Help me enjoy my backyard
June 27, 2020 6:30 AM Subscribe
I have a little backyard. But I find it impossible to sit in and enjoy because of ALL THE BUGS.
My little backyard should be a haven for me but I'm actually scared to be out there too long because of all the bugs. My backyard backs onto the bin store for the block so everyone puts their rubbish there, as a result there are lots of insects.
What can I do to deter pests from my backyard so that I can actually sit in it for more than a few minutes without them flying at me? I get that bugs are part and parcel of nature but there are so many huge flies and wasps and mosquitoes that I feel constantly under siege. There are also lots of squirrels around and I have an irrational fear of them, lol. So my first question is, is there anything I can do to stop pests flying into my garden? And ideally deter the squirrels as well? Imagine I have a small budget - maybe a max of £300 to throw at this venture.
I was thinking about whether it's possible to have a plastic DIY sort of conservatory built which would mean I could sit outside but still be protected from creepy crawlies... maybe something like this. It's a greenhouse but I'm sure it would be fine for sitting in.
My second question is: Apart from the pest issue, what else can I do to make the space nicer? I have a table and chairs that I never use. The yard is mostly paved over with a ton of ivy climbing over the walls, a small holly tree and a big plane tree right in the corner.
I thought I'd throw it out to Metafilter. What do you think I should do?
I know the fear of bugs is stupid, by the way. Please don't feel you need to point that out. I've had many issues with infestations and growing up in the tropics which mean that I would rather stay as far as away from bugs as possible.
My little backyard should be a haven for me but I'm actually scared to be out there too long because of all the bugs. My backyard backs onto the bin store for the block so everyone puts their rubbish there, as a result there are lots of insects.
What can I do to deter pests from my backyard so that I can actually sit in it for more than a few minutes without them flying at me? I get that bugs are part and parcel of nature but there are so many huge flies and wasps and mosquitoes that I feel constantly under siege. There are also lots of squirrels around and I have an irrational fear of them, lol. So my first question is, is there anything I can do to stop pests flying into my garden? And ideally deter the squirrels as well? Imagine I have a small budget - maybe a max of £300 to throw at this venture.
I was thinking about whether it's possible to have a plastic DIY sort of conservatory built which would mean I could sit outside but still be protected from creepy crawlies... maybe something like this. It's a greenhouse but I'm sure it would be fine for sitting in.
My second question is: Apart from the pest issue, what else can I do to make the space nicer? I have a table and chairs that I never use. The yard is mostly paved over with a ton of ivy climbing over the walls, a small holly tree and a big plane tree right in the corner.
I thought I'd throw it out to Metafilter. What do you think I should do?
I know the fear of bugs is stupid, by the way. Please don't feel you need to point that out. I've had many issues with infestations and growing up in the tropics which mean that I would rather stay as far as away from bugs as possible.
This sort of screened gazebo is popular in Canada (land of mosquitos). The screens are usually weighted to drape down to the ground.
posted by bonobothegreat at 6:47 AM on June 27, 2020 [16 favorites]
posted by bonobothegreat at 6:47 AM on June 27, 2020 [16 favorites]
The fan thing is my go-to trick. As a plus, it cools the yard a bit!
In terms of making it nicer, IMO there are five things every yard needs:
-a folding camp chair, they’re like $5. Get some more if you plan to have guests.
-a bocce set.
-a string of lights overhead.
-a bird feeder (make sure you get one with a squirrel baffle!).
-a grill. If you don’t want the full experience, there are mini grills in both gas and charcoal. Gas is better unless you’re a purist - easier to start and less cleanup.
If the size and layout of your yard allows it, get a fire pit and/or a kiddie pool, and a camp hammock.
posted by kevinbelt at 7:01 AM on June 27, 2020 [2 favorites]
In terms of making it nicer, IMO there are five things every yard needs:
-a folding camp chair, they’re like $5. Get some more if you plan to have guests.
-a bocce set.
-a string of lights overhead.
-a bird feeder (make sure you get one with a squirrel baffle!).
-a grill. If you don’t want the full experience, there are mini grills in both gas and charcoal. Gas is better unless you’re a purist - easier to start and less cleanup.
If the size and layout of your yard allows it, get a fire pit and/or a kiddie pool, and a camp hammock.
posted by kevinbelt at 7:01 AM on June 27, 2020 [2 favorites]
One of the first things I'd do is check for standing water. Even a water butt with a lid can become a mini mosquito factory.
