Summer is in the air, the birds are chirping and for some of us, the summer temperatures are HOT. Many of us find relief from the hot outdoor temperatures by swimming in a pool, visiting the beach or drinking a glass of iced lemonade. That being said, there is nothing worse than a bug flying around in your face or ants all over the yard. Fortunately, there are a few ways to keep these pesky insects away so that you can enjoy your time in the sun.
How to Keep Fire Ants Away
Fire ants are a huge nuisance in home lawns. Their bites hurt, they always come in swarms, they’re aggressive and if left unattended, they can take over your lawn. Fire ant mounds can either be flat or dome-shaped. They typically like to build their homes when the soil is damp and easy to move around. If you happen to spot a fire ant mound at home, don’t try to remove it by hand or with tools. Contact your nearest Carolina Fresh Farms outlet so that we can make professional recommendations on the best way to treat the infestation.
How to Manage Mosquitoes at Home
Mosquitoes are some of the most annoying insects around. Not only do they bite—they also have the ability to fly. It’s no secret that mosquitoes are one of the biggest carriers of disease. During the summer time, it seems like their populations increase. Mosquitoes love water. If you have a pond, lake or river near your home, you may get a lot of mosquitoes during the summer. If your lawn easily accumulates puddles after a rainstorm, consider reading this article to help reduce standing water. Carolina Fresh Farms has a few products you can safely spray around your home to keep as many mosquitoes away as possible.
How to Control Wasps and Wasp Nests
Although there are different types of wasps, most of them are attracted to food that contains a lot of protein. So if you or your neighbor has picnics outside, grill out or leave open garbage containers outdoors, you may be attracting them. If you notice a significant number of wasps flying around, like at least three or four, you may have a nest nearby. If this is the case, be careful when trying to locate a wasp nest—wasps are super protective of their queen and their young. They can be aggressive and some of them are known to even hold grudges if you don’t successfully kill them the first time. Start by looking up in the corners of archways, garage doors, front or back doors or under roof drains. Similar to a bee hive, wasp nests look like small bunches of honeycomb or can even appear in a smoothly-shaped hive. Nest shapes and sizes vary from wasp species.
Overall, there are multiple ways to keep your lawn and garden free from unwanted visitors. However, the best thing you can do is maintain a healthy, manicured lawn. Freeing your lawn of ornaments, old furniture like benches, thatch, weeds and tall grass reduces living space for bugs to dwell in. Carolina Fresh Farms has a yearly maintenance calendar for zoysia, St. Augustine, Bermuda grass, fescue and centipede lawns. You can access them by visiting our Sod Care page here.