Outdoor Living

Outdoor Living Basics

Today, many individuals are taking their home decor and living spaces outside. Outdoor living can consist of designing and creating unique outdoor spaces through construction or landscaping projects—from staining decks to building a koi pond with a cascading waterfall. We've got you covered. Homeowners are building outdoor kitchens and fireplaces for entertaining purposes, while others are installing unique lighting concepts to reveal the beauty of their yard at night. Whichever project you decide to tackle, Angi is here to help you figure out the best way to begin transforming your outdoor living space. 

Green and humane extermination

Like many homeowners, you may prefer to hire an exterminator who is willing to use eco-friendly or cruelty-free eradication methods. Many professional exterminators will be happy to offer these options upon request.

A few of the most common and popular elimination methods include:

No-kill traps - These types of traps confine pests to small areas and allow them to be released back into the wild at a later time.

Diatomaceous earth - Otherwise known as DE, this is a compound that is made up of algae skeletons. It kills insects by breaking down their waxy outermost layers.

Biological control agents - In some cases, predatory or parasitic insects like nematodes and mites can be used to eliminate pests.

Additional methods - Sometimes, very simple measures will help get pest infestations under control. Exclusion methods like window screens and weatherstrips often work well to plug gaps where pests enter the home. Regular cleaning will help to remove the food source that most pests seek. Habitat modification, which often involves the removal of weeds and plants from around the periphery of a home, will also limit pests.