Being a good neighbor is more than just loaning someone a tool or a cup of sugar. The cleanliness and tidiness of your outdoor spaces can affect your neighbors.
Aside from attracting and harboring pests, an unkempt yard is unappealing. The accumulation of trash and clutter can attract animals, create public health and hygiene violations, and cause fire hazards.
Even if you don’t live in a community that enforces rules, it’s important to keep your front and back yard clean and tidy. If you don’t, you may find yourself unpopular with your neighbors. Instead, earn some popularity points with these tips.
Shoo, shoo, Sissoo
The Dalbergia sissoo, commonly known as Sissoo or Indian Rosewood, is a tree many homeowners plant because it’s lush and fast-growing. Sissoos grow to a moderate height of 35 to 40 feet. Their invasive roots can extend out from the tree 100 feet or more in search of water.
Able to crack sidewalks, foundations, walls, cool decking, damage pool pumps and filters, among other misdeeds, the sissoo’s roots can be a nightmare to contain and cause costly repairs. Trees, especially the sissoo, have no concept of property lines. Their roots can invade your neighbor’s yard and cause them a headache.
Don’t think you can just chop down the sissoo and that’s the end of it. Once the tree is damaged, the roots will sprout many shoots.
Do yourself and your neighbor a favor: Hire a professional who will safely cut down the tree and immediately apply a systemic herbicide into holes drilled into the outer sapwood ring on top of the stump. This will kill the stump and the roots several feet from the tree.
Note: The chemicals needed for the stump, root and sprout treatments are not available over the counter and need to be applied by a licensed applicator with the Arizona Office of Pest Management, such as Scottsdale Weed Control & Fertilization.
Don’t be a pest
“Debris in the yard is a major condition for pest issues. Wood, unused tile, tires, toys — all of these things create great places for pests,” says Nathan Woolf, general manager of Blue Sky Pest Control, a Rosie-Certified Partner. “Also, not keeping the yard taken care of leads to pest issues. Overgrown grass, leaf litter under bushes, and overwatering all lead to pest activity.”
Pick the fruit off trees promptly. Woolf cautions that leaving fruit on the ground can lead to roof rat infestations.
Unless you want your neighbor to “rat” you out to the city, Woolf also suggests eliminating food sources and nesting areas. Keep your landscape properly maintained. Trimming trees so they don’t touch or hang over the house or other structures, repairing trash and dumpster bin lids, keeping bins closed, picking and picking up fallen fruit, and keeping pet food inside when it is not feeding time can prevent roof rats.
Standing stale water is the perfect environment for mosquitoes. Dump standing water. Keep the water in your fountains and pool fresh.
“Just keeping the yard clean and well-kept makes you a nice neighbor by helping to reduce pest activity in and around your home and the neighborhood,” says Woolf.
A sight for eyesore eyes
Don’t overdo it with the yard art and statues. Keep the pink flamingos, trolls and other yard knickknacks to a minimum.
Keep outdoor furniture clean and in good condition, especially metal furniture that can rust and look unsightly.
Haul it away
When doing a large DIY project, don’t dump the old cabinets, furniture and kitchen and bathroom fixtures on the front lawn until bulk trash day arrives. Rent a dumpster and toss everything in there. When the project is complete, the bin and its contents will be hauled away.
Rent a dumpster that can easily fit in your driveways or parking spots. Fifteen-yard containers can be put into garages for easy out-of-site loading.
Your neighbors would rather look at a bin instead of a heaping pile of remodeling trash. Plus, that pile is a safety hazard. A pile of trash is an opportunity waiting to happen for an arsonist. A fire from junk and trash in your front yard (and even the back) can quickly spread to neighboring properties.
Piles of materials removed from the house during a remodeling project can also attract children who see it as a playground. There’s a whole host of injuries just waiting to happen.
Communicate
When planning a remodeling project, having a pool built or remodeled, the roof replaced, or any other project that could affect your surrounding neighbors’ daily living, it is imperative that you let them know. Don’t count on the contractor to notify them, although some do.
Being jolted awake at 5 o’clock in the morning by a jackhammer will not win you any popularity points with your neighbors. Let them know what will happen, when, and how long it will take. Earn more points and invite them to enjoy the new pool or see the remodel.
It’s not me, it’s you
Say it’s your neighbor who has a carport or yard (back or front) full of boxes, trash, broken-down cars, and other “junk,” or a yard of overgrown weeds and shrubs. Do the neighborly thing and ask if they would like help cleaning up.
Sometimes an extra hand sorting, donating, tossing and organizing the area is all it takes for someone who is too overwhelmed or physically not able to do it by themselves.
Popularity points aside, be the best neighbor you can be and set an example in your neighborhood.
