The Mistake Too Many People Make That Brings Bugs To Their Yard

Warm summer evenings are some of the best times to relax and enjoy the outdoors. Lounging on your patio with a cool breeze on your face (and maybe a stylish pergola overhead) never gets old ... until the bugs come out to play. Those little critters always seem to find a way to ruin your time outside and force you to barricade yourself in the safety of your home. Even outdoor get-togethers can be ruined by a few tenacious insects. Unless you're using a natural all-purpose insect repellent that actually smells good, any insecticide you spray will stink up the place and ruin the mood even more. Unfortunately, there's one mistake people make that basically sends a welcome signal to all the bugs in the area, and that is neglecting to clean up after meals.

Summertime backyard barbecues are fun, but sometimes people focus more on the fun and forget the cleanup until hours later or even the following day. Or maybe you do clean up but leave the trash in lidless, overflowing bins that let all the smells out. Unfortunately, your dirty grills and leftover food scraps could be attracting more bugs to your home than you know. Some bugs, including pesky, picnic-ruining flies, have a highly developed sense of smell. They're actively sniffing around for signs of food, and the smells coming for your backyard can direct them right to your scraps. Trash and food scraps with lots of decaying organic matter are also a great place for flies to lay eggs. It only takes about 24 hours for a housefly egg to hatch, which means you can quickly have an infestation on your hands. So, how do you prevent these bugs from coming in the first place? It just requires making a few simple changes.

How do you prevent a backyard bug infestation? Start by cleaning up after every outdoor meal. Pick up food scraps from your yard, and clean up any spills as quickly as possible. Clean out your backyard grill as soon as it cools down after use, so you don't find unwelcome guests in your yard by morning. You'll want to clean the grates and check for a drip tray or grease trap that could be harboring smelly food drippings. It's not just human food that's the problem — clean out any pet food or feeders in your yard, and avoid leaving them outside for long, as they can also attract bugs. This is even worse if your pet is a messy eater and leaves the area dotted with food scraps.

Next, ensure that you dispose of your trash in tightly lidded cans, preferably ones with liners that can trap food odors. That way, your trash doesn't become a welcoming beacon for bugs and critters. Double bag your food waste before tossing it into the trash to prevent tears and catch any odors before they escape. If you're composting, always use an airtight lid over your bin and empty it regularly so bugs don't become a problem. You can take it even further by employing these hacks to clean and deodorize your trash can regularly to reduce the general odors coming from the bin. This way, you can finally enjoy a chill evening without being bugged by pests that force you back indoors.