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Florida Outdoor Living-Bug free


  
Floridians Love their outdoor living spaces. I know I do.. And so do the Florida summertime bugs. The heat and humidity is a breeding haven for most of our unwanted guests. 
What’s the best way to avoid an unwanted guest? Don’t invite them in the first place, right?
 
Today we’re talking about the top 4 things you can do to create your Florida Bug free Outdoor Living oasis. Plus, by doing these simple things, you’ll actually be adding value to your home.. 

Hi, I’m Lisa Kelly Lakeland Homes & Lifestyles with Premier Realty. Living in Florida for over a half century now, I’ve Iearned a thing or two about how to acclimate to our seasons .
 
Floridians love their outdoor living spaces. Afterall, that’s why most people relocate here..To enjoy sunny,warm Florida year round. The ideal outdoor living area can be ideal for entertaining or just chilling out by the pool. Ahh, the perfect Florida life! 
A swarm of annoying insects on your lanai..No so much! 

Here’s how you can keep those pests away from your lanai and from getting inside: 
It’s also an added benefit to have your outdoor space screened in..But for those who do not have a screened in lanai or pool area..no worries.. I’m going to give you some great tips how to keep those flying biters at bay! 

Tip # 1 Install Patio Fans 
Mosquitos may have a itchy bite, but they're total wimps when it comes to standing up to a breeze.  
Patio fans can keep your outdoor entertaining space free from mosquitoes (and other little flyers) with the flip of a switch. And you'll get the benefit of a cool breeze.  
The mistake most people make when purchasing Patio fans is buying the incorrect type. For those of you who recently relocated to Florida as a homeowner and never experienced our climate year round, You may be tempted to put up a standard indoor fan, like ones you may already have inside your home. 
This is whats happens to those type of fans:  
Make sure you install a fan made to withstand the Florida humidity. You can buy a simple outdoor fan for around $120.00 at your local home improvement store.
 
Tip # 2 Mulch  
But not too much or too little.  
Mulching your plant beds  a good thing, especially for curb appeal, but overdoing it can cause problems. 
 As mulch decomposes, it generates heat while providing cover for pests. 
So keep mulch at least 12 inches away from the foundation — or use inorganic mulch, such as rock or gravel. 
And don't go in the opposite direction and forgo mulching altogether, leaving the ground essentially bare.  
Yellow jackets make their nests by tunneling into bare dirt. 

Tip # 3 Get Rid of ANY Standing Water  
You probably know this one already. But did you know your gutters and downspouts may harbor multiple mosquito maternity wards? 
Clean out gutters and downspouts regularly to prevent clogs that can trap water and give those nasty stingers a place to breed.  
You may have a lovely man made water feature on or by your lanai. If you have a water feature or decorative pond, make sure the water is moving to deter skitter breeding.  That goes for the type of bird bath you buy too.  
Also make sure to keep kiddie pools, buckets, and watering cans empty when not in use. 

Here’s my favorite Tip 
Tip # 4 Use Plants Bugs Hate!  

Planting the right plants in or around your outdoor space is the most effective way to deter bugs. PLUS these certain types of plants are very appealing to us humans, are beautiful and most have heavenly scents.. AND bugs HATE them! 
Bugs absolutely hate strong scents of mint or citrus! You won’t see any pesky flying things around plants that emit these scents. Mix plants with those scents into your landscaping, especially near the porch, patio, or deck for added beauty and functionality. 
Here are some of my favorite pest-repelling plants: 
Basil: flies, mosquitoes 
Lavender: moths, fleas, flies, mosquitoes 
Citronella: mosquitoes 
Geranium, lemon scented: mosquitoes 
Lemon thyme: mosquitoes 
Marigold: mosquitoes 
Rosemary: mosquitoes 
So by doing these 4 things you can enjoy your outdoor space without battling our flying Florida summertime pests. 











 
 

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What my clients are saying  

My experience while purchasing my first home was the best experience I've ever experienced. With Lisa's guidance it was a stress free experience. She made sure I was comfortable and understood every step. She gave her opinion from the heart. You can tell she genuinely wanted you to have the home you desired. She is very personable and that's great when you are purchasing a large investment. I am forever grateful of her help. So if you are looking to have a wonderful experience while purchasing or selling any property Lisa Kelly Realtor is the way to go.

 

~ Candace Engram

Candace Engram ????? 18 weeks ago My experience while purchasing my first home was the best experience I've ever experienced. With Lisa's guidance it was a stress free experience. She made sure I was comfortable and understood every step. She gave her opinion from the heart. You can tell she genuinely wanted you to have the home you desired. She is very personable and that's great when you are purchasing a large investment. I am forever grateful of her help. So if you are looking to have a wonderful experience while purchasing or selling any property Lisa Kelly Realtor is the way to go.

