8 Ways to Control Common Garden Pests

Whether you are a master gardener or lawn care beginner, you are likely to need a little extra help keeping the critters away from your produce. Pelican Pest Control: Latest frequently asked questions provide a wealth of information on how you can keep your garden free from common garden pests like aphids, snails, slugs, tomato worms, and caterpillars. Do not let unwelcome pests get in the ways of your fruits, flowers, and vegetables. Read on to learn more recommendations, tips, and problem-solving tools that will assist you in keeping pests at bay. 

Introduce Insects That Prey on Pests

Some insects are suitable for your garden. A great natural way to control pests is by introducing beneficial insects to your garden. Ladybugs, parasitic wasps, ground beetles, spiders, and lacewings are examples of natural predators that target pests like larvae, fruit worms, aphids, snails, slugs, and other harmful pests. Planting nectar and pollen flowers is an excellent way to attract these beneficial insects. Before rushing to use chemical pesticides, try less drastic measures like this form of organic pest control. 

Build Barriers

Prevention is the best form of pest control. When building your garden, you will have to create a physical barrier to keep pests out. There are different kinds of fences you can use to keep pests out. One of the best options is positioning a fine net over and around the plants while still allowing them room to grow. You can also add cardboard collars on the stems of plants and press them into the soil an inch deep to prevent burrowing insects like worms from getting into your plants through the soil. 

Companion Planting

Planting pest-resistant plants around your garden perimeter is another winning preventative measure. You can determine which pest-resistant and repellent plants are native to your region because they will work best in your garden. Garlic helps repel aphids, Japanese beetles, spider mites, and aphids when planted amongst vegetables. You can plant basil amongst tomatoes to deter tomato hornworms. Marigolds are commonly planted among cucumber and squash to repel nematodes and beetles. 

Maintain Healthy Soil

Healthy gardening practices are a sure way to keep pests at bay because it leads to the production of stronger plants with a healthy resistance to damage caused by pests. Test your soil for nutrient deficiencies because weak, sickly plants will most likely succumb to pest invasions. A rule of thumb is to turn the soil over and add organic manure or compost that supplies essential nutrients. When closing your garden for the season, it is advisable to vigorously overturn the soil and destroy any pupae left residing there. Avoid overusing artificial fertilizers because they encourage pests. 

Rotate Your Crops

Crop rotation is a practice that entails planting different plants in the various sections of your garden each season. It helps to reduce pest infestation. Different pests prey on different plants, and crop rotation exposes the pests to attacks from birds and other insects when relocating to the new food source. Planting the same crop in the same area repeatedly makes it very easy for the pests to ravage your produce. 

Pick Out Large Pests by Hand

Most gardeners are shocked to learn that some common pests can be defeated with a simple pinch of the fingers, especially when working with a small garden. If you are the squeamish type, it is advisable to wear a pair of gardening gloves and start inspecting your garden. Bigger pests like snails, slugs, caterpillars, and tomato hornworms can be dunked in soapy water. Aphids can be washed away with a typical garden hose. Picking out pests needs to be done regularly to be effective. 

Try Traps

Traps are an excellent last resort when a gardener has tried most preventive pest control methods suggested above. Most common garden pests can be lured into various kinds of traps. Slugs and snails are often captured using beer traps. To make your traps effective, bait them with fruits, e.g., apples. You can trap and release small pests like rodents as far as possible from your garden you can to prevent them from returning. Flypaper is a very effective way of trapping whiteflies and aphids. 

Use Insecticidal Soaps and Oils

Many insecticidal oils and soaps on the market have helped gardeners get rid of pests like mealybugs, aphids, and spider mites. Usually, you dilute two teaspoons into a pint of water and thoroughly coat the plants. If you are spraying oil, ensure that you water the plants for maximum effectiveness. You can also use organic pesticides with no harmful chemicals but can still keep away pests. 

If you’d like more information about Garden supplies be sure to visit All Green Nursery.

---