As we prepare for each season, pest-free lawn maintenance tips can not only keep your lawn looking the best they can also keep the pests away. Overwintering pests such as stink bugs, Asian lady beetles, rodents, boxelder bugs and more sense the change in seasons and begin looking for a place to spend the different seasons. Buildings like homes, offices, sheds and garages offer the food, water and shelter needed.
As the weather turns it is a perfect time to take basic fall maintenance steps around your home to avoid indoor pests during the fall and winter months.
4 Tips for Pest-Free Lawn Maintenance
- Perform a thorough law clean-up. Rake and remove leaves from your lawn and home perimeter, weed your gardens, remove dead plantings and pick up debris in the yard. Ensure the perimeter of the home is free from leaf debris that would attract pests.
- Trim trees. Branches that extend to the home from trees or even shrubs offer a super highway for pests to enter your home. Keep branches and shrubs trimmed and away from your home on the ground level as well as the roof level.
- Store firewood away from the house. Firewood attracts and offers shelter for rodents and pests like termites. It is recommended that you store firewood at least 30 feet away from your home.
- Inspect the home perimeter & perform simple exclusion and maintenance. Seal cracks and crevices around the home’s exterior. Replace weather strips on doors as they wear out. If window air conditioning units are in place be sure to promptly remove when the weather cools. Inspect the attic for openings and seal with copper mesh and/or caulking.