A wasp trap, of the glass sort that you hang up with a sweet liquid inside (orange squash works fine) will distract wasps (and kill them), Just don't hang one near the place you plan to sit.
Clearing some of the ivy might reduce the insect population somewhat.
This is not to say that fear of bugs is stupid (it's not), but maybe you could learn to identify some of those little beasts? Learn which ones can bite or sting (not many of them, as it happens) and which are just harmless pollinators or will actually help your situation by eating other bugs. A little knowledge will at least give you a way to differentiate between 'good bugs' and 'bad bugs'. Knowing that a particular type of fly is completely harmless will go a long way towards reducing your stress level when you encounter them. Learn to tell a hoverfly from a wasp, for instance; hoverflies are graceful little things that will hover in the air and never bother you. But the yellow and black stripes can be a bit alarming if you don't know what you're looking at.
Any kind of tent-like structure will be (a) hot, and (b) absolutely guaranteed to be full of flies that can't escape in very little time at all.
posted by pipeski at 7:04 AM on June 27, 2020 [5 favorites]
A wasp trap, of the glass sort that you hang up with a sweet liquid inside (orange squash works fine) will distract wasps (and kill them), Just don't hang one near the place you plan to sit.
Clearing some of the ivy might reduce the insect population somewhat.
This is not to say that fear of bugs is stupid (it's not), but maybe you could learn to identify some of those little beasts? Learn which ones can bite or sting (not many of them, as it happens) and which are just harmless pollinators or will actually help your situation by eating other bugs. A little knowledge will at least give you a way to differentiate between 'good bugs' and 'bad bugs'. Knowing that a particular type of fly is completely harmless will go a long way towards reducing your stress level when you encounter them. Learn to tell a hoverfly from a wasp, for instance; hoverflies are graceful little things that will hover in the air and never bother you. But the yellow and black stripes can be a bit alarming if you don't know what you're looking at.
Any kind of tent-like structure will be (a) hot, and (b) absolutely guaranteed to be full of flies that can't escape in very little time at all.
posted by pipeski at 7:04 AM on June 27, 2020 [5 favorites]
A recent hiking trip through mosquito lands revealed the best solutions:
Smoke and mint.
We held burning incense sticks in our teeth and rubbed out skin with mint insect spray. The mosquitos would fly near us but never land.
posted by jander03 at 7:07 AM on June 27, 2020 [1 favorite]
Smoke and mint.
We held burning incense sticks in our teeth and rubbed out skin with mint insect spray. The mosquitos would fly near us but never land.
posted by jander03 at 7:07 AM on June 27, 2020 [1 favorite]
I disagree that any tent-like structure will necessarily be full of flies. I had one of those screen gazebos in my yard for two summers when the neighbors had a giant hornet nest they refused to get rid of and I don't think I had a single flying insect in the tent. I did have to put a fan in it though.
Wasp traps can help somewhat. I use the plastic bag kind. For mosquitoes, the biggest thing is to eliminate any standing water. This is incompatible with my suggestion for how to make the space nicer, which is to regularly spray everything down. Ivy gets lots of dusty cobwebs and looks so much better clean. Ever notice that in gardening magazines it's always just been watered? The whole yard will look and feel so much nicer. Ivy does harbor lots of little gnat-like things and can be a breeding ground for mosquitoes too. Sorry! String lights are also great for instant ambience.
posted by HotToddy at 7:22 AM on June 27, 2020 [2 favorites]
Wasp traps can help somewhat. I use the plastic bag kind. For mosquitoes, the biggest thing is to eliminate any standing water. This is incompatible with my suggestion for how to make the space nicer, which is to regularly spray everything down. Ivy gets lots of dusty cobwebs and looks so much better clean. Ever notice that in gardening magazines it's always just been watered? The whole yard will look and feel so much nicer. Ivy does harbor lots of little gnat-like things and can be a breeding ground for mosquitoes too. Sorry! String lights are also great for instant ambience.
posted by HotToddy at 7:22 AM on June 27, 2020 [2 favorites]
A search term for you is "screen house." Some of them, like bonobothegreat's link, are gazebo-like and some are more like tents. I also disagree with the idea that they get a lot of flies in them, but they are hotter than you would expect for something that freely lets air pass through its walls. Not unbearably hot, but it's not just like sitting outside except bug-free.
