 "Philly Home + Garden Show")
Buggy Backyard? 3 Ways to Keep Pests From Your Patio
Jan 13, 2016, 15:45 PM
One of the downfalls of living in this part of
the country is that we share our outdoor living spaces with mosquitoes and
ticks. These unwelcome critters can ruin the experience of the most luxurious
backyard oasis. We clear our properties of standing water and we light all the
citronella candles we can find, but for many of us, our backyards remain buggy.
All hope is not lost. We went to three local
experts who can help you reclaim your property from backyard pests.
Kill &
Deter - One of the things that will attract bugs –
especially mosquitoes – onto your property is the carbon dioxide your body
emits, says Tina Brogan, president of Mosquito Shield
in West Chester, Pennsylvania. Her company’s spray masks that scent, kills
adult mosquitoes and deters others from coming back onto the property. For a
flat fee of a few hundred dollars, the company will return throughout the
summer season an average of once every two weeks – more frequently if it’s
rainy.
Confuse - There
are several plants and flowers that can be added to your outdoor areas that,
because of the scents they produce, act as a natural deterrent for backyard
pests from mosquitoes to rabbits. David Groth, partner of Village Nursery & Gardens
in Boyertown, Pennsylvania, says marigolds, lavender and catnip are popular
options. Homeowners need not build a wall of defense, but can spread these
plants throughout their gardens. The perk is that many of these choices produce
nice looking flowers to add to the aesthetics of your yard while helping keep
the pests away.
Block - For a more permanent solution, some
homeowners decide to screen in their outdoor living spaces or even add a
three-season or four-season room to their homes. Melissa Skinner of Patio Enclosures
says dedicated outdoor living spaces have been a hot trend for the past five
years and many people are deciding to put up screens or walls that not only
block pests, but protect them from the elements and create a space that can be
used beyond the warmer months. She says that many people who start with a
screen system to solve their bug problem will upgrade to a glass system to
extend the time they can spend in that space.
If you are interested in learning more, the
experts in this piece can be found at the following booth numbers:
- Mosquito Shield: Booth #217
- Patio Enclosures: Booth #419
- Village Nursery & Gardens: Can be found in the Feature Gardens exhibit
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