The landscaping around your home is an attraction for pests—that's simply something we have to live with. Shrubs, trees, mulch beds, and ornamental plants create ideal habitats for insects and other pests looking for shelter, moisture, and food sources.
But with regular landscape maintenance, you can at least make sure those pests aren't making their way inside your home.
How Pests Get Inside
Pests make their way into your home through any crack, crevice, hole, or gap they can find. Your home's exterior has more of these entry points than you might realize—around windows, doors, utility penetrations, foundation joints, and soffits.
One of the best ways to keep pests out is to prevent them from getting onto your house to begin with. Any landscaping that touches your home gives pests direct access to the exterior structure. From there, they'll actively search for a way inside.
Think of it this way: shrubs touching your siding are like a highway for pests. Branches against your house are bridges. Once pests are on your home's exterior, finding a crack or gap is just a matter of time.
The 2-3 Foot Rule
This is why it's crucial that all shrubs, bushes, and trees be kept two to three feet away from your house at all times. That gap creates a buffer zone that pests must cross in the open, making it much harder for them to reach your home undetected.
For homeowners in Midlothian, Prosper, and throughout the DFW area, maintaining this clearance requires regular attention. Some plants only need one trimming per year to stay within bounds. Others—especially fast-growing shrubs common in North Texas—may need multiple trimmings throughout the growing season.
Either way, make sure you're checking your landscape regularly and keeping everything away from the house.
Get Ahead of the Problem Now
Pests aren't quite as active during winter months, but they will be soon. Right now is the perfect time to get a head start on landscape maintenance before spring pest activity ramps up.
Walk around your home and look for any plants touching the structure. Check trees for branches that have grown toward your roofline or siding. Inspect shrubs that may have expanded beyond their original footprint. Take action now—before you have a pest problem this spring.
Homeowners in Prosper, Waxahachie, and throughout North Texas who address this now will be in a much better position when pest season arrives.
Watch the video below to learn more about how landscape maintenance helps prevent pests from entering your home.
For professional pest control in Midlothian and Prosper, contact Vista Lawn and Pest.