posted by Redstart at 7:29 AM on June 27, 2020
posted by Redstart at 7:29 AM on June 27, 2020
I was also going to suggest a gazebo or screen house that you can put up to sit inside. Plenty of versions, and it doesn't have to be super hot if the sides are all screened - it would provide shade if it's sunny too. Get one with a solid roof so it keeps rain out, and one that zips up would likely be more bug-proof than the hanging screen ones. Most of them will allow you to keep out all the wasps/beetles/bees/mosquitoes, but possibly not the tiny black flies. You may want to sort of catalog the types of bugs you see, so that you know what you are trying to keep out and how tight the screen has to be. Should be squirrel-proof as well, as they will likely just ignore it unless you have food inside.
Put up the gazebo in one corner of the back yard, add an outdoor-rated rug inside. Place chairs and tables inside. Maybe get a few nice cushions, or a nice cushy chair. Add a fan, if possible. Hang a few solar-and-battery-powered lanterns or strings of fairy lights. If you can do plants, maybe plant a few nice, tall plants (Thuja?) in a row by the back towards the bins, so you create a buffer zone. Or just a few planters with nice, flowering plants.
Tear out the ivy. That's a huge project (they will keep coming back) but should be worth it. And yes, eliminate as much standing water as you can. I would not put a bird feeder up - the squirrels will congregate there, and they can be bug magnets too.
posted by gemmy at 7:32 AM on June 27, 2020 [2 favorites]
Put up the gazebo in one corner of the back yard, add an outdoor-rated rug inside. Place chairs and tables inside. Maybe get a few nice cushions, or a nice cushy chair. Add a fan, if possible. Hang a few solar-and-battery-powered lanterns or strings of fairy lights. If you can do plants, maybe plant a few nice, tall plants (Thuja?) in a row by the back towards the bins, so you create a buffer zone. Or just a few planters with nice, flowering plants.
Tear out the ivy. That's a huge project (they will keep coming back) but should be worth it. And yes, eliminate as much standing water as you can. I would not put a bird feeder up - the squirrels will congregate there, and they can be bug magnets too.
posted by gemmy at 7:32 AM on June 27, 2020 [2 favorites]
I don't know if your back yard gets a lot of sun, but if it does, the greenhouse tent you linked to will get stifling hot very quickly.
I'd recommend getting a mesh mosquito net canopy. There are lots of different types of outdoor mosquito nets commercially available, some are for camping purposes and are basically like mesh pop up tents big enough for just a deck chair or a little hammock, others larger, more permanent gazebo like constructions, and there's also loose netting that can be attached to eg. a parasol if you need shade. Just very cursory googling turned up several options well within your budget.
posted by muuratsaari at 7:35 AM on June 27, 2020
I'd recommend getting a mesh mosquito net canopy. There are lots of different types of outdoor mosquito nets commercially available, some are for camping purposes and are basically like mesh pop up tents big enough for just a deck chair or a little hammock, others larger, more permanent gazebo like constructions, and there's also loose netting that can be attached to eg. a parasol if you need shade. Just very cursory googling turned up several options well within your budget.
posted by muuratsaari at 7:35 AM on June 27, 2020
For a quick and easy mosquito solution, I highly recommend Thermacell. They are contraptions that produce an odorless gas that repels mosquitoes within a fifteen-or-more foot radius, kind of like citronella candles that actually work. I put one out fifteen min before I want to sit outside in my yard, and it's a huge help.
posted by Pwoink at 8:15 AM on June 27, 2020 [6 favorites]
posted by Pwoink at 8:15 AM on June 27, 2020 [6 favorites]
Do you live somewhere that's prohibitive to bats? I have a very large backyard, in a neighborhood with lots of trees. My front yard is almost entirely just the root system of a very, very large oak tree. Its exactly the kind of place where you'd expect lots of flying bugs, but they're not a huge problems, for a couple reasons: There is at least one, and probably more than 1 active bat colony near my house. I see them at dusk eating bugs all the time. I live near a creek that has a lot of dragonflies, damselflies, etc. I am more likely to see one of these in my yard than a mosquito. I have a lot of spiders in my yard. They get into my house. We just let them be.
