After a season of growth in your backyard and vegetable garden there is always a lot to clean up after the first fall frost hits your plants. From cleaning up dead vegetation to clearing spaces of clutter, there are jobs you need to do to prevent disease and pests that overwinter and hibernate in your yard. Here are some tasks to help you get your yard and garden ready for winter to prevent these issues in the spring.
Clean Out Debris
Your garden and other landscaped areas will be full of dead plants and vines, and fallen leaves from nearby trees. If you leave this organic debris in your garden, it can provide a harbor for insects and their eggs over the winter. The snow and other leaves that fall upon the collection of debris can create an insulation barrier and protect them from the freeze. In the spring this environment can cause you to have a large infestation of insects. This can occur with insects, such as squash bugs and grasshoppers.
To prevent this, be sure you clean up any dead plants and vines that have provided homes for garden pests during the summer. Pull the entire plant from the soil, removing the stem and any leaf debris, especially with tomatoes, zucchini, and other vine plants. Dispose of these into a trash bin and don't try to compost them, especially if any of the vegetation is covered in white powdery mildew. This can cause the spores to spread again in the spring.
Hire Pest Control
In addition to cleaning up organic debris and trash for winter, you can hire a pest control service to come to your yard and treat for pests. When the cooler temperatures arrive, this can prompt pests and insects to search for a warm place to live, such as in a shed, your garage, or inside your home. Your pest control professional can spray the perimeter of your yard, focusing on your home window and door frames, garage and outbuildings, and in window wells where pests can find a safe harbor from the weather.
A pest control professional can spray to treat areas you cannot clear out, such as your wood pile for your wood burning stove. Mice and spiders can easily find a shelter in your wood pile outside and will utilize it for a nest for offspring.
Your pest control professional can also spray wasp nests that are dormant in the winter. Doing so will kill any wasps while they are inside the nest so they don't emerge in the spring.
Share4 November 2018
After struggling for years, I finally scored my dream job and started to focus on redecorating my home. At first, I wasn't sure how much of an impact I was going to be able to make, but after sitting down and really focusing on the different areas of my house, it was clear to me that the main living spaces were where I needed to focus. I started working room by room to renovate the space, and it was absolutely amazing to see what we were able to accomplish. This blog is all about creating a gorgeous home--even if you are on a tight budget.
