Prevention, whether it is accident prevention, fire prevention, or disease prevention, is always better than trying to control the problem after the fact. We have sayings about it: “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”, and “A stitch in time saves nine.” are commonly used prevention proverbs, and timelessly true, but unfortunately, they are not often followed.

Pest control is often approached in a less than systematic way. It should be obvious to even the most disinterested and casual observer that the best place to start is pest prevention. With the emphasis now being placed on green pest control, we sometimes see the same problem at work. What could be more green than pest prevention?

What we have done instead, is to focus on the pests we already have by using pesticides, the over use of which, may have less than desirable results on the pests, on the environment, and on our health, or by using green pest products which although they may be more safe, still fail to deal with the issue. What is that issue? The issue is that pests are symptoms of poor planning, or poor implementation, and can be stopped by proper planning and proper implementation. Certainly, we may need to sometimes resort to green pest control products, or even commercial pesticides, but most pests can be prevented.

Would you rather prevent forest fires, or control forest fires? Would you prefer to control Ebola, or prevent Ebola? The same is true of any disaster or disease. Control is what we do after the fact. It is the methodology we use to manage a problem we did not prevent, or to minimize the bad results of something for which we did not plan. The best control for any problem is not to stop it with the least toxic means, but, to stop it before it starts! The best pest control, the most green pest control, is pest prevention. That is, the least toxic means in every case.

A shift from pest control to pest prevention

It is time to take pest control back to the drawing board! If we continue to do the same things, in the same ways, we will get the same results! Pest prevention is more logical than even the natural, botanical pest control products. Why should we invest so much time and money to control or kill something we could have stopped to begin with?

Systematic green pest control

The goal of this site, is to provide a systematic, “green” approach to pest control using pest prevention, in a logical way, as the foundation for further pest control efforts. We think we have done this. There has been little written on this subject of pest prevention, and what is available is unorganized, and difficult to sort through. We have changed that!

This site is laid out in a logical, systematic way. One page automatically proceeds to the next. It is a step by step pest prevention “how to,” “Do it yourself” guide to working through the problem of pests in a proactive way. There are separate articles on various pest control and pest prevention related topics as well. Many of these will be linked from pages in the prevention program for further information if needed or desired.
The “greenest” green pest control

There is more to it! Pest prevention is also the “green,” eco smart,” “environmentally friendly” method of pest control! What could be a more eco friendly way to control and manage pests, and consequently the use of pesticides, than to prevent the pests to begin with?

For more information on how to follow our green pest control system see: How To Use This Pest Prevntion Site.

With the proliferation of mosquitoes of a variety of types, carrying a wide variety of diseases, and the proliferation  of natural mosquito control products, it seems to be the right time to remind people of the most natural mosquito control method, mosquito prevention. With the increase in blood borne pathogens which mosquitoes are known to carry, comes an increased risk to the safety of the public. Sadly, the emphasis seems to be placed on the wrong side of the issue, focusing on treating the symptoms, rather than solving the problem.

Malaria is the worlds number one health crisis, Dengue fever threatens two fifths of the worlds population, is epidemic in Mexico, and is present in the lower South Eastern states in the U.S. While mosquito prevention, and thereby disease prevention may be impractical, or impossible in many of the worlds tropical and coastal areas, it is possible in most parts of the U.S.

We all know that mosquitoes carry West Nile Virus, Malaria, and a variety of other diseases which can be passed on to humans and animals, besides that, they hurt when they bite, and they are a general nuisance. This page will provide some advice on natural mosquito control to help you keep yourself and your family safe. The prevalence of disease makes every step to prevent mosquito problems an important step in public health and safety.

What is natural mosquito control?

