Garden, Home, Summer and "Bugs"

Sooner or later in spite of the up and down temps, summer is coming. And with that comes the summer "insects". After you work so long at getting your lawn and garden into shape, its time now to deal with these pests. But before you start spraying your bug spray, some of these pests that bug you, are really great for your garden.

Some of these good pests are, bee's that help pollinate, and spiders that eat white flies.

Lets talk about wasps for a minute. Did you know wasp are really scavengers, eating insects and caterpillars during the summer months. Some even pollinate your plants. And the nice part about them is unless you provoke them they will not sting. Then there are Hornets, which create those enclosed gray nests, you find in your shrubs, trees and eaves of your home.  Getting stung by one of these can produce a mild to severe reaction to someone who may be allergic. If you are ready to get rid of them try a product that kills them on contact. There are products that will kill them in a few days, and also affect those returning to the nest. Also a good way to avoid contact with them, is to put any left over picnic food away. These stingy pest are attracted to food and drinks, and the sweeter the better.

When you think of a nice picnic, you always think "ants". But did you know that ants are really beneficial to building soil and will eat eggs of other pests, like fleas. Some ants feed on honeydew, and will move honeydew from plant to plant. If you want to keep the ants in your garden, and away from your picnic area, remember to clean up food when your done. If you have a outdoor hill try using a spectracide, from your local store.

Then there is the famous pest we all hate, mosquitoes. Which feed on us in warmer climates. But not only us, they feed on animals and birds as well. The best thing to use to protect yourself is using a good repellent on your skin or wear long sleeved clothing. Just like your skin, you can also spray a repellent on your clothing. On the market today you can buy a repellent patio lantern, which is great for nighttime entertainment.

Bee's come in thousands of species, but most of them really are solitary. Your honeybee will be seen daily in your garden, pollinating flowers and plants. Usually docile, you will get stung if you step on them or try to swat them. But if you do get stung, the bee will shortly die after. A good spectracide works great on bee's, and is available at most stores.

A common pest around my home and yard is the spider. They are allies in our yards believe it or not. They feed on harmful living insects like caterpillars, aphids, mites and even beetles. And they also help to protect our plants. Most people are afraid of these pest, but the average spider wont even harm you. You still have to be careful because some spiders are poisonous, and can also be dangerous not only to you but your pets. The black widow is one spider to look out for, and avoid. They like to hide under rocks, and moist dark areas. Killing spiders with a pesticide can be difficult, because those hairs on them protect their bodies. A good product to use is Hot Shot, found at local markets, this will get through the layer of hairs they have and also affect their nests.

Then you have those black flies, especially when eating outside. Similar to mosquitoes though, the female are only on the hunt for blood. Males only feed on nectar, which they get from your plants. Running water is the breeding place for these flies. So make sure your fountains and out side water source's are off and cleaned regularly. If you are wearing dark clothes, you may find that these flies will also come around you more. In warmer months to avoid them, wear lighter colors.

The mission of chiggers is different than your other bugs. They pierce skin and inject a secretion that has powerful enzyme that will break down your skin cells. This will then cause swelling three to six hours after you have been exposed. To rid them is a quick fix and inexpensive. Areas around picnic tables and lawn chairs can be sprayed with spectracide triazicide a concentrate that will kill them on contact.

Another pest we fear is the tick. A tick is totally dependant on blood and tissue as well. Feeding is not only on humans, but birds and wild and domestic animals as well. The longer the tick feeds, the greater chance you or the animal is going to get a infection. You can get rid of them by treating the source, which may be your lawn. There are products available that will kill ticks on contact, and keep your lawn tick free.