Although it may look calm, your yard is home to a thriving ecosystem of life. From the microbes in the soil to the grass and flowers of your lawn, a well-tended yard hosts many types of life. Not every resident in your yard is a welcome visitor, however, and unwanted pests may be lurking just out of sight. Learning to spot the signs of unwanted pests will help you keep them under control without threatening the safety of the plants and friendly insects that dwell in your lawn.
Good Bugs vs. Bad Bugs in Your Yard
Of the 30,000 insects native to Texas, only about 100 are real pests, and only a fraction of these will ever be found around your home. The vast majority of the bugs you find in your yard will be harmless or even beneficial. Beneficial insects help to keep the numbers of more threatening pests at bay. Some can even pollinate flowers or improve the quality of soil.
Identifying the Harmful Pests
Since the majority of the insects you find will be harmless, it’s important to focus your attention on looking for the signs of a few common pests instead of worrying about every creature that may live in your yard. Here are a few of the most common culprits of yard damage:
• Aphids are a major threat to trees and shrubs. They’re small, usually less than an eighth of an inch long, and attach themselves to the underside of leaves. You can often tell that an aphid’s been to a plant because of the sticky clear “honeydew” droplets left behind on leaves.
• Spider mites are tiny eight-legged mites that lay their eggs on the underside of leaves. They can destroy house plants, flowers and garden plants. If you have a plant that’s failing to thrive, tap the affected leaf on a piece of paper: The tiny specks that drop off are likely mites.
• Snails and slugs are both fleshy, slimy creatures that can devastate freshly planted seedlings. You can attract snails overnight with bait of beer, apple cider or a hollowed-out melon. You will also frequently see them crawling around outside after a fresh rain.
• Fire ants are particularly aggressive and tend to make large, unsightly mounds that can ruin the look of your lawn. Look for mounds of loose earth in open, sunny areas; it’s not hard to see the ants moving among them once you do.
Identifying the presence of pests is the first step, but eradicating them requires knowledge and experience. If you suspect that your lawn or garden is home to unwanted visitors, contact ABC Home & Commercial Services today to learn more and schedule service. Our Austin pest control team can help you identify and eliminate infestations before they get out of hand.