GUILFORD COUNTY, N.C. — Tall grass is not only a eye-sore, it can turn into a nuisance for the whole neighborhood.
Frank Fowler, Vice President of McNeely Pest Control, says that tall grass can attract pests, ranging from nasty bugs to rodents.
"If you’ve got a large amount of rodents that can hide in tall grass, you’re going to have snakes come because that’s where the food is," he explains.
Fowler says fleas and ticks can also harbor on grass and be a threat to not just your home, but your pets. He adds that fire ants are also becoming more common in our area. The grass can also mask toys or other items in the yard that can collect water.
"Rain water gets in there and the next thing you know you're breeding mosquitoes in an area and you don't even know that standing water's there."
And know that one unkempt yard can create issues for the whole neighborhood.
"Many, many times critter problems will start in those areas and then go to an area where the homeowner will notice it."
But fortunately, there's an easy way to fix this.
Just cut your grass!
And that goes for your neighbor, too.
Fortunately, there's a fix to all of this. Just cut your grass! And if your neighbor isn't doing their part, many municipalities have ways you can report them.
For example, the City of Greensboro takes complaints by mail, email or phone call. Then, an inspector will check to see if there's a violation, and if he or she finds one, they can issue a notice and the property owner has 10 days to clean it up. If it's not cleaned up, the City might take care of it for them and charge the property owner.
The height limit in Greensboro and High Point is 12 inches, or 1 foot. In Winston-Salem, you could be violating a code if your grass goes above 8 inches.