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Natural Alternatives To Weed Killers And Pesticides

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Weeds and bugs can destroy your yard, and if you worked hard on your landscaping—or if you simply can’t stand weeds and bugs—you’ll want to find ways to keep them away from your yard. Most people turn to pesticides and weed killers, but if you have pets or small children, or if you worry about the environment, most weed killers and pesticides are not a great option. Instead of buying and using products that are filled with harmful chemicals, you can always opt for one of the following natural remedies instead.

WEED KILLER

Hot Water

One of the easiest and safest remedies to killing weeds in your yard is to use hot water. Boil some water so that it’s as hot as possible and then pour it carefully onto the weeds. The hot water will instantly kill the weed and won’t harm you or the environment.

Vinegar

Another safe remedy to kill weeds in your yard is to simply spray them with vinegar. Place vinegar in a spray bottle and spray down the weeds that you don’t want in your yard. The vinegar will eventually kill the weeds. Note that you may need to buy a higher concentrated vinegar, so if the vinegar you purchase at the grocery store doesn’t work, ask your lawn care supply store if they have anything stronger. (Note: pickling vinegar has a higher amount of acid, so if it’s available at your grocery store, choose that one over regular vinegar.)

Newspaper

Newspaper is a great way to naturally kill and keep weeds at bay. If you have weeds already, smother them with newspaper and they will eventually die. If you’re about to plant a flower bed or garden, don’t spend money on the expensive weed screen and instead throw down a few layers of newspaper, as it will keep the weeds from growing in the first place.

PESTICIDE

Syrup

Put a small amount of syrup (or even honey) in a container and place it far away from your garden or flower bed. The sweetness of the honey will attract flies, bees and other insects and keep them away from your garden or flower bed. Plus, since the syrup is extremely sticky, most bugs will get stuck and eventually die.

Diatomaceous Earth

Diatomaceous Earth is a natural pesticide that can be found at most home and garden stores. It’s a chalky substance that you place around your garden or flower bed, and the chalky substance works as an abrasive to smaller insects, killing them by tearing open their stomach or dehydrating them from the inside out.

Soapy Water

Add a few drops of dish soap to some warm water and place it around your flower bed or garden. Although this mixture will not kill the insects that come near your flowers, it irritates them enough to keep them away.

Cayenne Pepper

If you have bugs that are eating your flowers or vegetables, you may want to invest in some cayenne pepper (or red pepper flakes) and sprinkle it on your plants. The spiciness of the cayenne pepper will not kill the insects, but it will make it uncomfortable enough for them to keep them away from your garden or flowers. Using spices has also been known to keep away small animals such as rabbits and squirrels too.

Jessica Crouch is a landscape expert and avid gardener who loves writing about common plants and ways to deal with herbal pests.






Homemade Pest Barriers for Your Vegetable Garden

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One of the most satisfying and relaxing hobbies is gardening. Growing your own vegetables offers a lot of benefits. For one, you’re almost always assured of healthy food. This is especially true if you’re using organic methods in caring for your crops. Two, owning your own vegetable garden also allows you to save money. After all, you won’t have to purchase vegetables from your local grocery store, since you can simply pick them from your own garden. Three, gardening is a great way to boost your mood. The repetitive task can help reduce your stress, and when you see your vegetable garden flourishing, it can easily bring a smile to your face.

However, tending to your vegetable garden can also be a bit stressful. You have to protect it against the different weather conditions, and most importantly, you have to protect it against pests. If you don’t want to use pesticides, then here are some homemade pest barriers that you can do for your vegetable garden.

Homemade Plant Cover

Plant covers not only help retain the soil’s heat, but it can also help you a lot if you want to plant early. In addition to these, plant covers can also protect your plants from pestiferous insects as well as rodents.

In creating your own plant cover, all you will need are woven plastic and wooden frame. You can also make use of wire frame as well as muslin. Setting this up is easy if you have basic carpentry skills. You only have to build the frame and cover it with the muslin or the woven plastic. Once done, simply cover the plants you want protected and secure the entry points by placing weights over them. This can keep pestiferous pests and small rodents from damaging the plants.

Homemade Screen Cones

Cabbage is susceptible to maggots and other insect pests. If you want to protect the young plants from these pests, what you can do is to make homemade screen cones. These pest barriers work similarly to plant covers in such a way that you place the cone over the young plant, preventing pests from damaging the cabbage.

What you need are the same materials – a strip of wood and a woven plastic. Shape the woven plastic into a cone. See to it that it’s big enough to cover the plant without crowding it. Once done, secure the edges on the wood. You can simply pin the edges of the screen on the wood and secure it with small nails or staple it shut.

Screen cones can not only prevent maggots from chewing through the roots, but it can also prevent flies from laying their eggs on the plant. These eggs, when they hatch, become the maggots that attack the roots.

When to Call a Pest Control Company

These pest barrier methods are very effective in controlling the pest population in your vegetable garden. However, if these methods don’t work and your plants are unhealthy and/or dying, then maybe it’s time to call your local pest control company. Just see to it though that the company offers green services to get rid of insect pests, particularly since you don’t want toxic chemicals to contaminate your garden’s soil and plants.

Attached Images:
  •  License: Creative Commons image source

Jennifer Dallman contributes articles to a number of pest control blogs, including http://www.preventivepestcontrol.com/ Owning a vegetable garden is very rewarding, but if your garden is infested with pestiferous insects, then be sure to get rid of them the organic and safe way.

 

Symbiotic relationship

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Wordless Wednesday

Symbiotic relationship

Birds can be pests at times, but as you can see from the above photo they can also be quite helpful.

I know that when I’m outdoors at dusk or walking in a forest during the summer I tend to get swarmed with bugs (usually mosquitoes). It might actually be nice to have a few birds around to pick them off me like they are doing to the gazelle? in the picture.

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