We’ve all been there:
Relaxing outside on a lovely summer day, a cold glass of lemonade in our hand, our head tipped back and enjoying the warmth of the sun’s rays on our face until a loud noise in our ear… BZZZZZZ, followed by a quick, sharp pain… a mosquito! Nothing ends a good mood faster than a pesky, irritating interruption.
Nuisances don’t just exist in summer, however: during the colder months, many animals attempt to seek shelter from the cold and cause damage to buildings and expensive construction work, and can burrow under decks or get into screened-off areas.
An unfortunate truth in this world is that there are always going to be pests. Luckily, there are ways to discourage all types of outdoor pests from interrupting your enjoyment of your custom American Deck & Sunroom architecture. Whether you’re shooing flying bugs away from the food you’ve just prepared in your outdoor kitchen or trying to find a way to keep digging animals from getting under your custom deck, there are methods that come in handy.
Flying Pests
Nothing ruins a great outdoor experience like the incessant buzzing and threat of biting, stinging insects while you’re trying to enjoy your food or the weather!
- Fans – Not only do they provide a nice cross-breeze, often the inclusion of fans to your outdoor architecture can help deter small, flying pests.
- Birds – Many species of birds eat mosquitoes, gnats, and flies, and adapt their diet when there’s a higher concentration of them. Adding birdhouses or bird feeders around your garden and architecture can encourage birds to settle in and chow down on pesky insects – and bring more beauty to your home.
- Plants – Some plants repel mosquitoes, such as marigolds or calendula. Herbs such as mint, garlic, rosemary, lemongrass, and chives also work great for warding off biting insects.
- Think Ahead – One of the easiest things you can do to cut down on the number of bugs in your backyard is to cut down on the number of reasons those bugs would want to pay you a visit.
- Remove Standing Water – Mosquitoes lay eggs on standing water. Go around your yard and look for any place that water gathers: uneven gutters, kiddie pools, buckets, etc.
- Move Trash and Recycling Far Away – Put your trash cans and recycling bins as far away from your house as you can, and while you’re at it make sure that the lids on your trash cans fit snugly. This will remove the temptation for flies and ants to interrupt your outdoor party.
However, once the summer months are over, the nuisances don’t go away. With colder weather come burrowing, digging animals seeking refuge from the cold. The area beneath your custom deck deck can be prime real estate for animals looking for a dark, dry place to build their nests. They choose these areas because it’s usually quiet and protects them from predators. Animals who take up residence under a deck, crawl space, or shed often are capable diggers.
First and foremost – make sure nothing is living under your deck, porch or shed before you make efforts to keep animals out. NEVER secure an opening unless you are certain that animals are no longer using that area.
There is a long list of animals that have been known to live under sheds, decks, and porches and wreak havoc in gardens. Below are a few of those animals, with ways to deter them from your home and/or garden:
Raccoons
Sure, raccoons are cute. But they can also wreak havoc around your home, garden, and custom architecture, especially in high numbers.
- Secure Areas – Most of the time, raccoons will attempt to get into garbage cans or pet food. Because of this, it’s a good idea to secure garbage lids or trashcans so that it’s harder for them to get inside. Also, keep any pet food away at night, when raccoons are most active.
- Scare Them Off – Various methods can be used to frighten these animals away – such as motion lights, scarecrows, etc. However, raccoons will most often get used to these types of deterrents in a short time.
- Stink Them Out – Mothballs may help in small areas like crawl spaces and sheds.
- Clean Up – Simply cleaning up the surrounding area can help. Raccoons will den in hollow trees/logs, brush piles, barns, etc. Removing overgrown shrubbery and other debris can help keep them away. Open structures should be closed in (custom screen rooms are a good alternative), and overhanging tree branches should be pruned back to avoid giving them access to rooftops or the tops of lanais.
Possums
Possums can carry diseases and bring about danger for your family and pets.
- Possum Proof – Eliminate unnecessary debris like leaf litter, fallen trees, unused equipment or unused cars.
- Tidy Up – Keep grass cut short, trim bushes up from the soil, etc. Make sure that tree branches are trimmed back from rooftops, and dispose of or move any wood piles to a safe, secure location.
- Add Extra Security – Cover all possible accessible areas under porches, sheds and outbuildings. Fill them with rocks and/or use hardware cloth to block them. Check your home as well as your garden for entry points – possums can hide there as well. Repair holes in window screens, door screens and deck lattices to deter them from entering.
Moles & Mice
There are various species of moles and mice worldwide. They’re very destructive pests in gardens, lawns, etc. Mice can burrow into furniture and chew through important wires, whereas moles can dig up plants and cause destruction to landscaping.
- Assault Their Senses – Though blind, moles have incredible hearing and delicate noses. Because of this, mothballs are usually a good source of irritant for them, and will deter them from digging. A solution of oil, dishwashing soap, castor oil, and cayenne pepper will also scare them away. Mice hate the smell of peppermint; plant peppermint plants or apply peppermint oil around your house to deter them.
- Don’t Encourage Them – Mice choose to live near our houses and gardens because there is shelter and plenty of food for them. Even spills of food can become a substantial meal for mice. That’s why you should keep your outdoor areas clean and tidy, and clean up any food droppings as soon as possible.
- Put Away Furniture – Mice can turn a comfortable seating area into a home. If you have outdoor furniture or areas with cushions, cover them when not in use during colder months to discourage the mice from nesting inside.
- Scare Them Off – One of the safest and effective remedies against undesirable rodents is an ultrasound device that scares mice away with sound. The ultra sound waves it radiates are extremely annoying for the rodents and they have no other way but look for another shelter.
Just like in life, annoyances and pests will always exist… it’s just a matter of knowing how to control or divert them. Keep anxiety and aggravation down with these suggestions – and keep pesky bugs and animals out of your custom American Deck & Sunroom works. Check out our services page to see what custom works we offer!
