Do you worry that your backyard might be a place of some danger for anyone who goes back there? Are you concerned about sharp objects, dangerous animals, and diseases that could cause problems?
You may benefit from a few careful changes that take these issues into account and fix them. Your backyard can be so safe that you feel comfortable allowing your kids to run around barefoot in it, but it may take some work. Here is where to start.
Do a Careful Search for Garbage
If you have never cleaned up all the garbage in your backyard, then there is some work to be done. We recommend looking for garbage when the sun is very bright, which allows it to reflect off pieces of glass and metal. It is really easy to miss any glass that could be embedded into the dirt. Some of it will be transparent and very hard to see, but if you let the sun catch it at the right angle, you can see this glass from a distance.
Walk your entire backyard systematically, working in long, straight rows, walking over every square foot. This way, you are less likely to miss any trash. Pick up all trash, no matter how small, and if you see anything poking out, carefully dig it from the dirt.
You can hire a professional cleaning team for backyard pick up as well. Let them know what you are trying to accomplish and what kind of trash they may need to look for. For instance, if you suspect pieces of glass, broken bottles, buried paper or plastic, or other items, just give the cleaners a heads up. That way, they will be more effective in their cleaning.
Remove All Anthills
One of the most annoying pests to have in your backyard is the ant. That’s because there are so many of them, and they can be tough to get rid of. Ants are good for the soil, as their tunnels help to irrigate and aerate the dirt and help things to grow, permitting nutrients to reach plant roots. However, ants can bite, they can steal food, and they can destroy parts of your lawn with their tunnels and anthills.
If you want a backyard that is safe for little kids and that you can let people run around in with only bare feet, then you need to get rid of the anthills. There are a few ways to do this. You can use pesticides, which will kill ants but can also pollute the environment and leave toxins behind. You may want to avoid those.
The more straightforward and safer method to get rid of ants and their anthills is to use boiling hot water. Just pour that onto the top of the anthill, and you will eliminate the ants fast without any residual toxins left behind.
Keep Grass Short
If you want fewer pests in the backyard, then you need to keep your grass cut very low. Pests like places to hide, and lizards and snakes will prefer tall grass to short grass. Rats and mice like tall grass as well, so keeping that grass as low as you can eliminates some of their favorite hiding places.
You should have a regular schedule for grass cutting that ensures that the grass is always kept to a low level. This way, it never gets so tall that pests feel comfortable hiding out there or travelling through your backyard.
Close Holes in the Fence
Do you ever see a pest in your yard and wonder how it got there? It may have found a way through your fence, as most fences are not very secure.
Your backyard should be fenced in, if you want it to be private and as free from pests as possible. Make sure that there are no small spaces for pests to get through. The fence doesn’t have to be tall to offer complete privacy, if you would prefer to be able to see your neighbors, but it should be tall enough to keep out most pests, including racoons, dogs, snakes, and others.
Check the fence regularly for signs of wear and for holes. Any weak points are likely to be exploited by pests in time, so deal with those quickly and definitively so that our backyard and your entire property can be kept safe.
Clean Up Brush and Leaves Regularly
You should also make certain that your backyard stays clean. You won’t know if there’s trash in the yard or pests entering if you have a lot of brush and leaves lying around. So, we recommend getting rid of any brush as it falls into the yard and raking up the leaves regularly.
These are tasks that you need to do more frequently depending on the time of year. During the fall, branches tend to fall from trees more often, and of course there will be plenty more leaves on the ground during this time as well. During the summer and winter, these won’t be such common problems, and you can clean up the yard less frequently.
It’s wise to walk through the yard once a week to make sure that it’s free of debris, trash, and pests. If you see snake eggs, anthills, broken bottles, or branches, you should remove these things immediately and not wait for your weekly cleanup.
Closing Thoughts
Your backyard can stay safe and beautiful all through the year. You just have to keep up with the work and make sure that all dangers are dealt with as quickly as possible. Other issues to watch out for could be security issues that would allow people into the yard without your awareness or permission. You can make the fence higher and set up security cameras to deter people.
The more work you do on your backyard and the more effort you put into it, the safer it will be. If you’ve been neglecting this part of your property, we hope this article encourages you to pay a little extra attention to some of the risks that may be hiding there.
