8 Things That Attract Bugs and Pests to Your Yard—and How to Prevent Them

Encountering bugs around your property is inevitable, but if you're experiencing persistent mosquitoes, flies, and other pests, there's a chance you're inadvertently attracting these critters to your yard. Providing a habitat that is desirable to insects is as easy as letting standing water pool in your yard or leaving a pile of leaves in your gutter. Here, we're sharing several things that are attracting bugs to your yard and how to prevent them.

Standing Water

One of the biggest attractants for insects is standing water, which is especially a draw for mosquitoes. "Mosquitoes lay their eggs in water, so they’re often found around bodies of water," says Jim Fredericks, board certified entomologist and senior vice president of public affairs at the National Pest Management Association. "They can breed in as little as a 1/2 inch of standing water."

Standing water can be found in a few different areas of your landscape, including empty flowerpots, pool covers, leaky hoses, buckets, baby pools, and bird baths. "Homeowners should regularly check their property for containers that could be collecting water and dump them as they could be providing a safe harbor for mosquitoes to grow," says Fredericks. For bird baths, make sure you change the water out regularly to deter pests.

Outdoor Trash Cans

Pests like cockroaches, flies, and ants are easily attracted to outdoor trash cans, but there are a few ways to keep them away. "Be sure to have a tight, secure lid on your bins that cannot easily be taken off or, if it’s knocked over, cannot easily fall off," says David Price, associate certified entomologist ofMosquito Joe, a Neighborly company. You should also make sure your house garbage is going in sealed bags when it's moved to your outside trash cans. Clean your garbage cans frequently to remove any residue that may be attracting bugs.

Lights

Outdoor lights often attract flying insects that see in the ultraviolet to red spectrum, which signals foraging, navigation, and mate selection, says Price. In addition to flying insects, spiders often build webs near lights to take advantage of all of the insects that are attracted to the lights, says Fredericks.

To avoid this, turn off outdoor lights when you're not using them, consider switching to motion-activated lights, and swap bright bulbs for something warmer. "We recommend that homeowners change outdoor lighting to yellow bulbs or sodium vapor lamps, which are less attractive to pests," says Fredericks. "Flying insects are less attracted to LED bulbs compared to fluorescent bulbs.  Further, warmer, yellower LED lights are the least attractive to flying insects."

Clogged Gutters

Clogged gutters are typically filled with standing water and yard debris, like leaves and twigs. These conditions provide an ideal habitat for many insects. "Ensuring your gutters are clear is essential to keeping pests away that breed in either water, like mosquitoes, or enjoy staying in piles of debris," says Price. You should clean your gutters at least twice a year—in the spring and in the fall—to avoid creating a home for bugs.

Dirty Grill

While it may be tempting to wait until the day after a cookout to clean your grill, doing so may attract unwanted bugs. "Pests are naturally attracted to the smell of food, and if you have leftover food in your grill or your grill is not cleaned properly, the pests will still be able to smell it, and they will find their way there," says Price. "Make sure you clean your grill thoroughly after each use. Also, ensure a secure cover over it that does not easily come off."

Wood Piles

Wood piles make a great place for termites, ants, spiders, beetles, and more bugs to hide. "Homeowners should store firewood at least 20 feet from the home, stack wood on a raised structure, such as concrete blocks, and inspect each piece of wood before bringing it indoors," says Fredericks. If you leave wood piles on the ground with no airflow underneath, it can collect moisture and attract more pests.

Bird Seed

While bird seed is a nice way to welcome avians to your landscape, doing so can also bring more bugs to your yard. "Often bugs use the bird seed as a place to lay eggs so they can use the food as nutrients as they hatch and grow," says Price. "Bugs are also more attracted to the bird seed in the summer heat, so to prevent that, make sure that it is kept cool and make sure it’s used up quickly."

Yard Debris

Lawn debris can become a desirable home for bugs if not tended to properly. "Leaving debris in a pile in your yard for too long can make the pile a perfect nest for pests," says Price. Dispose of or compost the debris to prevent this from happening. Additionally, check tree stumps around your property for signs of rot. "Remove rotted tree stumps as these could be magnets for termites, says Fredericks.