How And Why Your St. Louis, Missouri, Backyard Attracts Pests, And How To Control Them, Part 3

July 17, 2012 - PRLog -- Welcome back to Richardson Pest Solution's three-part guide to keeping your backyard a sanctuary from your regular life.  Part one dealt with how your patio furniture could attract spiders, how your stepping stones in the garden become a free path into your home, and how your barbeque grill can be a home for wasp nests.  Part two  discussed how your lawn furniture can give a resting spot (and easy access to you)for stinging insects, how your yard equipment can disturb wasp and hornet nests and cause a full attack, why your landscaping and foundation can attract all sorts of insects, and why you should keep tree branches trimmed away from your home. Now, we will show how birdhouses can hide dangers, hummingbird feeders can bring unwanted pain to your home, burning the wrong candles can entice pests, and why sprays need to be used judiciously.
Birdhouses are beautiful additions to the backyard.  They create a place for beautiful birds to gather, and add color and life to your yard.  However, a birdhouse can also be a home for wasps and yellowjackets.  These insects will find the birdhouse to be an irresistable place to nest, and drive the rightful owners out.  Vigilance is required to keep them out.  Sprays aren't especially effective in this circumstance, as they can poison the birds.  A pest control professional can help you rid your biedhouse of these pests, or you can replace the birdhouse, and chalk it up as a lesson.
Hummingbird feeders are a similar trap to birdhouses.  They are designed to bring beautiful, colorful creatures into your yard, and often bring trouble instead.  Wasps are, again the issue here.  They are drawn to the sweet nectar inside the feeder, and attack the hummingbirds that come to feed, driving away the purpose of having the feeder.  It also is an ant attractor, bringing these annoying pests close to your home with the promise of sweet nectar.  Regardless of height, these feeders are attractive to ants, which are natural climbers.
Candles add a delicious scent to outdoor gatherings, but can also add unwanted pests to your gathering.  An indoor candle is designed to smell sweet, and when burned outdoors, brings wasps, bees and ants to your party.  Citronella candles and incense, when burned outdoors, repel these pests, along with the mosquitoes that make events miserable.  
Sprays are an effective way to create a barrier against insects for your umbrellas and tents, but an unfortunate side effect of many sprays is that they erode the waterproof lining of your weather protectors.  Many over the counter bug sprays, when applied directly to these weatherproofed surfaces, wash away the waterproofing, allowing water to pour through and leaving you soaked.  Spraying away from the surfaces minimizes this, but doesn't eliminate it.  There's not really an alternative to this, but just a warning.  Bug bombs and traps can work, but don't give the immediate results needed in these circumstances.
Thank you for reading part three of Richardson Pest Solutions' summer pest guide.  Learn all about St. Louis Pest Control, or schedule an appointment today at http://richardsonpestsolutions.com.