Identifying and Limiting Pests in Landscaping Areas, Part 1

At LaytonScape, we’re proud to offer not only the highest quality landscaping design and installation services available in Utah, but also long-term care and cleanup services as well. We’ll work with you in the detailed areas of establishing your home’s landscape, but unlike some of our competitors, we’re also here when needed for years into the future to help you maintain and continuously upgrade your landscape.

One area of long-term care we’re happy to offer expertise and advice in? Preventing pests from creating issues in the space, whether in the form of risks to human health, damage to trees or plants, or some combination therein. You may have previously thought pests were only an in-home concern, but this simply isn’t the case. Part one of this two-part blog will look at a few common pest types you may need to look out for in your landscape, particularly as we get into the warmer months – part two will go over some prevention tactics to keep them away.

identifying limiting pests landscaping

Spiders

Spiders are an interesting case when it comes to their presence in landscapes and even in your home. While many may not realize it, spiders can actually be highly beneficial to a given natural environment – they eat certain other pest types, for starters, helping keep their population low, and may benefit your landscape in a couple other small ways.

On the flip side, though, spiders come with some risks – namely that certain species are poisonous and could be dangerous to humans. Spiders like black widows, brown recluses and a few other types are not necessarily common, but may show up in areas of your home or landscape (brown recluses particularly enjoy piles of wood or leaves on the property). Particularly if you have children or pets who will interact with the landscape regularly, it’s better to be safe than sorry here.

Wasps and Bees

Another pest that may create both fear and actual health issues in humans is the wasp and bee family, one that will regularly form nests in outdoor areas like nearby trees or porch eaves. These insects come with stinging risks and often terrify children or even adults, and you should take proper precautions to avoid their nests forming and growing.

Mosquitoes

Mosquitoes are highly common and will show up for a number of reasons, but they tend to be especially concentrated in landscapes that utilize water features or any regular moisture. Mosquitoes love standing water, so it’s important to remove these pooling spots after rain storms. If you keep watering cans or pots around, keep these in an indoor area where mosquitoes cannot access them. Mosquitoes aren’t usually harmful to health unless you’re allergic, though they may also carry disease and can be extremely annoying in large numbers.

Ticks

Finally, you’ll often find ticks in overgrown or unkept areas of your landscape – they prefer tall grasses and bushy areas. Ticks are insects that carry several possible diseases, and their bites may lead to symptoms ranging from red spots or rashes to headaches, nausea and other fever symptoms. They can usually be avoided with proper cutting and trimming of landscape areas.

For more on common landscaping pests to avoid, or to learn about any of our landscaping design, hardscape installation, water features or other services, speak to the staff at LaytonScape today.