Hosting A Pest-Free Backyard Cookout
Having friends over for a cookout? Sounds like a great time! Fire up the grill and cook up some burgers, brats, veggies, and more. You can even play some backyard volleyball or other lawn games.
Of course, all of that is only a great time if you’re able to keep the normal pests in your backyard at bay. You know the ones – the flies and ants that try to steal your food, the bees that harass guests, and the mosquitos who think you’re the main dish.
Fortunately, there’s a lot you can do to keep pests away during your cookout. Here are the pest control tips you need.
Make Sure Doors are Secure
Guests will probably going in and out of your house quite a bit, especially if you have a deck or a door straight to the backyard. You’ll want to make sure the doors close securely and there aren’t gaps around the frames.
Check for any tears or holes in screen doors and repair them before the event. Bugs can easily get inside through gaps, tears, and holes, and you don’t want any unwelcome visitors!
Be sure that you tell any children who will be attending that they should remember to shut the door behind them as they go in and out. They’re the most likely to forget, and unfortunately an open door can let in a lot of pests and you’ll have to do additional pest control later.
Plan to Serve Food Inside
While everyone loves grabbing their food of the grill and eating in the backyard, it’s better to serve food indoors. You can still cook outside, but lay out the buns, sides, and other food indoors. If it makes sense, folks can eat inside too, and you can save the entertainment for outside.
If folks do eat in the backyard, be sure they throw away plates and utensils promptly. Unfortunately, pests will feel like invited guests if those things are left laying around.
Doing pest control can be as simple as avoiding leaving food out!
Get Rid of Standing Water
Standing water is a mosquito’s haven, so be sure you remove any standing water in the backyard before your event. Dump out birdbaths, tire swings, garden ponds, toys, wading pools, and other puddles.
When you get rid of the water, you’ll remove the area that breeds mosquitos. This will help your backyard party be a lot more fun and keep your guests from becoming the main dish.
Avoid Strong Fragrances
The smells from cologne, shampoo, and perfume can attract stinging insects like wasps and yellowjackets. Let your guests know it’s not a good idea to use these scented items directly before the party.
To avoid surprises from stinging pests, serve drinks in clear cups. Cans and bottle provide hiding places for wasps and bees and can lead to a very unpleasant encounter.
The only fragrance you may want is bug spray – you can wear it yourself and provide it for your guests if you think the bugs in the neighborhood might warrant it. Bug spray is a useful and simple form of pest control.
Consider Professional Pest Control
If you like to use your yard for entertaining, you might want to get professional pest control for your lawn. The pros can identify what areas of your yard are harboring unwelcome visitors and propose a treatment plan.
If you’d like a review of your home or yard, we’re here to help. Contact us for more information today!
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