If it's possible, consider putting up a bat house. If your yard won't work, maybe talk to your HOA or community organization about putting some in shared property.
posted by FirstMateKate at 8:25 AM on June 27, 2020 [2 favorites]
If it's possible, consider putting up a bat house. If your yard won't work, maybe talk to your HOA or community organization about putting some in shared property.
posted by FirstMateKate at 8:25 AM on June 27, 2020 [2 favorites]
Plant a lot of aromatic herbs. Take rosemary, for example. Rosemary will attract spiders, and spiders will eat all those other bugs.
posted by aniola at 8:28 AM on June 27, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by aniola at 8:28 AM on June 27, 2020 [1 favorite]
A quick search on the topic of pest-repelling plants turns up a bajillion listicles. Here's one such result. Note that marigolds are said to repel rabbits (after a year) - maybe they work on squirrels, too?
posted by aniola at 8:35 AM on June 27, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by aniola at 8:35 AM on June 27, 2020 [1 favorite]
This looks rather nice. Scroll down a bit and you'll see some reviewer photos, one of which, taken from the inside, gives a somewhat better idea of how it might be while you're inside. I like that it doesn't have a bottom like some of the pop-up tents do, because that would get ripped up / muddy after some time, I imagine, and with this you could put down an indoor / outdoor rug for more coziness / visual pleasingness, and pull it out to wash down with a hose when needed.
If you make this a bit of an ongoing project sort of thing, you can continue to make over the space with plants (if you are interested in taking care of potted plants), lights (and/or candles), cushions. You can find out what grows well in pots outside in your area, and check against lists of insect-repelling plants. We have some mint, basil, thyme, and rosemary, all of which are said to repel mosquitos and some of which are supposed to repel flies, but if we notice mosquitos around we usually burn a coil (use them outside your enclosure, if you get one) or citronella candle. You could try an electronic zapper, as well, for flies and mosquitos.
I really like having the herbs as a low-effort gardening activity and high-reward cooking benefit, plus just the right amount of outdoor recreation to be fun and relaxing, not very demanding. You can get small basil plants and just keep making new ones, btw, and mint grows like whoa, so you can get big pots and they will probably grow to be large and in charge. See what likes your climate, and try some pots. It's nice that you already have greenery in your yard, because that's the big one for a pleasant space, I think.
This is our little deck / patio space (early evening photo), which I think is probably no bigger than the party tent I linked above, and maybe (likely?) smaller. This is where we (two of us) spend 98% of our outdoor time, though there's another area downstairs that's accessible if we need more space. We hung some solar bulbs on an adjacent space, and have the same string as a "bouquet" of light in a bowl on our table so we don't have to use the harsher outdoor light. The bouquet idea is handy because you can easily move and charge them inside under a bright lamp if you don't have enough sun to charge them sufficiently. (a clear bowl for them would be better, but we just didn't have one; it's on the list!)
posted by taz at 10:07 AM on June 27, 2020 [1 favorite]
If you make this a bit of an ongoing project sort of thing, you can continue to make over the space with plants (if you are interested in taking care of potted plants), lights (and/or candles), cushions. You can find out what grows well in pots outside in your area, and check against lists of insect-repelling plants. We have some mint, basil, thyme, and rosemary, all of which are said to repel mosquitos and some of which are supposed to repel flies, but if we notice mosquitos around we usually burn a coil (use them outside your enclosure, if you get one) or citronella candle. You could try an electronic zapper, as well, for flies and mosquitos.
I really like having the herbs as a low-effort gardening activity and high-reward cooking benefit, plus just the right amount of outdoor recreation to be fun and relaxing, not very demanding. You can get small basil plants and just keep making new ones, btw, and mint grows like whoa, so you can get big pots and they will probably grow to be large and in charge. See what likes your climate, and try some pots. It's nice that you already have greenery in your yard, because that's the big one for a pleasant space, I think.
This is our little deck / patio space (early evening photo), which I think is probably no bigger than the party tent I linked above, and maybe (likely?) smaller. This is where we (two of us) spend 98% of our outdoor time, though there's another area downstairs that's accessible if we need more space. We hung some solar bulbs on an adjacent space, and have the same string as a "bouquet" of light in a bowl on our table so we don't have to use the harsher outdoor light. The bouquet idea is handy because you can easily move and charge them inside under a bright lamp if you don't have enough sun to charge them sufficiently. (a clear bowl for them would be better, but we just didn't have one; it's on the list!)
posted by taz at 10:07 AM on June 27, 2020 [1 favorite]
Oh go for it. Screened shelter; portable AC roll around type unit. You're not going to be living out there anyway; so may as well be able to enjoy a few hours when you want too.
