Park & Playground Pests to Watch Out for this Summer

What should you watch out for? ©konradbak

Parks and playgrounds can be marvelous, fun environments for children, but they are also havens for a number of annoying and invasive pests, mosquitoes and ants, especially. It may seem impossible to keep these insects at bay in the summer season, but monitoring the surroundings can go a long way toward alleviating the problem.

Standing water, puddles, small pools, and wet sand encourage mosquitoes and serve as breeding grounds. Overhanging tree branches and trash receptacles are conduits for ants, along with dropped candy and drinks.

Removing the sources of water and cutting back both tree limbs and brush are essential. There are covers for sandboxes that not only keep out the rain, but prevent cats and rodents from contaminating the sand and drawing in pests. Raking the ground area of a playground every night and morning helps not only to clear away any debris but to spot possible ingress areas for insects. Dusting the playground equipment for spider webs and ant trails is preventive. Checking the surfaces of toys to make sure they are free of residue from sticky fingers also keeps away ants and mosquitoes.

Besides this yard grooming and eliminating dangerous insect harborage, the final recommended step is to have your local reputable pest control company provide a relatively safe and effective residential yard treatment and continue with at least a quarterly (every 3 months) maintenance program for ongoing pest control at 850-682-5354.

The above outlined approach to pest control in which several methods are used together in order to minimize the need for pesticide application is called IPM–Integrated Pest Management. The EPA has developed IPM as a less-toxic alternative for eliminating insects from playgrounds, parks, schools and residential yards. It is indeed very important to have a healthy balance where we can eliminate dangerous pests without harmful side effects such as hurting populations of non-target beneficial insects such as bees or otherwise polluting the environment.

If you feel that your outdoor play area in Crestview, Defuniak Springs, Destin, Niceville, or Fort Walton Beach, FL might be dangerous for your children, please contact us to help you & receive a free quote to check your residential yard or home or call us now at 850-682-5354.