Pests are undoubtedly the biggest nuisance in any outdoor space, especially on your outdoor pavings or patios. While bugs are normally associated with summer, even in the colder autumn/winter months it is very common to experience high levels of pest infestation on your patio. While you may no longer be hosting guests or using your patio space as much due to the poor weather, it is still hugely important to keep the pests away.
Pests that become attracted to your patio space are extremely dangerous as they can quickly spread around your garden area and can cause considerable damage to your crops and plants.
There are multiple methods that you can use to try and make sure that you are successful at keeping pests away and your plants and patio areas safe. These methods can be used all year round and are hugely effective.
1 - Keep your garden area clean and tidy
One of the main ways that you can keep unwanted bugs and pests away is to simply keep your garden a nice, tidy and hygienic place. More often than not pests are attracted to dirt, mould, decayed plants and other unhygienic areas that can commonly be found in gardens that have not been maintained properly.
Simply keeping on top of things such as power washing your paving, de-weeding, brushing loose dirt and debris, keeping on top of your paving plants, cleaning patio furniture and so much more will help to keep away bacterias and mould that will attract unwanted creatures and pests.
It is recommended that you undergo a deep cleaning of your patio area 3-4 times a year to ensure that everything is properly cleaned. It could also be worth doing a smaller, more regular clean over the autumn/winter months as harsher weather conditions will bring more dirt to the paving.
2 - Drain any standing water
In the UK, no matter the time of year, we are never too far from the next rain shower. So it is not uncommon to have puddles of standing water constantly coming back onto your patio area. While this may seem very normal, it can cause a huge amount of problems with pests and bugs.
Standing water can often attract pests and bugs like mosquitos, ants, cockroaches and many other pests and bugs that can become a nuisance. This is because the small pools of standing water act as a phenomenal breeding ground and drinking water.
A well-fitted patio will normally have its own inbuilt drainage systems that should help to avoid standing water. If however, you do notice that standing water is starting to build up then you can disperse the water by using a brush to move the water off the patio.
3 - Use mouthwash around your patio
While this may sound extremely bizarre, it is a hugely effective alternative to rubbing alcohols and essential oils at keeping pests away from your patio. Usually rubbing alcohols or essential oils would be the go-to remedy to deter bugs, however, mouthwash is an alternative that is just as effective and can commonly be found in most households.
It is said that to keep away pests like mosquitos, you simply spray the minty mouthwash around your whole patio and all of your patio furniture to enjoy a pest-free space. The alcohol contents within the mouthwash are a bug deterrent.
Not only does it keep out bugs, but it also leaves a very pleasant minty smell. However, the alcohol in the mouthwash will be lost extremely quickly, therefore, regular reapplication would be necessary.
4 - Change your outdoor lighting
You probably did not know that bugs have eyesight that helps them to see shorter wavelengths of light. That means that colder lights such as blues, whites, purples and even ultraviolet lighting attract bugs the most. This is why you get so many bugs that surround outdoor lights.
They struggle more to see warmer light colours like orange or red. If you were to change your patio lighting to a warmer colour then you should experience fewer bugs. Dimmer lights will also help to draw less attention from bugs to your patio area, the higher the intensity of the light the more bugs that it will attract.
5 - Add some patio plants
There are a huge amount of natural ways that you can keep bugs from infesting your patio area. One of the most effective natural bug deterrents is by adding patio plants that can act as pesticides.
Depending on the pest that is bothering you you will have to pick the particular plant that can typically help to eradicate that particular pest. For example, if you are struggling with an infestation of slugs or snails then planting lavender, mint, or rosemary will help to repel them away from your patio area.
This is a great choice, not only because it keeps away unwanted bugs and pests but it also adds an element of character and beauty to your patio through the decoration. It is also by far the most environmentally friendly option for getting rid of pests.