A Northglenn yard needs to be a place where your family can enjoy Colorado’s great weather, not a moth nest. Many homeowners in our area make landscaping choices that unknowingly affect pest populations year after year. Every choice, from the mulch you spread around your flower beds to how water flows from your property, either draws pests closer to your home or away from it. This understanding is essential with Northglenn’s semi-arid climate and our proximity to agricultural regions.
The trees you plant, the rocks you lay out, and even your watering schedule affect whether mosquitoes, ants, rodents, and all manner of other pests will decide your property is a good new home for them. If you notice an uptick in pest activity around your landscape, consulting Saela Pest Control can help you pinpoint trouble spots before they spread.
How Mulch and Ground Cover Influence Pest Behavior?
Organic mulches, such as wood chips and bark, provide ideal conditions for pests that prefer moist environments, including earwigs, pillbugs, and carpenter ants. Both moisture and decomposing materials used to make these shelters offer habitat and food resources for a wide range of insects. With Northglenn’s 245 days a year of sunny weather, mulch may be irresistible to pests who are seeking shelter from the heat and dryness. Instead, use mulch or decorative rock that does not retain moisture or provide food in your foundation zones, as these organic mulches are highly attractive to pests. For the sake of your garden, use only organic mulch. Ensure it is kept at least a foot away from the foundation of your home and replenished frequently to prevent it from decomposing and providing a home for pests.
The Role of Irrigation and Drainage
At Northglenn, where our annual precipitation averages about 15 inches, water management is key. Standing water attracts mosquitoes; they only need about a bottle cap’s worth of water to breed. Overwatering your lawn or permitting poor drainage can cause water to collect. Leaky drip irrigation systems and sprinkler heads placed too close to the outside of your house will create a constant moisture buildup against your foundation, attracting termites, ants, and other moisture-loving pests. Test the grading of your yard to ensure that water flows away from your house, rather than pooling by the foundation. Repair leaky outdoor faucets or irrigation parts immediately; even minor drips create a humid microclimate that pests need to survive.
Structural Landscaping Features and Pest Harborage
Decorative landscapes can become pest hotels if they are not planned and maintained. Gaps and crevices formed by stacked stone walls, timber borders, and piles of decorative rock provide cover for spiders, scorpions, and rodents. Bushes that are densely planted directly against your home give pests protected highways to your walls and ultimately to find entry points indoors. Firewood stacks close to your home provide ideal sleeping quarters for mice and brood wood-eating pests.
Because prairie ecosystems overlap with our area in Northglenn, mice and voles have an innate ability to use landscape features to move with cover toward homes. Place decorative rock features at least 3 feet away from your foundation, and leave a clear area around your home where you can easily notice pest activity. Cut away tree branches that hang over your roof; they are like bridges that let ants, squirrels, and other pests right into your home.
Keep Your Northglenn Yard Beautiful and Pest-Free
A pest-resistant landscape does not have to compromise the curb appeal of your Northglen home. It only requires careful consideration from a beauty and pest control standpoint. Native Colorado plants, such as blue grama grass and rabbitbrush, have adapted to our climate and use less water, reducing the moisture pests need. Overgrown vegetation and neglected yard areas provide shelter and a breeding ground for pests to hide and multiply. Saela Pest Control serves the Northglenn community with landscape assessments that help homeowners anticipate and mitigate pest pressure points around their property, should they require expert assistance.
