Controlling Summer's Most Irritating (and Sometimes Scariest) Pests

We share the outdoors with a wonderful variety of insects: some irritating, others fascinating; some beneficial, others downright scary. Unfortunately, when you’re outside on a nice summer evening, even fascinating insects can become irritating, and the scary ones, well we just don’t want them around. And if the scary or irritating ones get indoors, then we have trouble.

Mosquitoes, ticks, spiders, ants, cockroaches, crickets and flies are just a few of summer’s bummers. Luckily, Bayer Advanced has fast and effective solutions to these outdoor invaders and offers them in several convenient and easy-to-use formulations.

Here’s how to use Bayer Advanced can help keep summer’s pests to minimum outdoors, prevent them from coming indoors, and how to deal with them if they do make it inside:

Treat the perimeter of the house. One of the best ways to keep insect pests like ants, cockroaches and spiders from entering the house is to create a protective barrier around the outside. Do so by applying Bayer Advanced™ PowerForce® Multi-Insect Killer Granules around the foundation of your home as described on the label. Using the liquid form around windows and doors will further protect key entry points

Treat your lawn. Many insects, including ticks and fleas, thrive in your lawn. To protect you and your pets, apply Bayer Advanced™ PowerForce® Multi-Insect Killer Granules with your lawn fertilizer spreader, or use liquid with a hose-end sprayer (the convenient ready-to-spray bottle comes with its own sprayer). PowerForce also controls many lawn pests including armyworms, chinchbugs and sod webworms. And if you also have belowground pests like white grubs, crane fly larvae or mole crickets, use Bayer Advanced™ Complete Insect Killer For Soil & Turf Granules. It combines two active ingredients for a powerful one-two punch against above and belowground pests. For more information on this versatile product, click here.

Treat around shrubs and other vegetation. Apply liquid Bayer Advanced™ PowerForce® Multi-Insect Killer Ready-To-Spray around the base of shrubs and in nearby tall grass or weeds. This will help reduce mosquitoes, grasshoppers, flies and other insects that congregate in vegetation. And if those same shrubs have been victims of pests like aphids, scale or Japanese beetles, use Bayer Advanced™ Complete Insect Killer For Soil & Turf Ready-To-Spray. For a complete list of pests it controls, click here. It comes in a concentrate or 32-ounce bottle with a ready-to-spray, hose-end applicator.

Treat ant mounds. Bayer Advanced™ Triple Action Ant Killer Granules kills the queen and the entire nest. In the Southeast, use Bayer Advanced™ Fire Ant Killer Granules.

Treat indoors. If intruders do make it indoors, use Bayer Advanced™ Home Pest plus Germ* Killer Indoor and Outdoor Insect Killer Ready-To-Spray. This ready-to-use, home pest killer controls bugs plus reduces up to 99% of the germs insects may carry. (Not available in California, use Bayer Advanced™ Home Pest Control Indoor/Outdoor Insect Killer Ready-To-Use Nested Sprayer). One application offers up to 12 months of indoor insect protection. Or, to control roaches, use Bayer Advanced™ Dual Action Roach Killer Power Pen™ Ready-To-Use.

Killing the Toughest Weeds

What can you do about the very toughest weeds — the woody, aggressive plants like kudzu, scotch broom and wild blackberry, or even worse, dermatological nightmares like poison oak, poison ivy and poison sumac?

Bayer Advanced™ has the answer with Bayer Advanced™ Brush Killer Plus Ready-To-Use. The special penetrating formula kills the toughest brushy weeds and vines, roots and all, and comes in an economical concentrate as well as a pre-mixed ready-to-use version. The concentrate can also be used to kill tree stumps.

To achieve the best results with Bayer Advanced™ Brush Killer Plus Ready-To-Use, apply when weeds are fully leafed-out and actively growing. The formula will damage any plants it contacts, so follow the label instructions exactly. Contact with poison oak or poison ivy any time of the year can cause an allergic reaction. Handle dead plants with rubber gloves. Dispose of dead plants and gloves in tightly sealed garbage bags. Do not burn the debris. Simply breathing the smoke can cause a severe reaction. To kill stumps, completely cover the freshly cut stumps with undiluted product, using a paintbrush.

Silver Foliage Shines on Other Plants

Plants with silver or gray foliage are superstars in the color garden. Like any superstar, they always shine on their own, but their true value comes by making other plants look better. Silver is one of the most complementary tones. It highlights soft colors like blue, pink and white, making them stand out strong where they might otherwise fade into the background. Silver also softens strong colors like red and orange, providing a smooth transition between normally combatant shades.

As you plant summer flowers this month, blend in some silver or gray plants. You'll be surprised how well superstar will play in your garden.

Among our favorite silver-foliaged plants are yarrow, artemesia 'Powis Castle,' dusty Miller, snow in summer (Cerastium tomentosum), Crete dittany (Oreganum dictamus), germander sage (Salvia chamaedryoides), lavender cotton (Santolina), lamb's ear, bush germander (Teucrium fruticans) and silver thyme.

Check plant labels or your favorite garden book for appropriate growing conditions and eventual size to see how each plant will fit in your planting site.

Dried Flowers for Everlasting Bouquets

You can turn your summer blooms into everlasting bouquets by planting flowers that are easy to air-dry. These would include bells of Ireland, cockscomb, Edelweiss, globe amaranth, larkspur, scarlet sage and blue sage, sea lavender, statice, strawflower and yellow yarrow.

To get the best dried results, pick flowers that are in prime condition but a little on the immature side. Remove all the foliage from stems. Group the flowers into small bunches and secure with a rubber band. Hang the bunches upside down in a warm, dry, dark area, such as an attic, closet or furnace room. Avoid damp rooms or direct sunlight on the flowers. Good air circulation is very important.

Allow the flowers to dry thoroughly. This normally takes two to three weeks. If stems are weak or become brittle after drying, remove them and attach the flowers to stiff wires before arranging.