5 Things No One in Missouri Should Leave in Their Backyard Ever

Considering the fact that I once ran over a garden hose with a lawn mower and ruined both in my Missouri yard, perhaps I'm not a great person to be teaching others what they should or shouldn't leave in a backyard. However, people much smarter than me have shared some pro advice that I'll happily pass along on the do's and don'ts of what stays outside.

I've seen Reader's Digest and other experts drop some helpful tips on what someone in Missouri should or shouldn't leave in their backyard. The first one agrees with the story I just shared from my own life.

The experts don't warn about leaving garden hoses in the backyard because they fear you'll run over it with a lawnmower like I did, but they say hoses can and will crack if left in the backyard in the heat and sun. Good to know.

Even I know it's a bad idea to leave a spare key under a door mat. That's the most expected place for a thief to look for a key.

Do you know how many bicycles are stolen in Missouri? Bicycle Law says around 800,000 are stolen across the US each year so do the math and...a large part of those are in Missouri. Calculator says that's 15,000 for Missouri. Thank goodness for Calculator. Leave your bike in the backyard and you'll likely be a part of that number.

Did you know that anything that can catch water can also attract mosquitos? Do you know how many mosquitos call Missouri home? Answer - a lot. Even Calculator can't help me with this number. That also brings disease possibilities so empty pots in the backyard are a no-no.

Think running over the garden hose with a mower is bad? Running over sharp lawn tools can be deadly. You turn simple clippers into a dangerous projectile.