Spring brings showers that coax grasses and trees to grow. Not only is standing water next to your home bad for your home’s foundation, but it also brings unwarranted mosquitoes to your yard. Water is a great attraction to mosquitoes that have been waiting for warm weather. Your home can be a target if rainwater tends to collect along the foundation. Basically, mosquitoes need standing water to breed, so knowing where to look for standing water and knowing the things you can do to eliminate this will detour mosquitoes from accumulating near your residence.
There are a few places you can look for when inspecting for mosquito hang outs. Remember, it doesn’t take a lot of water for mosquitoes to breed, so places like rain gutters. Pet water bowls, small water collection in an uneven part of your yard, outdoor umbrellas, garbage bins, playsets, garden furniture, gardening tools, etc. can invite these blood suckers to your home. We will evaluate something called the 5 T’s when dealing with areas with small water collection, but first let’s look at a few helpful tips.
1. Inspect gutters and downspouts to make sure that rainwater is carried away from your home.
2. Low lying areas should be excavated and have a french drain installed to allow for the drainage of water away from the home.
3. Turn containers upside down when rain is coming. These are ways to help prevent droves of mosquitoes that threaten outdoor activities.
When you come across something that has water in it, or to prevent items from collecting water, it is best to follow the 5 T rule! Be sure to TIP any vessel that holds unintended standing water. TOSS any items in your yard that could potentially collect water in the garbage. TURN over any items that have the potential to hold stale water. Eliminate outside TARPS, these will almost always hold water in even unsuspected portions. Lastly, TREAT your yard using a mosquito and tick spray as a second line of defense to protect your family and your pets.
Making sure to implement these measures can be taxing but will greatly reduce the number of mosquitoes that enter your yard during Springtime. However, when it comes to water pooling in your yard, there isn’t mush else you could do. Your property might simply need leveling or other work done, but drainage is one way to keep the water from settling in pools in your yard, like is the case with a properly installed french drain. They can also bring a very positive aesthetic to the landscaping of your home! If you need some drainage work done in your surrounding yard, give Barrier Waterproofing Systems a call today at (615) 257-1060 | (931) 536-1168.
