It’s outdoor entertaining season. Here’s how to keep the bugs at bay.
First, assess your yard and then, focus on a specific pest. Each insect has distinct behaviors that should guide your approach.
With vaccinations onboard and coronavirus waning, many of us are resuming outdoor entertaining. Chances are, you’ve groomed the lawn, cleaned the patio furniture, and prepped the grill. But what have you done to ensure that uninvited guests don’t crash the party? No, not that eccentric neighbor who shows up just as you’re starting to eat. We’re talking about annoying pests such as mosquitoes, wasps, yellow jackets and flies.
Keeping insects away from your home is easy. Keeping insects at bay without harming “good” bugs — not to mention pets and humans — is harder. Stinging pests can cause obvious injuries; others, such as flies and mosquitoes, may carry pathogens. Not every bug, though, is bad.
Many insects perform a service to the environment — including ladybugs, honeybees and other pollinators — and predator bugs, such as robber flies, eat other bugs. “Good bugs keep bad bugs in check. If you kill off all the natural predators, the bad ones will go out of control,” says Ryan Smith, an organic pest-control expert in Beaverton, Ore.
» READ MORE: How to plant a garden that helps support bees
To tell which is which, the website pestworld.org can help consumers identify insects and provide tips for pest proofing and control. Contact your local county extension office to learn which insects are indigenous to your area. Typically run by universities, including Rutgers and Penn State, these offices offer free advice on gardening, pests and more.
For those willing to take the time, targeted pest control is effective and easy to do. It can also save you money.
Joe LaBrie and his family own Bug & Weed Mart, a company with five stores in the Phoenix area focused on DIY pest control. Before you buy any product, he says, survey your yard or entertainment space to see what can be done reasonably without chemicals. Is there trash or dog feces that need to be removed? Are there nests being built that you can safely knock down? Can you store garbage and recycling bins elsewhere? Are certain spots prone to standing water that you can drain?
After you’ve assessed your yard, focus on a specific pest. Each insect has distinct behaviors that should guide your approach.
Flies. Organic matter is catnip to flies, which are attracted to the odor. For family-style dinners, keep dishes covered and only fill glasses halfway. Consider plating up indoors, then carrying your meal outside to dine, says Angela Tucker, an entomologist for the pest-control company Terminix.
One simple solution may be found in your pantry. Fill cups with vinegar (any variety) and place them every few feet around the perimeter of your space, Smith says. Flies are drawn to the scent, but vinegar is denser than water, so when the pests touch it, they get caught and drown. LaBrie also suggests Fly Spot, an effective bait that attracts and kills flies within 60 seconds. Mix the product with water and spray flower pots, the backs of patio furniture, and the bases of garbage cans.
Mosquitoes. Standing water is your biggest challenge, says Jim Fredericks, chief entomologist for the National Pest Management Association. Any container or object — toys, birdbaths, kiddie pools, flower pots, tire swings, gutter downspouts — that collects water needs to be dumped at least every five days, so mosquitoes have no breeding ground. For those who live in rainy locales, Smith recommends sprinkling Mosquito Bits into any standing water. These corncob granules are coated with a bacteria that quickly kills mosquito larvae, but it’s safe for pets, birds and wildlife.
Bug zappers, torches or citronella candles are hit or miss. Tiki torches may dissuade mosquitoes because of the smoke, which throws off odor patterns, and the scent of citronella may act as a deterrent. But neither is an effective control method, Tucker says. And bug zappers — the indiscriminate electric chair of the insect world — kills good insects, too.
An alternative to a traditional zapper is the DynaTrap Ultralight, which uses a motor and fan instead of an electrical current to do the deed. A fluorescent UV lightbulb and a titanium dioxide-coated surface that releases CO2 attract flying insects, and the fan pulls them inside the basket, where they die of dehydration. Then, you simply empty the trap, LaBrie says. The DynaTrap will not harm honeybees, bumblebees or other beneficial insects, because they are not attracted to carbon dioxide.
Ants. Forget the chemical sprays and powders, which can be toxic to humans and pets. According to Smith, you can eradicate ants with a simple recipe. Mix one tablespoon of a peanut butter and honey mixture with a teaspoon boric acid. Place blobs around your entertainment area about one week before your event, and the ants should disappear. Not only is this concoction cheap to make — a bottle of boric acid should last you a lifetime — but it’s also safe for wildlife and pets.
Yellow jackets, wasps and hornets. “Removing stinging insects is not a DIY project,” Fredericks says. “Without protective equipment and training, you could end up getting in trouble. This is one time when you may want to call in a professional.”
For very small nests, LaBrie suggests using Wasp-Freeze. The spray can travel about 15 feet, keeping you out of harm’s way while the residual insecticide eliminates the rest of the nest. Most paper wasps will relocate if you destroy their nests at an early stage.
Cicadas.This year’s cicadas from Brood X will be a noisy nuisance, but they don’t bite or sting. And although they may accidentally land on you, they aren’t attracted to humans or garbage. They’re most active during the day and will be gone by around July 4.