How Landscaping Mistakes Attract Pests to Orem Backyards

Your Orem backyard should be your haven, not a hotspot for unwanted guests. Utah County homeowners spend hours and dollars on great landscaping, only to find out they have ended up landscaping for ants, spiders, mice, and other pests. Those odd conditions here in Orem, combined with the semi-arid climate and the elevation at 4,774 feet, will have you wondering how some landscaping can turn your yard into a breeding ground for pests so quickly. 

From over-watering to planting too close to your foundation, these common missteps lay out the highways for pests to march right into your home. If you currently have a pest problem, contacting a professional pest control service, like Saela Pest Control, can show you which parts of your landscaping around your property are leading to those pests.

Orem’s Climate and Soil: A Perfect Setup for Hidden Pests

Orem faces unique weather challenges, and homeowners must know what to expect. Despite our temperate location, we receive just 19 inches of precipitation each year on average, well below the national average, and our soil typically has a clay-heavy, alkaline profile. The temperature variance here is extreme: highs in the summer break 90, and lows in those winter months plummet into the teens. These states drive pests indoors in search of shelter and moisture, and your beautifully designed yard is usually the first target.

5 Mistakes To Avoid

1. Overwatering Your Lawn and Garden Beds

Many homeowners overwater in Orem, where the climate is semi-arid. This keeps the soil consistently moist, which is ideal for sowbugs, earwigs, and millipedes. These humidity-reliant pests move towards the foundation of your house in search of more moisture. One study revealed that in Utah, watering schedules need to be recognized to avoid overwatering in low-humidity conditions. Check your soil moisture before watering, and wait one more day to see if the top two inches are still moist.

2. Planting Shrubs and Trees Too Close to Your Foundation

Shrubs or tree limbs bumping up against your siding can provide direct routes into your walls and windows for spiders, ants, and box elder bugs. The issue is compounded in the fall in Orem, where box elder trees abound throughout neighborhoods, because that marks the arrival of box elder bugs. Keep the area around your foundation clean, and cut any vegetation that touches the exterior of the home.

3. Using Excessive Mulch Layers

As friendly and professional as that thick, beautiful mulch bed looks, anything above 2-3 inches acts as habitat for pests. Deep mulch provides a dark, moist place for earwigs, centipedes, and termites to live. Well, Orem has clay soil that holds moisture, so too much mulch makes it worse by blocking the evaporation. Keep mulch at least 6 inches from your home foundation, and apply it at a moderate depth, just enough to suppress weeds, but not sufficient to provide a pest hotel.

4. Neglecting Yard Debris and Leaf Piles

With our varied seasons and so many trees releasing enough leaves that you can fill a dumpster twice, fall cleanup is essential in Orem. Leaves, grass clippings, and unraked plant matter are ideal wintering sites for rodents, spiders, and insects. According to Utah State University Extension, rodents move into homes when their natural habitats are disturbed or when they find easy shelter near food sources. Maintain a tidy yard and keep compost piles away from the exterior of your home.

How Pest Control and Landscaping Work Together

Good pest management is not about spraying pesticides; it is about controlling the environmental factors that attract pests. That is where integrated pest management (IPM) is essential. Homeowners in Orem can work with companies like Saela Pest Control to find the landscaping weaknesses that make for high pest pressure. They evaluate moisture issues, plantings, and landscaping that could provide entry points. Professional treatments, along with your landscaping, are a complete defense system.