The most natural mosquito control is the same as the most natural control for any problem, that is, prevention! This is done by changing the habitat from a place that they can use for living and reproducing, to one that makes living and reproducing difficult for them by denying them what they need. Any mosquito control system should start with mosquito prevention. It should be the first line of defense, and without it, all other methods are doomed to failure. All other mosquito control methods are secondary. Sprays, nets, foggers, and even exclusion will fall short. All the flavor of the day, newfangled contraptions in the world will not solve your pest control problems! Sprays, electronic devices, potions and spells can’t help if prevention is not given it’s proper place at the beginning of the program.

Mosquito control using prevention

Mosquitoes, like any other type of pest, like certain habitats. In the case of the mosquito, they need:

• Water for larvae to hatch and grow.

• Cover to hide in.

• Blood for the female to reproduce.

If you eliminate any of these, mosquitoes will not be able to reproduce in your area.

How to do it

Water:

If you have puddles of standing water, buckets, tubs, or any other receptacle for water on your property, mosquitoes can find it, and use it against you. If receptacles are the problems, dump them, and make sure that they can no longer hold water. If the problem is standing water in low spots or puddles, provide a way to drain the water either through surface drainage, that is, fill the low spots and holes, or sub surface drainage, such as a french drain, or a pipe drain with a catch box. If you use the catch box and pipe drain, make sure that the grade on the system is consistent, so that water doesn’t accumulate in the pipe. This could cause mosquitoes to use it as a basin, and become a home for other pests.

Don’t just look at the ground, there are other areas which might hold enough water to encourage mosquito populations such as home gutter systems, which should of course, be cleaned and maintained frequently.

If the water problem is a pond or lake on your property, the problem is not only water, but also cover. This is a problem I see on a regular basis. It has less to do with water, than with cover.

Cover:

If mosquitoes are exposed to natural predators, the predators work very well as a green mosquito control method. If the predators can’t get to them, they can’t eat them. If you have brush and weeds around your home, it gives mosquitoes a place to hide from the things that like to eat them. It also gives them a place to find small animals for the blood needed for reproduction. If you eliminate hiding places like brush, weeds and high grass, you will drastically lower the population by exposing them to predation by their natural enemies.

If ponds or lakes exist on your property, you obviously do not want to drain them to get rid of mosquitoes, but you can reduce the amount of cover available. High weeds, and shallow water around the shallow edges of a pond should be removed. If filamentous algae, or pond scum as it is commonly called cover a large part of the body of water, the mosquitoes have a perfect habitat. They have water easily available for producing young, they have blood available from the animals that come to the water to drink, and they have cover in the water for protection from the fish who would otherwise dine on them! Skimming off the algae, or otherwise eliminating it will remove the cover, and and allow the fish to do their job.

Blood:

The female needs a blood meal to produce offspring. That may often come from you! Sometimes it comes from small animals. Reducing the availability of water and cover, reduces the numbers of small animals present to feed the hungry female.

Off site mosquito problems

If you paid attention to the mosquito prevention information above, and followed the suggestions, most of your problem with mosquitoes is gone. There are however, other circumstances that can allow mosquitoes to be a problem for you and your family, and some of them may not be within your means to control. This could include such problems as swampy areas on adjacent properties, or ponds and lakes that exist nearby, and are not properly maintained.  Even if this is your situation, you should still do the work mentioned above, which will still eliminate most of the problem, and then concentrate on the things you can do about your off site problem.

Neighbors and Officials

Talk with the people who own the adjacent property about the problem. Do this before contacting public health officials. See if there is something that can be done by the owner before involving officialdom. If not, that is your next step. Encourage them to practice long term control rather than short term controls like pesticides. It will cost them less in the long run. If they are reluctant or obstinate, explain the health and public safety issues involved.

Prevention is the most natural of natural mosquito control methods because it denies them what they need to thrive and reproduce, and exposes them to natural predators like birds, bats, and fish. These natural predators are the next step in our mosquito control system, biological control.

Biological mosquito control

Biological mosquito control is the next best step in green mosquito control, after we have used the best prevention methods. You have modified the habitat to work against the mosquitoes, now, you should modify the habitat to work in favor of their predators. This can be done by providing shelter and other encouragements for such predators as birds and bats. This can mean providing food sources like natural, native plants that birds enjoy, and a source of clean water like a fountain, or a well maintained, non stagnant bird bath. Bats require the same things. Bird and bat houses differ, but are fairly easily attained.