 

~ Candace Engram

Greg Raymond ????? 43 weeks ago Finding and buying the right house can be a difficult and daunting process. When my wife and I found our home online, we needed someone local to the property to assist us as we were out of state. Lisa came recommended by a local acquaintance and she was quick to respond to our call. She was collaborative and professional throughout the process, and was attentive to our needs and questions through closing. I would certainly recommend her!

 

~ Greg Raymond

I had such a positive experience working with Lisa. Not only is she a complete professional, but such a compassionate human being. Her knowledge guiding me through the Florida real estate process was so helpful as a first-time Florida homebuyer. She was always prompt and responsive while going above and beyond. She attended all key inspections in person and kept me informed throughout the entire process. If you are looking for a great real estate experience, look no further. Lisa is your gal to get the job done. I will definitely be working with her again in the future.

 

~ DJ Bradley

I had such a positive experience working with Lisa. Not only is she a complete professional, but such a compassionate human being. Her knowledge guiding me through the Florida real estate process was so helpful as a first-time Florida homebuyer. She was always prompt and responsive while going above and beyond. She attended all key inspections in person and kept me informed throughout the entire process. If you are looking for a great real estate experience, look no further. Lisa is your gal to get the job done. I will definitely be working with her again in the future.

 

~ DJ Bradley

We can’t say enough good things about Lisa Kelly! From the moment she stepped through our front door, she demonstrated all the characteristics you want in your realtor: integrity, friendliness, optimism, thorough knowledge of her field, state-of-the-art technical savvy, unflagging energy and sensitivity to all our own needs and feelings. Our house sold in four days and we are certain this success was largely due to Lisa’s skill and hard work. We highly recommend Lisa Kelly to anyone looking for a top notch realtor!

 

~ Tom and Kim Manske

We can’t say enough good things about Lisa Kelly! From the moment she stepped through our front door, she demonstrated all the characteristics you want in your realtor: integrity, friendliness, optimism, thorough knowledge of her field, state-of-the-art technical savvy, unflagging energy and sensitivity to all our own needs and feelings. Our house sold in four days and we are certain this success was largely due to Lisa’s skill and hard work. We highly recommend Lisa Kelly to anyone looking for a top notch realtor!

 

~ Kim Manske

Kim Manske ?????Aug 21, 2020 We can’t say enough good things about Lisa Kelly! From the moment she stepped through our front door, she demonstrated all the characteristics you want in your realtor: integrity, friendliness, optimism, thorough knowledge of her field, state-of-the-art technical savvy, unflagging energy and sensitivity to all our own needs and feelings. Our house sold in four days and we are certain this success was largely due to Lisa’s skill and hard work. We highly recommend Lisa Kelly to anyone looking for a top notch realtor!

 

~ Joanna Grizzard

Sidney Wyland Lisa Kelly was our realtor that helped us with our move from Utah to Lakeland. She is a very good resource for us in Lakeland and helped us buy our new home. We found Lisa on the internet. She has helped us with all the contacts and scheduling to insure all things here went smoothly. The closing on our home was completed on time which was very important as we had are household goods being delivered from two different states. She also continues to be there for us for any referrals or help we may need here locally. I would highly recommend her to anyone buying a home.

 

~ Rick and Sidney Wyland

Just wanted to thank Lisa for a job well done. I worked with Lisa on 2 of our homes this past year. We sold one in June and another late in the year. Everything went smooth and all details were handled in a very professional manor. Thanks again Lisa; nice working with you. Lee Brown

 

~ Lee and Frankie Brown

We had been looking for a new home for about three months. We changed Realtors and began working with Lisa. She showed us a couple of places. We talked about limits on price and location. We looked again on a couple. We did not care for those. She emailed us about a home that was being restored for a flip. We met her at our current home. We liked the location and made an offer which was accepted. She did a great job getting the seller to accept and a wonderful job from there. The closing took about fifteen minutes. We have been very happy from that day on. Patricia and Bill Crabb

 

~ Bill and Patricia Crabb

We had been looking for a new home for about three months. We changed Realtors and began working with Lisa. She showed us a couple of places. We talked about limits on price and location. We looked again on a couple. We did not care for those. She emailed us about a home that was being restored for a flip. We met her at our current home. We liked the location and made an offer which was accepted. She did a great job getting the seller to accept and a wonderful job from there. The closing took about fifteen minutes. We have been very happy from that day on. Patricia and Bill Crabb

