Control Garden Pests Naturally

photo credit: Cindy Funk

Now that your garden is growing nicely, you are probably noticing that there are some pests about. It can be tempting to go out and buy a pesticide, but you should reconsider. Many pesticides contain man-made chemicals that can be damaging to your health (or your kids’ health). The good news is that nature offers a number of ways to control pests. You can engage in earth-friendly pest control, helping your organic garden grow beautifully.

Good Bugs

There are good bugs and bad bugs when it comes to your garden. Happily, the good bugs eat the bad bugs and largely leave your plants alone. Some insects like bees and monarch butterflies are desirable because they help pollinate your plants, but they don’t do much to keep the pests down. Here are some good bugs that can keep your garden:

• Praying Mantis: This interesting looking insect will eat just about any garden pest — and like it. You can order eggs that hatch and grow quickly to adulthood.
• Ladybugs: Every child recognizes ladybugs. They love those pesky little aphids, and they will also eat whiteflies and mites. You can order ladybugs through catalogs, but you can also attract them to your garden by having members of the daisy family nearby.
• Ichneumon Wasps: These are especially helpful when it comes to getting rid of caterpillars that eat leaves. They are attracted to gardens with carrots, parsley and celery.

If you plan properly, you can set up a small flower garden near your vegetable garden in order to attract the good bugs. This way, you will be more likely to have them close at hand to go “hunting” in your garden.

Natural Pesticides

In addition to using good bugs to control your pest population, you can also make use of pesticides with ingredients found around the house. It is important to note that some of these won’t kill the pests; they will just keep them off your plants. These forms of pest control are best applied either early in the morning, or applied near dark. Remember, too, that these can also affect your good bugs.

• Cayenne pepper and soap: In a quart of water, mix a couple drops of liquid dish soap (bonus points if you use a natural dish soap) with two tablespoons cayenne pepper. Pour into a spray bottle and shake to mix. Spray lightly on the tops and bottoms of the leaves. You can also add garlic to the mixture for extra potency. Contents will settle, so you may need to shake regularly.
• Cooking oil and baking soda: Another spray you can make up contains two tablespoons baking soda, one tablespoon cooking oil, and a couple drops of liquid soap in one quart of water.
• Diatomaceous earth: This contains small, sharp particles. If you sprinkle this around the edges of your garden bed, and even around your plants, the sharp particles will cause problems for grubs, slugs and snails.
• Milky spore: These granules will kill grubs. Supposedly, it can remain effective for years.

As you can see, there is no need to turn to harmful chemicals in order to control the pests in your garden. With a little foresight and preparation, it is possible to create an organic garden that is truly natural and earth friendly.