5 Pests That Keeps You From Enjoying Your Yard

This page is a general control guide for ants, mosquitos, fleas, roaches, wasp and bees. Follow these guides and the links to each species page and use the recommended products and we guarantee 100% control of all species listed.

A healthy lawn that is well maintained is still at risk for insects. Ants, mosquitos, fleas, roaches, wasp and bees are the most common pests found in homes and lawns throughout multiple states. Fortunately, most of the insects and the issues they present can be prevented, or damage minimized by the use of our recommended products and tips.

By following our DIY guide and the links to each species page you can find expert techniques and professional-quality products you can use to get rid of the of the infestation quickly and affordably.

Ants

Ants are not considered dangerous pests, but they pose serious health and lawn damage. They will not feed on your turf, but ants will build their homes underneath the soil to escape warm temperatures. Ants will also live in large groups called colonies and will travel throughout your home or yard in long lines to find something to eat. As a result of their activity, ants will cause cosmetic damage to your turf and sometimes home.

Another issue is ant hills in grass, which can become large and poses a hazard for people, children, or pets who encounter them. Once an ant hill is disturbed they will defend their home from the source of the disruption through means of biting with their mandibles. Once bitten their bites will leave itchy whelps on your skin or sometimes cause an allergic reaction.

Disturbing ants hills is not a recommendable solution and will only cause ants populations to scatter and multiply their mounds in your yard. Not only will disturbing mounds increase their appearance in their yard, but it will also pose a risk to your safety. The simple effect to control ants is to apply a long residual insecticide product such as Valar Plus Bifenthrin Granules and Supreme IT.

Mosquitos 

While mosquitos do not specifically target vegetation, their activities can make a lawn unusable. Aside from their itchy bites, mosquitos can transfer diseases back and forth between people and animals.

Mosquitos are commonly active in areas that contain a lot of water, such as our backyard, rain gutters, birdbath, and other locations containing standing water. Rainfall makes areas in our yard a haven for mosquitos. Anytime it rains it increases pools of water in our yards which is what mosquitos need to lay their eggs in. By treating any collected areas of water with an product like BTI Mosquito Dunk we can effectively eliminate large mosquito populations.

Remember that BTI Mosquito Dunks are a larvicide, meaning that this product only targets and kills larval mosquitoes and not mature reproductive mosquitoes. To control adult mosquitoes on your property, you will need to use an insecticide like Flex 10-10.

To learn more information about effective mosquito control, refer to our mosquito control guide for effective products and tips to reduce your mosquito population.

Fleas

Fleas are tiny bugs with brown vertical flat bodies. Fleas cause damage by creating itching and allergic reactions, and transmit diseases to yourself and your pet.

Besides the health hazards they pose fleas are also dangerous for their ability to quickly multiply. Within 1 day a flea can lay up to 50 eggs and complete their growth from a larvae to adulticide in 14 days.

Once a home or yard is infested with fleas they are hard to get rid of due to their ability to survive harsh conditions. When an unborn flea is still inside their egg they cannot be harmed by insecticides. Only when fleas hatch can they be terminated by an insecticide. You cannot effectively remove fleas from your yard, but you can decrease the size of their population.

When deciding to control fleas, it is best to keep a continuous preventative treatment during the spring and summer when fleas are most active.

Wasp and Bees

Wasp and bees are two different species of flying stinging insects, but when provoked will sting their victim. Once the weather becomes warm bees and wasps will look for places to settle in and make their homes which can be inside or outside your home. Areas such as chimneys, attics, cracks and crevices, and rain gutters are ideal living arrangements for these stinging insects.

A troublesome characteristic that wasp have, unlike bees, wasp can and will sting a person an unlimited number of times. In comparison, when a bee stings they can only harm you once and then die after their stinger is used. As an effective bee and wasp control prevent bees or wasps from forming large colonies in your structure by removing uninhabited nests, trimming foliage around your home, and using preventative applications of D-Fense Dust and Sylo Insecticide.

With their painful stings, high populations, and ability to make anywhere a home it is no surprise that bees and wasps are not an ideal pest to have.

Roaches

When you first hear of roaches you immediately begin to think of all the germs and diseases they carry when moving across your yard or countertops. Roaches such as the american cockroach, smoky brown cockroach, and oriental cockroach are pests they prefer to live in moist and damp areas. Areas in your home like the kitchen, bathrooms, garages, and attics create ideal moist conditions for these roaches to depend on. Any areas outside your home where water does not drain well creates an ideal environment for roaches to thrive in such as yard debris, leaf litter, woodpiles, logs, rocks, and any place that might provide harborage.

If you believe you have these pests in your homes or yard then look for signs of their activity like insect droppings, shed skins or body parts, and the roaches themselves. When looking for roaches inspect areas near water like underneath your sink or crevices that are not disturbed very often. These roaches are nocturnal so you will more success looking at night.

Key Takeaways

What are the 5 Most Common Pests in your Yard?

• Ants, mosquitos, fleas, wasp and bees, and roaches are the most common pests that not only invade the outside of your home, but the inside as well. 

How to Get Rid of Insects in Your Yard?

• Begin treatment indoors by properly sanitizing your home, in particular, your kitchen. Make sure to wipe and sweep away crumbs, grease, and take out the trash. For outside treatment, remove any debris like overgrown vegetation, uninhabited bee or insect nests, and exposed garbage cans to remove any ideal conditions for insects to depend on. Then apply a Supreme IT for ants, roaches, fleas, and mosquitos to prevent future reinfestations. For bees and wasps outside treatment apply a Stryker Wasp and Hornet Killer directly onto the nests, but make sure to wear the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) to protect you from insect stings.