mosquitoes

Homemade Pest Control Solutions for Garden Pests

There are different kinds of insects and bugs that can destroy your precious garden. Some of these insects and bugs can even be hazardous to your family’s health. Whether you find mosquitoes and flies in your backyard, or leaf-eating caterpillar and aphids in your garden, pest infestation is always a nuisance. For this reason, a lot of homeowners are taking into consideration different pest control solutions to address the problem.

If you are bothered and alarmed by the presence of harmful insects and bugs in your home and garden, you probably have considered using chemical pesticides to immediately take care of the problem, but before you apply that chemical bug spray, you must first consider that chemical pesticide toxicity can endanger your and your family’s health. Long-term exposure to the toxicity of such pesticides can increase the risk of developing liver and nerve damage, reproductive disorders, and tumors. Fortunately, there are natural pest control solutions that you can take advantage of. Organic method of eliminating pest is an excellent alternative to poisonous pesticides because natural products are safe to use around people, pets, and plants.

Homemade Concoctions For Pests In The Garden

Natural pest control solutions are very beneficial for many homeowners since it is less expensive as compared to buying and applying chemical pesticides. It is also safer for your garden, family, pets, and the environment. To promote a greener environment at home that is free from harmful insects and bugs, you can consider making some of these homemade concoctions for the following insects:

Soft-bodied Insects: Mites, Aphids, Mealy bugs, and Earwigs

If you have these insects in your garden, you can drive them away by mixing one tablespoon of canola oil and a few drops of ivory soap into a quart of water. Mix them well and pour it into a spray bottle. Use the mixture on plants since the oil will smother the insects. Another natural pest control solution is to sprinkle diatomaceous earth over the plants and around the edges of your garden beds. The diatoms have particles that are very small and sharp, but it is only harmful to soft-bodied insects and small exoskeletons of insects. The insects won’t develop immunity to such natural pest control solution since it is not a chemical pesticide.

Slugs and Deer

To drive slugs and deer out of your garden using natural remedies, you can use coffee grounds. Coffee grounds add nitrogen to the soil; thus, it promotes the acidity for acid loving plants. You can make caffeine spray which consists of different natural herbs including: yarrow, thyme, lavender, tansy, pennyroyal, rue, catnip and Artemisia. Get a cup of the herbal mixture and mix it with two tablespoons of used coffee grounds and two cups of water. Marinate the mixture for at least a day before straining and pouring it into a spray bottle.

Grubs

For this type of insect, you can use the natural pest control known as milky spore. The granules of this pest control are spread on the soil which will then infect the grubs with a disease that will kill them. This natural pest control will only affect grubs; thus, it is safe for beneficial insects and pets.

Leaf-eating caterpillars

This type of insect can eat away your garden’s healthy leaves. You can easily remove caterpillars manually from your garden. You can pluck them straight off the vine and put them in another area of the yard- away from your garden. You can also eliminate them through insecticidal soap or caffeine spray. To make an insecticidal soap, you have to mix one tablespoon of biodegradable, plant-based liquid soap, and a quart of water. Pour the mixture into a spray bottle and spray insects and bugs as needed. The soap can lead to the dehydration and extermination of soft-bodied insects.

Before using any of the solutions, you must be aware that some of the natural pest control solutions mentioned above may also kill beneficial insects. For this reason, you have to use these homemade concoctions selectively, and only spray on infected plants.

Kris Lim is a writer for home and garden websites where she offers tips and advice on how to improve gardens. She also occasionally writesÂ Rove Pest Control reviewsÂ for the professional pest control company.

Symbiotic relationship

by Tricia

Wordless Wednesday

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.

Water gardening tips and ideas

by Tricia

Perhaps you’ve been wanting to do something different with your backyard this year.

Rather than just doing the standard garden, you would like to do something more unique. After giving it some thought, you have decided that water gardening might be a unique concept.

What is Water Gardening Anyway?

You are met with confusion when you tell your family and friends about your plan to attempt water gardening. Your friends and relatives don’t understand that water gardening is using water and plants in such a way as to give a garden-like effect. One of the easiest forms of water gardening is creating a small pond in your backyard and adding plants to it.

The first step in creating a backyard pond is to decide how big a pond you would like to have. To begin with, it is best if you make a pond that is only slightly larger than a moderately-sized birdbath. The size of the pond can always be made larger later.

Once you’ve dug a hole in your backyard or within your garden you will need to find a liner for your pond. Simply filling up the new hole with water won’t work as the water will drain back into the ground. Visit your local garden center to find a liner. For small ponds you’ll probably be looking for a formed hard plastic pool. Purchase it and then take it out to the hole you already dug and make adjustments to the hole so that the liner will fit in snugly.

Once you have the liner ready, make sure that it easily fits into the hole that you have made in your lawn. Place it in the hole, and fill it with water. Your small pond is now ready for water gardening! The next step is adding plants to your new pond, let’s consider using water lilies.

Water lilies are very lovely and make for beautiful water gardening. Perhaps you have seen water lilies on display at your garden center during the summer months. They have a unique root system which supports itself on the surface of the water, and they are available in a variety of different colors. It is, however, important to note that water lilies are delicate and only thrive in warm weather.

Water Lilies are just one example of the type of plants that can be used in a water garden. There are all kinds of water loving plants that would be suitable for a water garden. It just depends upon what type of climate you live in and what type of water you are using.

One other thing that you should keep in mind in regards to water gardening is mosquitoes. Standing water attracts mosquitoes as they usually lay their eggs in still waters. You’ll probably want to look into some ideas for keeping mosquitoes away from your pond. Skimming the water daily to remove larvae could work. Ask at your garden center as I’m sure they’ll have some great ideas for you.