Botanical, or organic mosquito control

Unfortunately, this is what most people think of when they think of natural mosquito control. Botanical, or organic products are a great addition to our green mosquito control arsenal, but they are not the main line of defense. Prevention is the first step, biological controls or predation is the second, and only after these methods are effectively used can you hope for success with botanical or organic mosquito control. The use of such things as citronella, or some of the commercial products designed for insect control has a place in the system. These products can be used in a couple of ways. They can be sprayed in areas where mosquitoes might have cover, and may have some preventative effects when used in outdoor living spaces, and they can be used in misting systems. Such misting systems are falling under more careful scrutiny these days, but when used in conjunction with botanical products other than pyrethrins, should pose little problem to your health, or the health of your soil. Still, with any system, there are costs, and possibly collateral damage.

Other natural mosquito control methods:

If you have followed the stages outlined above, you should not have any unmanageable mosquito problems at this point, however, if you have not followed them completely, or other extenuating circumstances exist, these tips will help.

• If you have problems with mosquitoes inside your home, you should read the section of this site which deals with exclusion, and make sure all entryways for insects are sealed or screened.

• If you have trouble in outdoor living spaces, mosquito netting for exclusion fans to improve airflow, and citronella torches will provide a degree of relief.

• If you have standing water that cannot be drained immediately, some light mineral oil can be sprayed evenly over the standing water from a spray bottle to help break the reproductive cycle.

There are other natural mosquito control practices that can help you on this website. Most of the information that applies to other insects applies to mosquitoes as well, so have a look around.

If you have a problem with mosquitoes inside the home, this tutorial on how to prevent bugs at home might be helpful.

Cheap Green Pest Control: Control Pest Control Costs

Even in hard times, mosquitoes sting, ants bite, weeds grow, and gophers will dig up your lawn!  Just because the economy is going sour, does not mean that bugs and weeds will give you a break, but, it does not mean that you have to put up with it either! We can help you control pest control costs!

Luckily, there is a lot that you can do to battle these problems, practice green living, and save money while doing so. The internet contains thousands of pages on doing just that, and there are many of them right here on this site!

The fact is, that pest control costs money. Sometimes, it can cost lots of money. By contrast, pest prevention costs little more than some light physical work, and and a tube or two of caulk and some weather stripping. It is also better for the environment, and  if you do everything right, there are many other rewards, like healthier living, and lower energy bills!

We tell you what to look for, and how to do it on pages like Prevent Bugs At Home, and almost every other page on this pest prevention site, and we have new information on pest prevention, exclusion, and green pest control served up often.

The fact is, that it is just cheaper to prevent bugs and weeds and other pests , than it is to treat them. You might just save some money during these hard times!

How To Prevent Bugs At Home

Most of this sites pest prevention information focuses on the interaction of plant and animal life, how they work together, and how to prevent them from working together to prevent weeds and bugs at home and on your property. Sometimes it can be beneficial to break this down separately as well, so we want to talk about a single issue, how to prevent bugs at home. Our focus will narrow a little bit, but remember, that there is always interaction between bugs and weeds and brush and all the other factors on and adjacent to your home and property.

To prevent bugs at home, particularly to prevent bugs from coming into your home is a matter of exclusion. Making sure that they have no way to get inside is how it is done. We want to offer some suggestions on just how to do this.

Homes have openings.

Homes have openings. How well those openings are sealed, determines how well you can prevent bugs at home, and how many pests will get inside. This article will help you to find those week spots in your defenses, and strengthen your homes border against the invaders. The more attention to detail that you give at this stage, the less likely it will be that you have unwanted visitors!

It is a necessary fact of life. You have to breathe. Stop doing it for more than a couple of minutes, and you are a goner! Your home has to breathe too, and In order to breathe, in order to allow entry for pipes and cables, in order to vent heat and harmful gases, there have to be openings in a home.

