Ways to Get Rid of Common Garden Pests
Is your garden pest-infested? There is always a solution, so don’t beat yourself over not being able to keep the pests at bay in the first place. It is possible to get rid of pests in two broad ways; naturally and with chemicals (pesticides). In this bit, we will delve into the natural ways to get rid of garden pests.
1. Ants and Bugs
Garlic has a strong smell that could get rid of virtually anything, and pests don’t like that smell either. To use garlic to detract bugs, you want to stick some of it into the soil around the plants that have been affected by pests. After a few hours, you will notice that all pests have escaped because that smell disturbs their peace, and so, they can’t stand it.
2. Caterpillars
Caterpillars are highly destructive. They feed on the vegetative parts of your crops, thereby killing them. They can also be found on an array of fruits and shade trees. If you see that the leaves along the margins have been eaten, it means there are caterpillars in your garden.
To control caterpillars, you might want to encourage local parasites and predators. Also, it is okay to hand-pick your harvest and leaving nothing for the pests to feed on. Some people also control caterpillars by applying floating row covers.
3. Hornworms
These are garden worms that are green and large in size. They really know how to hide, which is why they can thrive in your garden without your knowledge. Many people will always notice their droppings before spotting any of them.
While it is possible to use biological control like Bacillus thuringiensis, one of the best solutions is hand-picking, improved soil preparation, and encouraging beneficial insects to feed on them. For instance, you can bring in the Braconid wasp to help with the menace.
4. Snails
Snails are an eye-soar, and seeing them in your garden might make you hate going there ever again. Thankfully, there are better ways to make the snails leave your garden and look for another place to live.
One of the best solutions is to avoid putting too much soil around the plants. To confuse them, you can put a wooden board or two somewhere on the garden soil, but far from the crops. The snails will take shelter beneath them, making it easier to collect and throw them into the trash.
5. Aphids
Aphids are, most of the time, the luckiest pests because, due to their size, they are hard to see. It is almost impossible to kill or get rid of something that you haven’t seen. To know whether aphids are in your garden, you want to look for their damages, such as yellow leaves or if the leaves are a little sticky.
To get rid of the pests, create a citrus-rind spray and use it to make them go away. This solution can be made by grating orange or lemon and then combining it with some water. Let it stay overnight and use it the following day to control the pests.
6. Potato Beetle
Adult beetles are yellow-orange in color and are rather easy to spot. They are not good at hiding but might cause a lot of damage to your crops. Most of these pests are found on tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, and cherry.
Potato beetle is quite common in North America and Europe. They defoliate crops and reduce the yields. Thus, the sooner you get rid of them, the better. To control potato beetle, you can apply floating row covers, and-pick, attract parasites, or spray them with oil.
7. Cabbage Worms
Cabbage worms are annoying, and before you even notice they are there, your plants shall have suffered greatly. What gets to many people is the fact that they might warm their broccoli and find some dead cabbage warms in it. Disgusting, right?
The only best way to control these pests is by planting as early as you can. That way, before most of the pests start attacking the crops, you shall have already harvested. Other methods include planting herbs such as oregano, tansy since they will only attract beneficial insects, thereby keeping your crops safe from cabbage worms.
Final Thoughts
There are many types of pests that might attack your garden and reduce the produce. If you plant crops and don’t get enough yields from them, it means you have lost money wasted time. Thus, it is only important to get rid of the pests before they destroy most of the crops.
If the pests are visible enough, put on hand gloves and pick them one by one. The problem with hand-picking is that you might not find all the pests. It is better to introduce good insects and use naturally made sprays to kill and make the pests leave your garden. Keep searching the internet for additional free pest guides.
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