Backyard Buzz: Maximizing Comfort in Bug Season
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH MOSQUITO TORONTO
After two years of pandemic life, the value of comfort and safety at home has never been more precious. Your outdoor space is more than a yard…it’s an extension of your living space, your entertaining space. It’s an integral part of your home. But warmer weather can bring unpleasant pests into your outdoor space. Through careful prevention and all-natural approaches, you can repel these insects to maximize your outdoor enjoyment – while keeping your family and the environment safe.
Summer 2022: A Triple Threat
The signs are there already that the southern Ontario is going to have a tough outdoor pest season. Conditions are ripe for a triple threat summer: for mosquitoes, for ticks and for gypsy moths too. The long, damp spring is harbinger of intense mosquito breeding season. Climate change, without the lengthy, frigid winters of the past, means ticks are migrating more and more into our region – and not just more of them, but more species of ticks, too. Finally, for gypsy moths (or LDD moths as we call them now), Summer 2022 is a peak infestation season. These moths have life cycles of approximately 7-10 years, growing exponentially each season – and we are at about year 6-7 this summer. A pesty summer is on the way!
Pest 101: The Basics
Why should you be concerned about these pests? They are not just a summer nuisance anymore. Mosquitoes are the world’s deadliest animal: a vector for multiple diseases, but especially here in southern Ontario for West Nile Virus. Tick-borne illness, especially Lyme disease, is a growing concern, with cases last year rising above 30,000 for the first time last year in North America. And while the major impact of the LDD moth is on your trees, the caterpillars can actually cause a poison ivy-like allergic reaction in human. These pests are more than just pesky. They are a hazard to you, your family and your pets.
An Ounce of Prevention
Sounds like an indoor summer might be a good idea. But there a lots of preventative measures you can take, to make your backyard less of a pest paradise.
For mosquitoes, seek out and remove standing water. This can be kiddie pools, sandboxes, and bird baths, anything that can collect even minimal amounts of water. Mosquito larvae only need a puddle to survive.
For ticks, keep lawns, shrubs and grasses trim and tidy. Keep any stacked wood in a dry area. Don’t give ticks a dark place to hide; get rid of trash in the yard, and consider placing things like play equipment in sunny areas of your yard.
For moths, keep your eyes on your trees. LDD moths feast on deciduous trees, especially oak, birch, maple, elm and spruce. Watch for egg sacs in clusters on these trees that indicate a moth colony is forming.
Pest Control, the All-Natural Way
Taking these important preventative measures is a great first step. But it may not be enough. You may be considering professional pest control methods to keep your backyard comfortable. But you want you and your family’s comfort to also be safe. Synthetic, chemical pesticides come with risks: they kill helpful insects, like bees and butterflies; they can push pollutants into the water system harming fish and aquatic life; they have health implication for humans too, from acute irritations to chronic health issues. All-natural approaches focus on repelling these pests, making your yard inhospitable to pests, rather than eradicating them. Garlic-based insect barriers are particularly effective, and you can be back outside enjoying your yard within an hour of treatment, safely.
Enjoy your yard, all season long, with your family, your friends and your pets, in comfort and in safety. Safe from pests AND safe from pesticides. You can have your comfort and your butterflies too!
About Mosquito Toronto
Mosquito Toronto provides all-natural mosquito and tick control services that make great outdoor living spaces even better. We believe in an eco-friendly, chemical-free approach to pest control, safe for kids, pets and the environment. And we’ve spent years mastering the optimal approach for safety and comfort. At Mosquito Toronto, we are all about fewer bites.
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