The primary openings are:

Vents:

• Attic Vents: For dissipating heat.

• Soffit Vents: For dissipating heat.

• Plumbing Vents: For dissipating fumes and allowing the air needed for proper function of drainage systems.

• Range vents: For dissipating the heat and smoke from cooking.

• Hot gas vents for ventilating the hot gasses from gas hot water heaters.

• Dryer vents for dissipating the hot air from clothes dryers.

• Fan vents, for removing nuisance odors from bathrooms.

• Weep holes are small vents for allowing the drainage and drying of condensate from natural heating and cooling in the walls of your home, to prevent mold.

Other openings:

Power, communication, and transmission lines and pipes:

• Air Conditioning Condensate drains: Very often, these are small copper pipes through the walls of the home. These allow the removal of moisture from air conditioning units.

• Plumbing pipe openings: Allowing plumbing into your home; In most cases today, this is done through the floor of the concrete slab, but sometimes in other areas for homes on blocks or pier and beam construction.

• Electrical lines. To allow electricity transmission: These are most often at the upper portion of an outside wall.

• Cable communications lines: For satellite or cable line entry: The location can vary.

A home with out some forms of ventilation would soon destroy itself. A home without electricity, plumbing and communication would not be much fun!

So, how do we accommodate all these holes in our homes, and still keep little critters out? Well, that is what this is about.

How To Close The Border:

• Vents:

Before central heat and air, there were devices in homes to allow for the adjustment of temperature through the use of ventilation. We still have them in most homes today where they often serve as nothing more than vestiges of the ancient past. These were known as windows. Often the doors were used for the same purpose in the summer.

How did they manage to open these ventilation devices without allowing bugs in? This was accomplished through window and door screens. Taking a lesson from the past, we might consider the use of screens over the vents. Most home builders now screen vents, but there is always a chance, and you should check yours. Sometimes some are omitted by accident. I have seen a number of cases where rodents gained entry through dryer vents, and then chewed through the vent hose to get to the cheese and crackers. Write yourself a note to periodically check these vent screens for clogging.

• Other openings:

For other entry routes into the home, pipes and cables, will need to be sealed using another ancient technology: Caulk. A tube of high quality caulk is one of the best tools in home pest prevention. Seal around those entries on the outside of your home. Even the very small cracks and holes. You might be surprised just how small an insect or a rodent can become when it is hungry, thirsty, hot dry, wet or cold. When you are done with the outside of your home, you are not done!

On the inside of your house, you should do the same thing. Give special attention to plumbing drains. Very often a box was used to to form around the bathroom piping for the plumbers to make all the connections. If this area is not filled before the walls are completed, there will be exposed soil on the inside of the wall. Most pretreatments for termites will lower the chances of anything coming into the home through these openings, but occasionally some do. If you have easy access to these areas through a pipe chase, filling the area with mortar or some other hardening substance is a good option, if not, the first time that a repair is made to your plumbing requiring a plumber to open up a wall, you might be able to do it. Otherwise, make sure that the inside wall is sealed well.

• Caulking around doors and windows, inside and out should be checked, and resealed if needed.

• Door sweeps should be checked and replaced if they do not reach the floor, or do not go all the way to the edges of the door.

• All weather-stripping around doors and windows should be checked.

• All screen doors should be in good order with no holes. The same is true of window screens. Look for a good fit. Check the window surface to surface seals where they open, make sure the seal is tight enough that the bugs can’t crawl between.

To see some photographs of typical problem areas, see: Bugs | Stop Them From Coming Inside

What else can you do?

OK, now you know how to prevent bugs at home, what else can you do? A lot! The more pests you stop from coming into your lawn, the more you can stop from coming into your home. If you stop them before they get to your lawn, you raise your chances of winning even more. Check out Prevention Starts Outdoors to get started, and don’t let pests get your best!

