Parenting Pointers: Outdoor Living Tips (and Mosquito Prevention)

Television personality John Gidding recently partnered with Terminix to provide a variety of easy, low-cost design tips that will add simple, elegant touches to any outdoor space and allow families to enjoy a virtually mosquito-free environment. Below are some of Gidding’s outdoor design tips. A full assortment of how-to tips can be found at the Terminix website or YouTube channel. 

• Fire and Water – Bringing fire into backyard design is increasingly popular.  Build your own pit or purchase one for as low as $100 at a home improvement store.  On the flipside, fountains are a great way to add a water element and sound effects to an outdoor entertaining space.
• If It’s Shiny, It’s In…But So Is Rustic – Reflective surface objects are hot this summer, so look for mirrored surface bowls and vessels, glass vases or lanterns.  Galvanized materials like watering cans or planters are also really popular now.  Mixing non-traditional textures like this will really stand out.
• Think Beyond Terra Cotta – Mix and match a variety of pots with different textures and colors.  Summer is all about color, so don’t shy away from mixing bolder hues in with your patio palate.
• Grow Your Dinner – Consider a “pizza garden” with tomatoes, basil, bell peppers, oregano, onion and rosemary all growing in the same planter.  It will offer a great meal and a seasonal conversation piece.
• Mix and Match Plants – No matter what your climate, you’ll have choices of different types of plant sizes and textures.  Consider mixing annual, colorful favorites like Impatiens with a taller grass.  Or if you’re looking for late-summer color, plant some daisies, which will bloom long after the other plants have wilted.
• Stain Your Floors – Add a little spice to your patio by staining a boring concrete floor.  Acid staining can give a concrete patio a new lease on life.  Add an outdoor rug, and you have a quick, easy and inexpensive project that will transform your space.

Now that you have design ideas, assure you can enjoy your outdoor space with the Terminix ALLCLEAR line of mosquito solutions. The products include two repellers, which use fan-based diffusion technology to circulate a safe, botanical mixture of lemongrass, cinnamon, peppermint and geranium oils, and two misters which dispense a fine mist in areas ranging from 300 to 2,000 square feet. 

• SideKick Repeller – all-natural, battery-powered personal clip-able mosquito repeller that includes one refill cartridge delivering protection for 18 hours – up to twice as long as leading chemical-based sprays and lotions.  It easily clips to outdoor furniture, beach chairs or on a waistband.
• TableTop Repeller – portable, battery-powered device approximately the size of a large travel mug which effectively repels mosquitoes, gnats and midges from areas up to 15 X 15 feet.  One refill cartridge (included) lasts 18 hours – up to four times longer than leading chemical alternatives.
• Mister Lantern – portable, battery-powered and works by automatically dispensing an all-natural solution of Geraniol, a botanical extract of the lemongrass plant.  The lantern is proven effective in quickly and safely repelling more than 95 percent of biting mosquitoes from areas up to 300 square feet, (about the size of an average deck or patio).
• Backyard Mosquito Mister – offers immediate mosquito protection for areas up to 2,000 square feet. It works by spraying a four-minute all-natural, botanical-based mist into a designated area and is effective for up to six hours depending on the selected concentrate (sold separately). Its durable outdoor design, 30-foot A/C power cord, rolling wheels and remote control allow for easy transportation to wherever mosquitoes are most bothersome.

In recent years there has also been a dramatic rise in the number of reported cases in the United States of West Nile virus, with 2012 marking an all-time high.  The potentially serious illness is transmitted through the bite of an infected mosquito.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend using an insect repellant to prevent bites and minimize risk.
Terminix also recommends homeowners heed the following practical tips to keep their families and pets better protected from mosquitoes this season:

• Examine gutters for clogs and damage that would cause water to collect.
• Use soil to fill in low areas in lawns and landscaped areas where rainwater may collect and stand for more than seven days.
• Barrels or containers that capture rainwater should be emptied regularly.
• Empty “kiddie pools” regularly.
• Install an agitator in garden ponds or buy fish that eat mosquito larvae. The wave actions created by an agitator can prevent mosquito adults from successfully emerging from pupae.
• Empty and refill birdbaths at least once a week.
• Avoid times of peak mosquito activity, primarily dusk and dawn, but remember that some mosquitoes, such as the Asian tiger mosquito, bite during the daytime.
• Wear long-sleeved shirts and pants when feasible.

For more design tips and information on how to prevent mosquitoes, visit terminix.com/mosquito.

Terminix, a subsidiary of The ServiceMaster Company, is the world’s largest pest control provider. Headquartered in Memphis, Tenn., Terminix services more than 3 million customers in 47 states and 14 countries.

With a global network of more than 7,300 company-owned, franchise and licensed locations, Memphis-based ServiceMaster is one of the world’s largest residential and commercial service networks. The company’s market-leading brands provide a range of residential and commercial services including termite and pest control; lawn, tree and shrub care; home warranties and preventative maintenance contracts; furniture repair; home inspections; home cleaning; janitorial services; and disaster restoration. Go to www.servicemaster.com for more information about ServiceMaster or follow the company at twitter.com/ServiceMaster or facebook.com/TheServiceMasterCo.