Spring at the lake is magical — the birds are chirping, the trees are blooming, and everything smells like fresh air and boat fuel. But along with all that natural beauty comes a less glamorous reality: the critters are back.
And while we’re all about sharing our little slice of lake life with the occasional turtle or butterfly, we draw the line at ants in the kitchen, spiders on the dock, and deer treating our hostas like a salad bar.
After a few years of trial and error (and plenty of unexpected face-first encounters with spider webs), we’ve dialed in our go-to lineup of products that help us reclaim our space each spring. Here’s what we use — and why we swear by it:
🦌 1. Repels All – Because the Deer Didn’t Get the Memo
We love a good wildlife moment… from a distance. But when the local deer gang starts munching our flower beds like it's a buffet, it's time to bring in the reinforcements.
Repels All is our secret weapon to keep deer, rabbits, and even rodents from turning our landscaping into lunch. A quick spray around the flower beds and hostas keeps things looking lush and untouched — and bonus: it doesn’t smell great, so the critters take the hint and move on.
🐜 2. Terro – Tiny Ants, Big Problem, Easy Fix
If you've ever spent a peaceful morning on the patio only to be ambushed by a line of sugar ants headed for your coffee, you get it. Ants have no chill.
Enter Terro — the tiny bait traps that do big work. We set them near the patio and anywhere we’ve seen ant traffic (kitchen corners, doorways, etc.). The ants show up, take the bait, and suddenly — they’re gone. Like magic. But science.
🕷️ 3. Tempo SC – Bye, Spiders (and Your Nasty Webs, Too)
We’re all for coexisting… but spiders that decide to set up shop exactly where we walk? Yeah, hard pass.
Every spring we treat our dock, patio, porch and lake house with Tempo SC to stop spiders from getting too comfortable. It’s also great for keeping away flying pests and other creepy crawlers that love to show up uninvited. It doesn’t stain, doesn’t smell strong, and most importantly — it saves us from walking through invisible spider booby traps every morning.
🌿 A Little Prep = A Lot More Relaxing
Now listen — we’re not pretending these products are made from organic unicorn tears. They’re legit pest control tools that help us keep the lake vibes chill and the bug drama low. We always apply carefully and according to the directions, and we think of it as a once (or twice)-a-season tune-up that pays off every time we step outside.
So if you’re tired of battling ants, dodging spider webs, or watching your landscaping disappear one deer bite at a time, give these a try. Your hostas (and your face) will thank you.
Now go pour something cold, grab a lake chair, and enjoy the critter-free calm. You’ve earned it. 🌊☀️
