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When Should I Use an Insecticide?
If your lawn is riddled with pests, you may feel desperate about finding a fast and effective solution. Many people immediately turn to insecticides, but these potent chemicals may not be the best choice for your situation. It’s best to try natural lawn pest control methods first, and rely on insecticides only as a last result.
What to Try Before Pesticides
There are a lot of ways to prevent and control lawn pests naturally. These tactics are not only more environmentally responsible, but they also offer long-term protection against pests that short-lived chemicals can’t. Some natural pest control methods to try before turning to pesticides include:
- Examining your watering schedule: Pests and fungus thrive in damp environments. If you’re watering your lawn too frequently, you’re more likely to experience an infestation. So, cut back on your watering just a little bit – especially if your grass is spongy or squishy.
- Clear away leaves and other debris: All sorts of critters like to hide out in leaf piles, sticks, and other organic debris. Routinely rake your lawn and remove any unnecessary items to make your lawn less appealing to pests.
- Mow your lawn regularly: Similar to the leaf piles and organic debris, tall grass is more attractive to pests because it offers more room to hide out. While it’s not good to mow your lawn too short, cut it to about 2 ½ or 3 inches fairly regularly.
- Try a natural deterrent: Many pests strongly dislike potent scents like essential oils or chili powder. Try creating a diluted mixture of oils like peppermint, lavender, or lemongrass to spray on your lawn and other vegetation.
- Get professional services: Licensed lawn care professionals are well-versed in Integrated Pest Management (IPM) practices that use natural pest control tactics first. They can examine your property for any vulnerabilities that are contributing to an infestation to create a great long-term treatment or protection plan.
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When To Use Insecticides
If you’ve tried every natural solution you can find and are still dealing with pests in your property, insecticides may be the right course of action. That said, it’s crucial to do your research or work with a licensed professional. Insecticides can harm your health and the environment if misused, and the wrong formula may not even be effective against your infestation.
Selecting and applying the right insecticide to your lawn can be a difficult process. The last thing you want to do is endanger your safety or accidentally kill your turfgrass. For that reason, we recommend consulting a lawn care expert for advice on treating your pest problem. In addition to implementing highly effective, long-term pest prevention tactics, they can help you get the best results out of an insecticide treatment without risking your wellbeing.