Landscaping is expensive to replace, but natural pest control can solve issues for many of your property’s landscaping woes.
If your property’s shrubs and grass are suffering from an unknown blight, it’s possible you’ve got underground pests. They could be rodents that dig tunnels—moles, voles, and gophers—or wireworms and cutworms that eat new plantings at the base. Learn how to identify these pests, eliminate them, and prevent future expensive landscape damage without the use of toxic products.
Identify the Culprit
Digging rodents are seldom seen, but can be identified by the types of holes they dig. Voles and gophers actively eat your plants’ root systems, while moles, armadillos, and raccoons are searching for the juicy grubs that live beneath the soil. All this digging can create lots of root damage.
The rodent family isn’t the only culprit when it comes to landscaping damage. Wireworms are thin, reddish-brown worms about 1-1/2 inches long, and they come to the soil surface in early spring to feed. Cutworms feed on the tender stems of new, non-woody plants, and will eat them to the ground.
Develop a Plan, and Attack
Natural pest control methods can take some time to work, but are non-toxic and won’t damage soil health. Also, they provide more humane methods of eliminating infestations that don’t involve trapping or killing the pests.
Use smelly sprays and baits or even castor oil granules to eliminate these sensitive ground-dwellers, or go for their food source by eliminating grubs. Natural pest control for digging pests can benefit your soil for years to come. Investigate those options before you go chemical, or you could start a cycle of chemical dependency for your property’s lawn.
Plant damage can be prevented with a good organic program that creates healthy soil, combined with a healthy knowledge of how to protect tender plants from damage. Prevent cutworm damage, for example, by wrapping the stems of new transplants with cardboard or foil. Apply beneficial nematodes, compost, and natural sugars 2-3 times a year to maintain soil health.
When you realize there’s a pest problem at your property, act quickly to minimize damage by eliminating the insect or rodent responsible—it’s the one time you want your property to be as inhospitable as possible so those pesky residents find somewhere else to live. Use natural pest control methods to avoid toxins, unsightly traps, and poisons on your property.
Find Natural Pest Control Experts
Need some help implementing a natural pest control program? Our professionals know a thing or two about it, as well as other methods for increasing curb appeal. Contact us today to learn more about how working with Class A Management can improve your maintenance and tenant recruiting and retention strategy. Call us at 817-295-5959 or send an email to info@classamgmt.com