10 Destructive Pests—and the Least Destructive Ways to Thwart Them

Getting rid of pests doesn't mean a full-on pesticide war. With the help of Jim Fredericks, director of technical services at the National Pest Management Association (NPMA), we show you the best and least damaging ways to fight back.


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1 1. Termites
Bill Bouton/Flickr
The Destruction: Termites are actually good guys that recycle nutrients, Fredericks says. The bad news is when they start doing it to your house, feasting upon whatever wood they come across.

The Fix: "You can't eliminate termites in your yard," says Fredericks. "But you can eliminate any earth-to-wood contact." Check wood siding that's close to mulch in flower beds, window frames at ground level, wooden garden sheds, and keep firewood stacked 15 to 20 feet away from your house. Termites also need moisture, so fix any leaky hoses and get rid of standing water. Finally, get an annual inspection by a pro.
2 2. Ticks
Lennart Tange/Flickr
The Destruction: Your health. The three most common are deer (or blacklegged), American dog, and lone star ticks. The deer tick gets the most attention because it's the vector of Lyme disease, a health problem particularly on the Eastern Seaboard.

The Fix: If your yard looks like a meadow, you're growing a tick habitat, Fredericks says. Ticks like hanging out in the brushy yard edges and on tall weeds, where they'll climb and wait for their next victim to brush by. Keep weeds trimmed, wear tick repellent, and do tick checks for good measure. Here are a few more anti-tick tips.
3 3. Carpenter Ants
The Destruction: Carpenter ants don't actually eat wood, but they do nest in it. They especially like damaged wood, old live trees, aphid-infested plants, and wood piles. They'll often set up satellite nests in homes, especially anywhere with water damage. "That wood that's been damaged is often a prime spot for carpenter ants to set up shop," Fredericks says.

The Fix: Reduce aphid populations (see next item), reduce moisture, keep wood piles and garden debris piles away from the house, and check any interior area that's been water damaged.
4 4. Aphids
The Destruction: Aphids feed on fluids inside plants. A few aphids aren't a big deal, but a host of them can stunt plant growth, destroy leaves, and the honeydew they produce can turn into a mold fungus. They also transmit viruses to other plants.

The Fix: There are various horticultural oils you can mix with water and spray on plants to kill aphids. The correct oil to use depends on the plant, so do some research. A note of caution: Horticultural oils are nonselective—they'll kill off the good bugs, too, so use sparingly.
5 5. Yellowjackets, Paper Wasps, and Bald-faced Hornets
The Destruction: According to the NPMA, stinging insects cause more than half a million ER visits each year. Ouch.

The Fix: Once you've got an infestation of angry insects, the NPMA doesn't recommend the DIY approach. If you need to remove a nest, call a pro—these bugs can get aggressive.

You can try to stop this problem before it gets serious by regularly checking for nests and catching them while they're small. Keep garbage pails covered—they're a particular attraction for yellowjackets.
6 6. Moles
Kenneth Catania, Vanderbilt University
The Destruction: Moles like to feed on insects, worms, and especially grubs in your lawn. They'll tunnel under the lawn and kill the grass's root systems.

The Fix: Eliminate their food source. Try a fungus called milky spore disease to kill grubs. Be patient—it will take a couple of growing seasons.
7 7. Deer
Noël Zia Lee/Flickr
The Destruction: If you've caught a deer snacking on your backyard ornamentals recently, it probably comes as no surprise to hear that white-tailed deer populations are at pest levels in some areas in the U.S. They can carry deer ticks, those vectors of Lyme disease.

The Fix: As many a homeowner has found, it's tough to keep deer out—you'd need at least a 10-foot fence. Fredericks suggests replanting your garden with plants that deer don't care for, such as American holly, vinca, viburnum, and butterfly bush.
8 8. Mosquitoes
James Jordan/Flickr
The Destruction: Definitely lots of itchy bites. And possibly West Nile virus, dengue, malaria.

The Fix: Mosquitoes need as little as a bottle-cap's worth of water standing for three days before—presto!—more blood suckers are swarming around your head. So get rid of standing water in your yard, including what's in gutters and resting in plant trays and saucers. Change the water in bird baths every couple of days. If you have a pond, it's a good idea to have a fountain to move the water, as well as pond life such as fish and frogs to eat the eggs. See more tips here.
9 9. Slugs
hans s/Flickr
The Destruction: Slugs like to munch on seedlings and plants like hostas, emerging lilies, lettuce, and ripening strawberries. Neither your ornamental or veggie garden is safe.

The Fix: Fredericks suggests this simple trick: Put a saucer upside down in your garden overnight, creating a shelter where the slugs will hide. Flip it over in the morning and kill them (throwing them in a bucket of soapy water will do the trick).
10 10. Grubs and Japanese Beetles
The Destruction: It's a multilayer mess. Adult Japanese beetles will destroy your rose bushes; the grubs (the larvae) will take out your lawn. Adults lay eggs on the surface of the soil, and the larvae then tunnel in and munch on shallow grass roots—you'll see large dead spots on your lawn. Then moles (see No. 5) will tunnel under your lawn to eat the grubs. Grubs are also a favorite meal of skunks and raccoons. Both will dig up your lawn to get at them.

The Fix: Try a bio-controller, like milky spore disease, to get the grubs. You can buy pheromone traps to attract the adults. But be warned, Fredericks says, these can be counter-productive. They might attract all the beetles in your area, which will help out your neighbors' gardens, but not yours. On a more basic level, keep your lawn well irrigated and maintained. A healthy lawn recovers quicker from grub abuse.
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