How to Keep Pests Away From Your Patio

Outdoors, pests are a fact of life. Here in Las Vegas, we are used to the influx of insects in the summer and fall months. You’re likely looking to spend time outside in your backyard or on your patio with the summer winding down. You also likely don’t want to deal with any pests when you do so. While it can be difficult to avoid insects altogether in your yard, there are a few things you can do to make your property less attractive to pests.

The team at Western Exterminator of Las Vegas are here to share their top outdoor pest-proof tips.

What Pests Are In My Las Vegas Backyard?

The warm weather invites all types of pests and insects. Whether you have an outdoor living set or a play set for your kids, it’s important to know what pests you might encounter right in your backyard. These are the pests you’re likely to see or have problems with:

Pest-Free Outdoor Living Tips and Tricks

If you are planning to have family barbecues or gardening sessions outdoors, you don’t want to deal with pests. It’s important to know how to make your yard less attractive to insects. Some of our top tips include:

  • Get rid of standing water. Stagnant water is one of the biggest attractants for mosquitoes.
  • Keep your lawn and shrubs trimmed. Ticks and mosquitoes will shelter in overgrown vegetation or tall grass.
  • Know how to identify nests or ant hills. Even a tiny mound can contain thousands of ants inside.
  • Inspect all wood structures. Wood-destroying pests (carpenter ants and termites) will damage your wooden decks or porches.
  • Apply an insect repellent. Most store-bought repellent containing DEET will help repel mosquitoes and ticks.
  • Clean your patio or space regularly. Spills or leftover food will surely bring ants around.

Long-Term Pest Prevention For Your Yard

Keeping pests away from your property can be difficult. If you’ve done all you can to prevent pests in your outdoor living space and still find yourself with scorpions or a wasp nest, contact the residential exterminators at Western Exterminator today. We are committed to keeping our customers safe from pests both inside and outside the home.

5 Tips for Avoiding Insect Stings

Stinging insects such as yellow jackets, wasps and hornets send more than 500,000 people to the emergency room each year. And, if that’s not bad enough, in Las Vegas and Henderson neighborhoods, they become extra feisty in late summer and early fall when their colonies forage for food to sustain their queens during the winter months.

While the thought of encountering a bee hive in a sprinkler valve box or a hornets nest under the patio is enough to make anyone want to stay indoors over the next few weeks, don’t fret. There are a handful of ways to ensure these pesky stingers won’t ruin your fun in the sun.

Seal cracks and crevices

One effective way to prevent an infestation of these insects and most other pests is to eliminate access and harborage sites around of the home. Stinging insects often build their nests inside block walls and valve boxes, behind patio lights and under decks or eaves. Homeowners should seal all visible cracks and crevices to keep these pests from moving indoors, and regularly inspect around the yard and along the perimeter of the house for nests.

Keep food covered

Have you ever been to an outdoor gathering where bees are swarming around the table of hamburgers, chips and fruit? Stinging insects are attracted to exposed food and open garbage cans. To avoid an unwanted encounter with a yellowjacket or bee during a picnic or cookout, cover all food when outside and be sure to keep tight fitting lids on trash bins.

Avoid excessive use of fragrances

Yellowjackets and other stinging insects are attracted to sweet-smelling fragrances. If spending long periods of time outdoors, avoid excessive use of perfume or cologne. When possible, also choose unscented shampoos, soaps, lotions and sunscreen.

Adjust your wardrobe

Avoid wearing dark colors and floral prints, since these patterns are known to attract stinging insects. It’s also important to wear closed-toe shoes, especially in grassy areas as bumblebees and some hornets often nest there.

Remain calm, cool and collected

If a stinging insect is flying nearby, many people’s first reaction is to either swat the insect away or flail their arms in panic. However, these movements may actually provoke an attack. Do not swat the pest, but rather remain calm, slowly walk from the area and it should fly away without causing any harm. If you do get stung, carefully remove the stinger and seek medical attention, as reactions can be severe in some cases.

Contact a pest professional

If a nest is found on the property, keep yourself and other members of the family away and do not attempt to remove it on your own. Depending on the species, a nest could contain hundreds (if not thousands) of stinging insects, which could swarm and sting en masse if they are disturbed or feel threatened. Instead, contact our pest professionals at Western Exterminator, and we will be able to identify the species and aid in stinging insect control by either removing the colony or destroying the nest.