How to keep bugs off outdoor cedar playground?

Cedar can repel bugs

Cedar can repel unwanted bugs by emitting aromatic hydrocarbons (phenols) and acids. It kills mice and other rodents by phenols which can be absorbed through the respiratory tract and thus enter their blood system. And acids that cedar emits are harmful for their lungs and trachea. It also repel bugs like fleas, tricks, bed bugs. They don’t like the strong aromatic smell. And even for spiders which rely on chemosensors to detect chemicals in the air, cedar can still play its role og repelling. Besides, cedar wood oil hinders bugs’ ability to detect pheromones, making bugs fail to breed, find resources, navigate.

What kind of cedar wood should we use in outdoor playground?

We should chose untreated cedar as treated cedar wood are often covered by paint or waterproofing, sealing in the phenols that can repel bugs. Another reason why we should choose untreated cedar wood is that vapors may easily soften wood surface finishes and paints, causing oily and water-based stains.

Cedar wood playground equipment also need to be taken good care of if you want to keep bugs away your playgrounds. Old cedar wood can be eaten by bugs because it doesn’t have sufficient harmful chemicals to repel them.

What about other equipment in one outdoor cedar playground?

Though it’s a cedar wood playground, swing set and slides are often plastic, and not all playground owners use cedar wood chips as the material of mulch.

Swing set

Swing set is the most relaxing place in an outdoor playground. Both adults and children like to sit on the swing leisurely, and sometimes eat snacks. If you eat a particularly sweet food, such as ice cream, and unfortunately smear it on the swing, bugs such as ants and bees will arrive there by following the scent. So how do we keep these bugs away from children?

Bees and wasps

Don’t plant flowers or heavy shrubbery near your playground. As pollinating is an important job for bees, these places are often where they take activities.

Keep the lawn trimmed tight.

If you find an existing bee on your playset, you can use chemical sprays to kill them, or use a mixture of soap, peppermint oil and some other basic spices to repel them. If there are too many bees, you’d better ask for local beekeepers.

Ants

Keep your swing set as clean as possible, and make sure there is no food residue. While outdoor playgrounds are not cleaned as frequently as indoor playground, parents should pay more attention to it.

Don’t spray too much chemical repellent in the area where children play most, you can rely on homemade ant repellents, such as cinnamon (mix with water to create a lethal spray), lemon juice, and vinegar, which are environment-friendly and also not harmful for children’s health.

Spiders

Trim tree branches nearby and remove high pile of leaves or tall weeds.

Keep the area around the area clean.

If the problem is harsh, use chemical sprays.

Mulch

Different mulches attract different mulches. Organic mulches are more popular for bugs because they can provide bugs high humidity and give them protection for living and reproducing. So you want to keep your outdoor playground away from bugs, you should choose the mulch material carefully. And even though, you should learn how to repel bugs from your mulch first.

Cedar mulch

Not only does the aromatic oil released by cedar mulch repel insects, cedar also inhibits weed growth and retains moisture in the soil. And after rain, cedar releases more scent, providing a fresher scent than other mulches.

Other mulches

Ants

Use ants repellent sprays

The most simple method--Use a shovel to place one anthill on top of the other so that the two groups of ants will destroy each other. (Of course, if you only find one ant nest, use insecticide, haha)

Termites

You must learn first that termites’ food source is wood chip.and they can live in the mulch.

The most fundamental way is to replace the wood chip mulch with other mulches.

Roaches&Flies

Cockroaches and flies all like places with food.

Avoid using compost made out of kitchen scraps.

Mosquitoes

Mosquitoes prefer damp and dark places.

Avoid using thick and bad air permeability mulches.

Ticks

Actually, what attracts ticks is not the mulch but the plant that grow in it.

Use a tick repellant or an insecticide specially made for ticks to deal with them.

Plant insect-repellent plants alongside your outdoor playground

The following plants are known to be possess insect-repellent properties:

Marigold has a unique aroma and, like cedar, is a natural insect repellant.

The strong smell of basil can deter mosquitoes and other insects.

Catnip is 10 times more effective at repelling mosquitoes than DEET.

Lavender repels mosquitoes and also attracts pollinating bees. (However, in order not to be stung by bees, it is better not to plant lavender)

The smell of mint helps repel mosquitoes. It can also be used to treat itchy bug bites.

Rosemary is also an effective mosquito repellent, but its spiky texture makes it unsuitable for growing in areas where children often play.

In conclusion

It is impossible to drive away all the bugs in the outdoor playground. What we can do is to keep the playground as clean as possible. On the other hand, it is also a good opportunity for children to learn about various creatures in nature while playing outdoors. Of course, this does not mean that the playground can let the bugs run amok. In that case, there will be no visitors, and the playground will even receive complaints.