Hi there! I live in IL and my home is cedar sided. We are having a problem with box elders and earwigs, also some ants. I am pretty sure that the mulched evergreens in front of my house is a nesting ground for the earwigs which then make their way into the home between some of the boards of the home, so I am planning to remove this landscaping. My question is, would it be ok to create a one-foot wide path of pea gravel or lava rock around the home to aid in deterring these insects? Or will that affect drainage or create foundation problems? Thanks in advance for your help! I haven't been able to find an answer to this anywhere! :-)
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- Placing a barrier around perimeter of home to deter insects
i cant see how a gravel barrier will help with insects much, especially ants. the ants are coming in for food and water most likely. why not just hire an exterminator, or treat the landscape bed yourself with insecticde, and save your landscaping? if you use a liquid insecticide, spray upo the exterior walls about 24 inches to keep the bugs out. when treating the bed, be sure to water the product in to contact the insects themselves.
Thanks for your quick response k smith. I have tried to douse the mulch and exterior of the home with spray, but without much long term success. I am also hesitant to over-do the chemical sprays as we have animals and many wild animals on our property. The mulch and evergreens themselves are natural nesting beds for the earwigs and beetles, as they are dark and damp. Placing gravel should help that as it's not prone to the dampness the mulch provides. The ants aren't a big deal, I've used ant bait for them and cleared that up. I'm mostly concerned with wether or not I will create a drainage problem by placing the gravel there? Any ideas?
