Expert Gardening Tips to Prevent Pests | ABBS Pest Control’s Guide to a Healthier Yard
Healthy Garden, Healthy Home: Smart Gardening Tips from ABBS Pest Control
Your garden should be your happy place—lush, vibrant, and pest-free. At ABBS Pest Control, we believe the best pest prevention starts right at home, and that includes how you care for your yard and plants.
Whether you’re growing vegetables, herbs, or flowers, these gardening tips will help keep your landscape beautiful and minimize unwanted bugs around your home.
🌱 Water Wisely: Don’t Invite the Wrong Kind of Visitors
It’s no secret your plants need water to grow—but overwatering can cause more harm than good. Too much moisture leads to:
- Distressed plants
- Pools of standing water
- An open invitation to mosquitoes, earwigs, and pill bugs
Mosquitoes only need a tiny amount of standing water to breed. Damp mulch, overfilled pots, or poor drainage areas can quickly become pest hotspots.
ABBS Tip: Water early in the morning and allow time for soil to dry. Use well-draining pots and watch for pooling after rainstorms or irrigation.
🌻 Nature’s Pest Control: The Bugs You Want in Your Garden
Not all bugs are bad. Some insects actually help protect your plants and keep pest populations in check. Keep an eye out for these garden heroes:
- Bees – Crucial pollinators that help plants flourish.
- Dragonflies – They feast on mosquitoes and keep them in check.
- Ladybugs – Excellent at devouring aphids, especially around tomato plants.
- Praying Mantises – Masters of disguise, they eat grasshoppers and many other pests.
- Spiders – Creepy? Maybe. But most spiders are harmless and help reduce flies and other insects.
- Assassin Bugs – These stealthy predators manage pest populations, but handle with care—they bite!
🌼 Companion Planting: The Garden’s Secret Weapon
Companion planting isn’t just about aesthetics—it’s a powerful way to repel pests naturally and boost plant health. Here are some superstar plants to include:
- Marigolds – Their vibrant blooms repel mosquitoes, aphids, and even rabbits.
- Lemongrass – Delicious in the kitchen, and known to repel mosquitoes.
- Lavender – Calming, fragrant, and protective against moths, fleas, spiders, and even bed bugs.
- Rosemary – A culinary favorite that also repels aphids, beetles, moths, mosquitoes, flies, ants, roaches, and mice.
- Petunias – Beautiful and functional! These flowers attract aphids, hornworms, and beetles—trapping them in their sticky stamens.
- Mint – Any variety of mint helps keep mosquitoes, spiders, and more at bay. Bonus: it smells amazing!
🏡 Lawn and Garden Maintenance: Your First Line of Defense
A tidy yard doesn’t just look good—it also discourages pests from setting up camp:
- Mow your grass regularly to reduce cover for grasshoppers, fleas, ticks, spiders, and even scorpions.
- Short grass also discourages sticker weeds and burrs from spreading, keeping them off your clothes and pets.
- Keep woodpiles dry and elevated to prevent termites and other insects from nesting near your garden.
- Cover compost bins and only compost the right materials. No meat or pet waste—those attract rodents and harmful bacteria.
🧼 Compost Carefully
Composting is a great way to recycle kitchen and yard waste—but it must be done right:
- ✅ Compost only plant matter like veggie scraps, grass clippings, leaves, and eggshells
- ❌ Avoid meat, dairy, oils, and pet waste—these draw in rodents and create sanitation issues
- ✅ Keep your compost area covered and sealed to prevent pests and reduce odor
A Pest-Smart Garden Starts with You
The more intentional you are in the garden, the fewer pest problems you’ll have. Whether you’re using natural planting strategies or practicing clean landscaping, your actions make a big impact.
And when the bugs start pushing boundaries? ABBS Pest Control is here to help. We offer professional, family-friendly pest solutions that keep your yard—and your home—comfortable and protected.
Click here for a downloadable version of these great gardening tips.
