be dangerous. As always, it’s important to take caution in the presence of pests and to always enlist the help of a professional exterminator to prevent dangerous insects. We will provide essential pest control services to our communities during these times and all year long!

As the COVID-19 situation continues to unfold, we want to encourage our customers to seek more information and follow guidelines released by the WHO and the CDC.