Green Living | Landscaping Landscape Pest Control

If you are already practicing green living, or just now going green, there is one singularly important aspect to creating and maintaining a green landscape, and practicing green landscape pest control. That is, the use of native plants in your landscape. Many people or moving away from the traditionally exotic laden landscaping practices of the recent past, and toward a more economical and earth friendly landscape using native plants in native habitats.

Environment and Economy

Why is it more economical and earth friendly? Well, it takes less water, fewer herbicides and insecticides, and less fertilizer, to keep native landscapes healthy, and that is better for everyone. It also requires less work!

Green native economics

There are a lot of other reasons that this is a great idea. On a practical level, your native habitat, or backyard habitat, as they are often called, if properly planted and maintained, will probably make your lawn space smaller, and lawns eat the lions share of your outdoor maintenance budget. Lawns consume more water, fertilizers, and require more pesticides than natural, native habitats. It saves you money.

Green native environment

With less fertilizer and pesticide needed, you will cut down the size of your carbon footprint, cause less environmental contamination, and preserve water, 3 things that are great for the health and safety of your family, and the health and safety of the environment.

Extra landscape pest control

By using plants native to your area in your landscape, you will also get an extra boost in pest control. You see, native wildlife, particularly native birds, love the plants of your area, and will want to spend more time in your new green living habitat, and the will want to eat a lot of unwanted insects while they are there.

These are just a few of the many reason that native plant landscaping is one of the best ways of going green in your outdoor environment. There are other green living tips on this site as well. Most of these tips deal with pest prevention which we consider to be the most environmentally correct way of dealing with pests. Our Main Directory is a great place to get started, we even have a complete, step by step Pest prevention Program for you, at no cost!

Green Living | Lawn Care Lawn Pest Control

Welcome to the green living section of our site! There are many things that you can do to enhance or develop your green lifestyle. To make a real impact for the planet, and for your neighborhood requires more than buying a certified green home, or buying low wattage light bulbs and recycling. Green living is much more. It starts with where you choose your home, if you have that luxury, and how you maintain your property.

We will begin by assuming that you may not have control of all the elements such as where you build or buy. Few of us have the money required to exercise complete control in those areas, but there is still a lot you can do to be green as it relates to lawn care, and lawn pest control.

More Green Less Green

To begin with, green living may involve having less green around your home. Green as in lush lawn grasses that is. The vast majority of the fossil fuel based chemicals such as herbicides, pesticides, and fertilizers which are applied to home and private property, and our parks and athletic areas, are applied to lawn and turf grasses. Most of the water used to irrigate our landscapes goes on our lawns as well. Knowing this, we should begin to do two things:

• Lower the acreage that is covered in turf grass requiring lawn care.

• Change our methods of lawn care, irrigation, fertility and lawn pest control.

Lawn size and lawn pest control

Some of this can be accomplished by reducing the area of our outdoor habitat that are covered in lawn grasses, and replacing them with native plants and trees. We should pay special attention to the native part of the equation, because plants native to your area will be more resistant to the pests and diseases that inhabit your area, and will require less fertility, and less water.

Lawn type and lawn pest control

The types of lawn grass we use can go a long way toward providing a green living space without using as many pesticides, fertilizers, and as much water. Here again, the word native is important. Grasses that are native to your area will provide better results, using fewer resources and chemicals. When we use this practice, lawn pest control will be less of a problem for us. The native grasses will be less susceptible to insect invasion, they will need less water, so the chances of having fungus, disease and insects will be lessened by the lower moisture levels needed to allow the grasses to survive.

Lawn pest prevention and lawn pest control

This is lawn pest control at it’s best! It is the age old practice of pest prevention which is the purpose behind this website. The practices involved in using pest prevention as lawn pest control are outlined in detail on this site, starting with Lawncare Pest Prevention, Prevention Starts Outdoors, or How To Use This Site. For more green living tips on lawn pest control, landscape pest control, and home pest control using pest prevention, just dig into this site.