best way to keep bugs out of garden

The Best Way to Keep Bugs Out of Your Garden

Having a beautiful, bountiful garden is a dream for many homeowners. However, that dream can quickly turn into a nightmare when bugs invade and begin destroying your hard work. Japanese beetles munching on your roses, caterpillars eating your cabbage, aphids sucking the life out of your peppers – garden pests can be frustratingly difficult to control. Before you douse your yard in harsh pesticides, hold on! There are many safe, natural ways to keep pests under control and protect your plants. With a little knowledge and effort, you can have a gorgeous garden that keeps bugs at bay.

Start with PreventionAn ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure when it comes to managing garden pests, Here are some tips to prevent bugs from ever gaining a foothold in your yard

• Practice crop rotation – Don’t plant the same crops in the same spot year after year. Rotating where you grow various plants confuses and disrupts pest cycles.

• Attract beneficial insects – Ladybugs, lacewings, praying mantises and other “good bugs” prey on garden pests. Plant flowers they like such as cosmos, fennel and dill.

• Remove weeds/debris – Weeds and garden debris provide shelter for pests. Keep your beds clean and tidy.

• Use row covers – Floating row covers form a physical barrier to flying insects and prevent them from reaching your plants.

• Check new plants – Inspect any new seedlings or transplants closely for signs of bugs before planting. Don’t introduce pests!

• Maintain soil health – Healthy soil grows healthy plants, which are more resistant to insects Use compost and avoid synthetic fertilizers.

Deter with Physical Barriers
If prevention fails and bugs appear, your first line of defense should be physical barriers and manual removal:

• Use floating row covers over crops like cabbage, kale and broccoli. The fine mesh keeps pests off plants while allowing air and water through.

• Wrap aluminum foil around the base of plants like tomatoes and broccoli to block crawling pests.

• Handpick insects and egg masses off plants and drop them in soapy water. Be thorough – check under leaves too.

• Use tape to remove aphids, spider mites and other small soft pests. Packing tape or sticky lint rollers work great.

• Knock pests off plants with a strong spray of water from the hose. Focus on undersides of leaves.

• Prune out sections of leaves or stems where pests are concentrated. Discard the clippings.

Choose Biological Solutions
When physical control isn’t enough, look to biological solutions before pesticides:

• Release beneficial nematodes that attack soil-dwelling pests like flea beetle larvae.

• Spread milky spore powder on lawns to kill Japanese beetle grubs. The bacteria only infects beetle larvae.

• Spray caterpillars with BT (Bacillus thuringiensis), a natural bacteria that doesn’t harm people or pets.

• Hang pheromone traps in trees to lure pests like codling moths away from your plants.

• Buy ladybugs, praying mantis egg cases or lacewing larvae and release them near infested plants.

• Make traps out of yellow bowls filled with soapy water to catch aphids and other flying insects.

Use Organic Sprays Selectively
As a last resort, use the least-toxic pesticide sprays sparingly:

• Insecticidal soap kills soft-bodied insects like aphids, mealybugs and mites through contact. Spray plants thoroughly, especially the undersides of leaves.

• Neem oil disrupts the growth and reproduction cycle of many pests. It coats leaves in a nearly invisible barrier. Reapply after rain.

• Garlic oil spray repels many insects with its strong odor. It also kills some fungal diseases.

• Hot pepper spray containing capsaicin burns the mouthparts of insects and deters feeding. Avoid spraying flowers.

• Horticultural oil smothers eggs and soft-bodied insects. Don’t use when temps exceed 90°F.

• Pyrethrin insecticide comes from chrysanthemum flowers. It breaks down quickly in sun and air so residue won’t linger.

A Multi-Pronged Approach
Rather than relying on just one of these strategies, use a combination to tackle garden pests from all angles. For example, prevent cucumber beetles by rotating crops, handpicking adults, applying kaolin clay powder to deter feeding, and spraying pyrethrin as a last resort if infestation persists. And remember, don’t panic if you find a few bugs in your yard. Learn to tolerate minor cosmetic damage on plants. With diligence and common sense, you can manage pests naturally and grow a thriving, gorgeous garden.