While summer may seem long when school ends in June, the arrival of August always makes me feel like the days of summer are so limited. The lazy days of June and July are replaced with wanting to cross everything off of our summer bucket list before the kids go back to school and we succumb to routines and schedules.
The kids and I sat down and took a look at our list and added a few more items because why not shoot for the moon! After all, we know the long days and warm nights that we love will soon disappear as we welcome fall so why not make the most of the season! Here’s a look at we’re hoping to do over the next couple weeks.
- Work on the tree fort
- Sleep under the stars
- Build an outdoor fort
- Have a water balloon fight
- Make more ice cream
- Run through the sprinklers
- Spend more time in the hammock
- Visit the water park
- Find more geocaches
- Spend the weekend at Chincoteague & Assateague
- Pick peaches for fresh peach pie
- Plant veggies for the fall
Notice a theme to our list?
It’s interesting that in today’s digital age, our kids just want to be outside. Maybe that’s because we’ve spent the past couple summers working towards turning our backyard into an outdoor oasis with various areas for play and relaxing and endless opportunities to have fun with Oliver, our Yellow Labrador, and our three backyard chickens. One of the bucket list items for my 9 year old was super cool tree fort high up in our pine trees! With a platform that’s almost 10 feet off the ground and a crows’ nest to be built higher up, it’s going to be an outdoor space that our kids enjoy for years.
Because we love to spend time outside, we hired D.C. Mosquito Squad to come and spray our yard to get rid of mosquitos and ticks for the first time last year. I’ve always been someone who is prone to getting bitten constantly and Mosquito Squad has been a worthwhile investment because it has allowed me to enjoy everything about our shady yard again.
Before hiring Mosquito Squad last year, I tried everything. Citronella plants on our patio combined with citronella candles never worked and always wary of spraying DEET-laden repellents directly on my skin, I found that natural remedies weren’t effective for me.
When ticks and mosquito season starts in May, Mosquito Squad comes to treat our yard every two weeks until fall to ensure that the population of blood-sucking mosquitos, ticks, and nymph ticks are kept to an absolute minimum. Mosquito Squad has two different spray plans to choose from- the regular barrier spray or all-natural option- and we’ve been using the regular treatments now for two years.
Having a Mosquito Squad technician come regularly has greatly reduced the number of mosquitoes on our property. It’s effective for up to 3 weeks and safe for our chickens and dog. We just don’t have our backyard garden treated.
The DIY remedies I tried lost their effectiveness after a short amount of time but Mosquito Squad’s treatment had been a perfect solution that eliminated the need for applying smelly, DEET-containing repellent directly on my skin.
If you’re looking for a solution for a Labor Day get together, Mosquito Squad also offers a special events package. About 24-48 hours prior to guests’ arrival, Mosquito Squad comes to lay down a barrier spray that includes extra protection against biting, stinging insects. This greatly reduces the number of mosquitoes that might otherwise bite guests or hover around food. The spray dries in 30 minutes and leaves no odor or visible residue. Since it’s applied long before your food and dinnerware arrive, there’s no opportunity for contamination. It also provides day and night protection throughout your entire event and beyond.
Even though summer will soon turn to fall, it’s not too late to take back your backyard with treatment from Mosquito Squad to enjoy the great outdoors winter’s chill comes!
For more information visit D.C. Mosquito Squad and connect with them on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest, or Instagram. Their blog is also full of helpful information, regardless of where in the country you live.
You can also read my past posts:
- 4 Ways to Get Rid of Backyard Mosquitos and Ticks
- How to Keep Biting Bugs Away from Special Summer Events
This post was written in partnership with D.C. Mosquito Squad who is providing standard barrier treatment for our yard this summer. We paid for last year’s treatment and will do so again!
