The nature of doing business is occasionally a dog-eat-dog sort of thing. But that doesn’t mean your commercial landscape should be at constant risk of being devoured, too.
Skyrocketing urban deer populations are increasingly viewing office park lawns and gardens as convenient salad bars. Add to that assorted rabbit rudeness and gluttonous groundhogs, and you may find yourself trying to find a way to ward off pests without resorting to harsh chemicals and sprays.
Here are four:
Take Up Fencing: Particularly effective against a growing population of deer, if not particularly attractive, a solid wood or stone fence at least 6-8 feet high is an ideal deterrent, as the animals are not likely to attempt such a leap. Fences are also incredibly effective to keep out intruders ranging from rabbits to mountain lions. Quick tip: A trench dug along your fence line and fitted with wire mesh will keep out digging and burrowing rodents like rabbits and groundhogs.
Cover It Up: Planted bulbs in your garden can be covered with a fabric drop cloth to prevent easy access by diggers such as skunks and raccoons. A layer of straw mulch, too, can provide nourishment for your plants, while warding off deer, squirrels, and rabbits. If one of your tenants has a dog that sheds, and is willing to share, you can try sprinkling its hair throughout your commercial landscape. Somewhat easier to come by in an office environment? Coffee grounds. Unlike the team gathered around the break room, critters from cats to slugs can’t stand the smell.
Indulge Your Inner Mad Scientist – Try mixing up a cocktail of your own, using garlic, cayenne pepper, water, and/or a strong-scented soap and spray it on your commercial landscape’s plants and flowers. Does anyone else smell a team-building exercise?
Try Scare Tactics: Motion activated sprinklers – also known as “scarecrow” sprinklers – blast any encroaching pests with a powerful jet of water, sending them packing. A quality irrigation contractor, like the professionals at GroundsCare Landscape, will be able to hook you up.
Of course, employing proper commercial landscape maintenance from the start is perhaps the most essential component of pest control and management for your property. GroundsCare Landscape can help to keep your lawns healthy and green, incorporating such beneficial and pest resistant methods as sustainable landscape design, native plantings, and much more.
For more information on how GroundsCare can help you specifically, call us today at 888-588-8451.
