Canyon Lake Animals That Help With Pest Control

There is plenty of wildlife around Canyon Lake, TX and some of them are beneficial and help keep some of your pests away!  I know some of you freak out when you encounter them, but everything in nature has its place and I’m always looking for interesting ways to control pests.  So here are some common animals around Canyon Lake and New Braunfels that will help keep your bugs to a minimum.

• Bats: Bats will eat mosquitoes and moths by the thousands! Bats have been known to eat up to 1,000 insects an hour during peak feeding times.  Adding bat houses to your property will give them a reason to stick around and eat lots of your flying insects.  Bats typically do not interact with humans and will not cause any damage to property.
• Caterpillars:  Caterpillars like the woolly bear will feed on aphids in orchards and other pests while they feed on the foliage.
• Chickens: Chickens hunt and peck and scratch looking for insects to consume.  They will feed on ticks, scorpions, and numerous other bugs they find.  They are probably one of the most effective means of natural pest control around.  Just keep them safe at night!
• Frogs: Frogs and toads will feed on slugs and snails, which destroy crops and garden plants.  They will also help control mosquitoes by eating them.  We have a pond in our back yard we keep full so the frogs will have a place to survive the summer.  It’s relaxing to hear them singing in the summer months too!
• Owls: Owls are excellent at keeping rodent populations in check.  Rats, mice, and voles are some of the rodents they will hunt and eliminate.  Owl boxes can encourage them to stay around the property providing long-term rodent control.
• Hawks:  Hawks are excellent hunters and will hunt smaller mammals like rats, mice, rabbits, and some larger insects.  They have very keen eyesight and it is entertaining to watch them work!
• Ants:  Some species of ants are predators of termites, aphids, and some other garden invaders. Fire ants, known for being aggressive, will help control tick populations.
• Geckos and Lizards: These little guys and girls consume a large variety of insects like mosquitoes, termites, and ants.  They are good to have around the home and gardens, and do not cause any damage to crops or plants.
• Nematodes:  These microscopic worms are used in farming for a natural or biological means of pest control.  They will consume grubs, root-weevils and larva.  They are effective by entering the pest’s bodies and releasing bacteria that kills them.
• Skunks: Skunks are not to be feared!  Skunks will dig through the soil and leaf litter and feed on beetles, crickets, grubs, and even yellow jackets.  One unique characteristic of skunks is they will feed on small mammals like mice, rats, and squirrels when food sources are scarce!  They are also very adept at finding larva and consuming it.  They are beneficial in controlling ticks, mosquitoes and the eggs of ground hornets like yellow jackets.
• Possums:  Possums are really docile and just try to scare you away with their teeth!  They are super clean animals and don’t carry anything except possibly fleas.  They love to eat cockroaches, beetles, ticks, grubs, slugs, snails, and caterpillars.  Like skunks, they will also consume small rodents like mice, rats, and rabbits.  Possums will also feed on dead animals, keeping flea, maggot, and fly populations down.  Possums are non-aggressive and will not damage property, plants, or gardens. They are gentle little workers!

Living in a country environment like we do at Canyon Lake, all these animals are optimal to have around, and help keep the ecosystem balanced and thriving.  I hope this will encourage you to learn more about them and create a habitat where they can thrive and help your landscape and home be better protected against pests!