Summer Prep Tips

It’s May, summer is right around the corner. Are you ready? Summer is the season when you can really take advantage of time outside. Whether you are hiking a trail, walking on the beach or simply hanging out in your yard, this is the time of year when you know you can leave your coats and gloves behind and enjoy the fresh air. Whether you plan to spend your time exploring neighborhoods near and far from your house, or you don’t plan to step foot outside your own gate, there are a few summer prepping tips that are sure to help you have an amazing time.

First, create an “on the go” bag. Make sure it has all the essentials for having fun outside. Although you can cater this bag specifically to you and your family, there are some things that are great for everyone. First, don’t forget the sunscreen. Nothing can destroy the memory of a nice summer outing like a painful sunburn the next day. Bug repellent is important! Keeping the bugs away makes your time outside more enjoyable and safer. There are a wide variety of repellents on the market that come in spray, lotion, and even stick form, so choose the one that works best for your lifestyle. It’s not a bad idea to have a few snacks packed away in the bag. After running around in the park for a while, kids can get cranky (and grown-ups can too). A small first aid kit that includes an anti-histamine in case of stings is a good idea. A credit card is good in case you need to buy something you forgot, but it is also good for scraping stingers out from bee stings. Lastly, even if there is no baby in your family, baby wipes are the Swiss Army knife of the clean-up world. Having a small pack in your bag will no doubt come in handy.

What happens if you don’t want to go grab a bag and go somewhere, you just want to hang out in your yard? First, make sure your furniture and play structures are cleaned. When you do this check to make sure wasps and other unwanted pests have not started to make nests in or under them. Next, make sure that long grass stays at the perimeter of your property and not where you or your pets spend time. High grass is a haven for ticks. Because ticks are not just a nuisance, but also can carry disease, it is a great idea to have your yard treated for ticks. The longer a tick remains attached, the greater the likelihood of disease transmission.

Although it would be great if we could carefully check our pets, our kids, and ourselves every time we come in from the yard, with our busy lives that is often not possible. Therefore, taking proactive measures to prevent tick bites is crucial in can helping mitigate the risks associated with ticks. When done correctly, treating your yard for ticks is extremely safe for both pets and two legged family members, but in almost all cases, in order to keep it safe it is best to leave that job to Cowleys!

Summer will be here before you know it so take advantage of this time of year to get ready. Get your “on the go” bag packed, and call Cowleys to get your yard in order!