After you mow every week, you are the envy of the neighborhood with those beautiful lines. And, for the next week you attempt to recover from the cat-claw deep scratches from your sock lines to your knee caps because the itching from whatever it is that is biting you is uncontrollable. Ugh. What is it, and how do you stop it so you can enjoy your yard again?
Common biters are fleas, mosquitos, and chiggers. They all live in grass and enjoy humid conditions, but there is a difference. Chiggers like tall grass, but mosquitos and fleas like to live under the “canopy” of dead clippings. When you cut your grass, you disturb all of it- the dead clippings underneath, to the taller tips. They feel the vibration of the mower and of course, you happen to be there for them to climb or fly onto, and have a snack!
A few tips to make it better are:
- Mow in the mornings. Think 7-9 am, as mosquitos specifically are more active at dusk.
- Keep it short, but within reason. Keep that yard beautiful - no need to go down to the dirt, but, do mow short enough to keep the dead clippings lower so there is less of an inviting home for the bugs to live in.
- Discard clippings. Using a mower that bags your clippings and discarding them in a garbage bag gets rid of that extra layer of dead canopy for the bugs to hide in.
- Eliminate or treat standing water. Fill in any standing water with rocks, mulch, or dirt to flatten the ground, or use a product like a mosquito puck.
And lastly, you can always call Wiser Smart Pest & Space Solutions for a yard assessment. We can help you create a plan in the early spring (as larvae begin hatching), to reduce the population throughout the whole season. It’s time to enjoy your hard work and beautiful yard again!