 

~ Bill & Patricia Crabb

Just wanted to thank Lisa for a job well done. I worked with Lisa on 2 of our homes this past year. We sold one in June and another late in the year. Everything went smooth and all details were handled in a very professional manor. Thanks again Lisa; nice working with you. Lee Brown

 

~ Lee & Frankie Brown

01/03/2017 - shunter317 Bought a Single Family home in 2016 for approximately $175K in Lakeland, FL. Local knowledge: Process expertise: Responsiveness: Negotiation skills: Lisa is an exceptional agent as she knows real estate law and the local market. She communicates and is extremely responsive to her clients questions and needs. She walked us through a complicated contract. We consider Lisa a new friend.

 

~ What Others Had to say

Highly likely to recommend 08/09/2016 - HappyBuyerNEOH Bought a Single Family home in 2016 for approximately $225K in Lakeland, FL. Local knowledge: Process expertise: Responsiveness: Negotiation skills: I highly recommend Lisa Kelly! She was awesome to work with through the whole process. Her communication and promptness went above and beyond my expectations. Working in the mortgage industry, I see all types of realtors, if you want a genuine, awesome, go getter- she is your girl!

 

~ What Others had to say

Highly likely to recommend 10/27/2014 - jessbparker Bought a Single Family home in 2014 for approximately $75K in Auburndale, FL. Local knowledge: Process expertise: Responsiveness: Negotiation skills: I cannot say enough about Lisa Kelly. She helped my husband and I buy our first home when we had limited funds and difficult circumstances. She is extremely knowledgeable about homes, market, taxes- anything you could want to know. She is also an excellent advocate for her clients during negotiations, which really came in handy when you're a nervous first-time home buyer.Less

 

~ What others had to say

Highly likely to recommend 02/22/2014 - par167 Bought a home in 2014. Local knowledge: Process expertise: Responsiveness: Negotiation skills: Lisa Kelly is the hardest working woman I know! If you are in the market to buy or sell take it from my personal experience she delivers results!In Polk County or anywhere else for that matter you will be hard pressed to ever get better service. Paul Renner.....

 

~ What others had to say

Highly likely to recommend 02/25/2012 - user027478 Bought and sold a Single Family home in 2011 for approximately $275K in Lakeland, FL. Local knowledge: Process expertise: Responsiveness: Negotiation skills: Lisa is the most professional realtor I've ever worked with... she's direct, honest, highly-knowledgable, very responsive and a consummate professional. She played fundamentally important roles in helping us to sell our house in a tough market. She's a hard worker and also gave us great advice and we were able to sell after listing for about 30 days. She then helped us find and close on our dream home. Her persistance and negotiating savvy helped us buy a house that was not a very convential listing. If we'd had an average realtor, we'd have been a lot less successful with both our deals. I'd recommend Lisa to anyone who wants to work with a genuine professional. She could write a book on what it takes to be an outstanding service provider.

 

~ What others had to say

02/09/2012 - Alyson7707 Bought a Single Family home in 2009 for approximately $125K in Bartow, FL. Local knowledge: Process expertise: Responsiveness: Negotiation skills: We absolutely loved our experience with Lisa.. She is incredibly knowledgeable and dedicated to finding the home of your dreams. We couldn't be happier with the home she found us or the time we spent with her--she made the experience exciting and easy. We do not hesitate to recommend her to friends and family and will absolutely work with her in the future. Thanks again Lisa! -Michael & Alyson Elrod

 

~ what others had to say

Highly likely to recommend 02/08/2012 - AimeeWeed Bought a Single Family home in 2010 for approximately $100K in Auburndale, FL. Local knowledge: Process expertise: Responsiveness: Negotiation skills: Lisa was always quick to respond to my questions. I honestly think that my family and I would not be in this wonderful house without her hard work. She is honest, not afraid to give her opinion in a helpful way, and she is very knowledgeable in all aspects of her job.

 

~ what others had to say

Wonderful wonderful experience. Lisa is what I call a dream maker. I had the dream, and she made it a reality.Lisa's hard work, her quick response, her compassion in knowing I was a single mom purchasing my first house, has earned my loyalty in using her as my realtor for life.

 

~ what others had to say

Highly likely to recommend 03/09/2011 - reedswife11 Bought and sold a Single Family home in 2011 for approximately $75K in Lakeland, FL. Local knowledge: Process expertise: Responsiveness: Negotiation skills: This woman is amazing, we have run into every road block imaginable and she has negotiated our problems quickly and effectivly everytime. Always available and Always puts her clients first

 

~ what others had to say

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