Keeping Your Yard Bug Free

When you sell your home in Albuquerque, you need to make sure your home stands out from the competition. But you don’t want it to stand out because of a huge bug infestation.

Having a home full of bugs is a big turn off when selling a home. It can indicate structural issues, which could turn away buyers.

Here’s how to keep those pests away from your home:

Don’t Mulch Too Much (or Too Little)

While mulching is generally a good thing for curb appeal, overdoing it can cause problems.

It could give cockroaches and ants the ideal environment to nest and find their way into your home, says Brittany Campbell, an entomologist with the National Pest Management Association. As mulch decomposes, it generates heat while providing cover for brooding pests. It can even help mice tunnel into your home.

So keep mulch at least 12 inches away from the foundation — or use inorganic mulch, such as rock or gravel.

But don’t go in the opposite direction and forgo mulching altogether, leaving the ground essentially bare. Yellow jackets make their nests by tunneling into bare dirt.

Get Rid of Standing Water

You probably know this one already. But did you know your gutters and downspouts may harbor multiple mosquito maternity wards?

Clean out gutters and downspouts regularly to prevent clogs that can trap water and give those nasty stingers a place to breed.

Also make sure to keep kiddie pools, buckets, and watering cans empty when not in use.

Even your beloved birdbath can be an issue.

Add Landscaping Plants That Bugs Hate

Bugs hate strong scents of mint or citrus. Mix plants with those scents into your landscaping, especially near the porch, patio, or deck for added beauty and functionality.

Here are some pest-repelling plants and the bugs that hate them:

• Basil: flies, mosquitoes
• Catnip: mosquitoes, ticks, flies, cockroaches
• Chrysanthemums: roaches, ants, ticks, fleas, bedbugs
• Lavender: moths, fleas, flies, mosquitoes
• Citronella: mosquitoes
• Geranium, lemon scented: mosquitoes
• Lemon thyme: mosquitoes
• Marigold: mosquitoes
• Rosemary: mosquitoes

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