Outdoor Living, Fort Worth Style: Pest-Proof Your Patio
Being able to stay outside and enjoy your patio any time you want is the whole perk of having one. Residents in Fort Worth know how relaxing and calming those mornings or afternoons sitting on the patio drinking coffee or reading a book are - as long as the bugs are far away from you. Learn how to keep the flying insects and pests away from your personal oasis so you can enjoy your peace any time you want.
Why You Should Keep Your Patio Free From Pests
Your outdoor space is the last line of defense between the bug and your home. If you don't want insects to get inside, you need to properly take care of it. Detering bugs and insects from hanging out on your patio will keep them from wondering what's beyond that - meaning the inside of your house.
Keeping your patio bug-free will also give you a positive emotional boost knowing you have a special place to relax in. Spending time outside is good for your physical and mental health, so doing things to keep the pests away will allow you to bask in your outdoor space whenever you need to decompress. And, since Fort Worth sees over 230 sunny days a year, with even the average temperature in January being around 59* Fahrenheit for the high, there are plenty of reasons to make sure your patio is ready for you to enjoy.
It Will Keep Bites and Diseases Away
A lot of insects and bugs can transmit diseases and illnesses to humans and pets. The best prevention is to not get bit, so taking any and all precautions to do so is important to the health of your family. Bites in themselves can be painful and itchy, and humans or pets can be allergic. A bug or two will make it through the cracks, but stopping infestations or a multitude of bites is the goal.
Bugs and insects can destroy fabrics and furniture in your home, spoil your food stores, damage your garden and yard and leave destructive marks around your house. The mental harm of constantly seeing bugs and insects around your home and yard isn't helpful, either.
How to Keep Your Patio Pest-Free
Keep it Clean
Let's start with the basics. Keeping your patio clean is the basic step one to keeping pests away. Crumbs, food, trash, wrappers and other debris are a Bat Signal for pests to come feast. Don't leave garbage sitting out or uncovered, sweep up any messes or spills before you go inside for the evening and pick up after yourself.
Do basic cleaning every day if you can, even if it is just sweeping the dirt and food up, but do a deeper cleaning once a week to maintain your patio. This keeps bugs away and helps your space look better for longer.
Invest in a Net
If the bugs get really bad, you could invest in a mosquito net to cover your patio area. Go to your local garden center or hardware center with measurements of your patio and see what they would recommend.
Pack on the Plants
Each bug has scents that attract them and ones that make them fly in the other direction. Some good ones to have sitting on your patio would be lemongrass, lavender, rosemary and chrysanthemum are all great deterrents for mosquitoes, ticks, flies and ants.
Spray With Essential Oil
If you don't have the space for plants or don't have the time and patience to keep them all alive, spray the area with an essential oil mixture. In addition to the scents from the plants mentioned, peppermint, mint, clove and cinnamon are disliked by a variety of bugs.
Candles
As long as it won't be a fire hazard, you could light citrus candles or citronella torches around your patio to keep the bugs away while you are outside.
Professional Misting Systems
Automated mosquito misting systems provide consistent, long-term protection by releasing timed bursts of insecticide around your property's perimeter. These permanent installations typically include nozzles mounted along fences and landscaping to create an invisible barrier against mosquitoes and other flying pests.
Temporary Fogging Solutions
MosquitoNix QuickNix® fogging treatments deploy a non-toxic solution that disrupts the mosquito life cycle, providing up to 2 weeks of protection with a 72-hour guarantee. Our licensed specialists target dense vegetation, shrubs, hedges, and tree canopies using professional-grade foggers, making it ideal for outdoor weddings, backyard parties, and special events. Every treatment comes with a 100% satisfaction guarantee, ensuring your outdoor space remains mosquito-free when it matters most.
Other Ways to Keep Pests Away
- Sprinkle diatomaceous earth around the patio's perimeter
- Draw an outline around the patio with chalk to keep slugs and ants away
- If you have a light outside, change it to a yellow bulb
- Keep a fan outside and turn it on whenever you are using the patio
There are additional little tricks you can try in combination with each other to see if you find the combination to keep the pests pestering you away from your patio. From diatomaceous earth to chalk, sometimes lining your patio area with something simple will deter certain bugs.
You know how different shades of car bulbs affect your eyes while driving - some hurt more than others. That is how light affects the insects, too. Switch to a yellow bulb for your outside lights and see if you notice a drop in bugs.
Ironically, flying insects are notoriously bad at flying. Using a fan outside aimed away from you will help keep the bugs off their course. It's a pretty simple way to push the pests away from your patio if you don't have anything else handy.
These tips are useful not only for your patio, but any deck or porch, outdoor furniture and even inside your home. But to stay outside for as many of those sunny days as possible, try these ways to keep your patio pest-free. If nothing is working, do not hesitate to call a professional and caring pest control company like MosquitoNix®. No one should have to constantly battle bugs whenever they want to relax on their patio. To be a patio potato whenever you want to, spend even 5 minutes a day taking care of your patio, so you are the only one who gets to reap the benefits.
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