Sorry ants, mosquitoes, environment, biting flies, etc; I'm the top of the food chain; and if I want to enjoy it for a few hours a week in my own damn backyard; I am sure as hell going to do so. .
posted by Afghan Stan at 10:51 AM on June 27, 2020
Sorry ants, mosquitoes, environment, biting flies, etc; I'm the top of the food chain; and if I want to enjoy it for a few hours a week in my own damn backyard; I am sure as hell going to do so. .
posted by Afghan Stan at 10:51 AM on June 27, 2020
A more affordable version of the screen house/gazebo things is a 10' pop-up canopy tent with an accessory screen netting. Here is one tent and the screen accessory available in the US, perhaps you can find a similar thing locally? We have one on our deck for shade and it has held up for a few seasons. You do need to take it down when there are high winds, but it's not hard to take down and set up. You can fit a standard size picnic table or 6 person round patio table inside. String some patio lights to the frame for extra ambiance!
posted by Jemstar at 11:18 AM on June 27, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by Jemstar at 11:18 AM on June 27, 2020 [1 favorite]
Can you appeal to the city for better management or isolation of the garbage?
posted by cotton dress sock at 11:28 AM on June 27, 2020 [3 favorites]
posted by cotton dress sock at 11:28 AM on June 27, 2020 [3 favorites]
Seconding everyone's recommendations for bats, aromatic herbs, and some sort of screened in tent thing. Would also like to add that my most life-changing discovery of the past year has been this picaridin insect repellent lotion. I am both really attractive to mosquitoes and swell up in horrible allergic welts, but I also hate the noxious smell and feel of most spray insect repellents and I feel they don't actually cover my skin well and then I still get bitten anyway and the outdoors is miserable etc.
But this stuff! It doesn't stink, it feels like regular lotion and sinks into your skin, you can actually get full coverage of your arms and legs, and it WORKS. Truly have not had a single mosquito bite when I actually remember to use it.
posted by sparkling at 11:28 AM on June 27, 2020 [5 favorites]
But this stuff! It doesn't stink, it feels like regular lotion and sinks into your skin, you can actually get full coverage of your arms and legs, and it WORKS. Truly have not had a single mosquito bite when I actually remember to use it.
posted by sparkling at 11:28 AM on June 27, 2020 [5 favorites]
Screen house plus blug zapper light would be my suggestion.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 2:56 PM on June 27, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 2:56 PM on June 27, 2020 [1 favorite]
Chemical warfare --
Seconding the permetrin, which can be sprayed on clothing as well as used in the wash (different formulas). This works on clothes, not skin.
If I am mowing or gardening or taking a walk, I use Cutter or Off with DEET, or Repel lemon eucalyptus spray.
I've heard good things about the Clam screen tent. I have a similar model that I have used in state parks with my RV. Sunlight is damaging to tents, so I would take it down from time to time or use it in a protected location.
And I would be making repeated contacts with the health department about the hazardous environment. They could move the bins, or put in better ones, or otherwise change the situation. It is not set in stone.
This is where I would be calling the civic leaders, the press, anyone who would listen. If no one complains, there is no problem. I have low tolerance for this sort of nonsense.
posted by TrishaU at 1:36 AM on June 28, 2020 [1 favorite]
Seconding the permetrin, which can be sprayed on clothing as well as used in the wash (different formulas). This works on clothes, not skin.
If I am mowing or gardening or taking a walk, I use Cutter or Off with DEET, or Repel lemon eucalyptus spray.
I've heard good things about the Clam screen tent. I have a similar model that I have used in state parks with my RV. Sunlight is damaging to tents, so I would take it down from time to time or use it in a protected location.
And I would be making repeated contacts with the health department about the hazardous environment. They could move the bins, or put in better ones, or otherwise change the situation. It is not set in stone.
This is where I would be calling the civic leaders, the press, anyone who would listen. If no one complains, there is no problem. I have low tolerance for this sort of nonsense.
posted by TrishaU at 1:36 AM on June 28, 2020 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Liesl at 6:35 AM on June 27, 2020 [15 favorites]