Archive for Pest Control
Getting Rid of the Pesky Slugs that Terrorize Your Garden Organically, Without Harming Them
Article by J Bassfarm
Have you ever gone out to admire your beautifully growing garden and found yourself horrified by holes covering the green leaves and a silver, tell-tale trail left behind? Of course, the silvery trail lets you know that your garden has been violated by the slimiest, most disgusting, plant-damaging pests around, slugs, and they will undoubtedly return now that they have found your amply set green table of garden foliage goodness to feed their repulsive bellies with. The question is, of course, how do you make sure the next visit is their very last? You are certainly not growing your beautiful garden for their benefit and need to make sure they do not continue wrecking havoc on your lovely green space.
Slugs do their worst at night, because their slimy wet skin is delicate and sunlight can dry them out easily. Because of this, waterings in the late evening, though assuring penetration into your garden by the water, are a “no-no” when it comes to slugs as it only attracts them more. Also, it is better that you attach a “soaker” hose nozzle to your hose reel as it allows you to have better control of exactly where your water goes. In this manner, you can be sure not to leave little puddles of water in unnoticed places where slugs tend to congregate.
While you could choose from quite a few chemical solutions available on the market, it is more environmentally conscious to try the organic routes initially. It is good to remember the natural predators of slugs, for they are many. Birds, salamanders, and frogs love to have their fill of slugs for dinner. Birds are easily attracted to your garden; spread some nice birdseed to attract the local starling population. They will be more than happy to pick off those pesky fellers, one by one. If the birdies don’t do the trick, keep in mind just how delicate those slimy suckers’ bellies are. Slugs try and protect their vulnerable undersides out of necessity. Try littering the area surrounding your flowerbeds and gardens with gritty substances like sand or eggshells. Slugs will turn the other way rather than cross a line that could puncture their fragile epidermis. This will deter them, forcing them to head to the neighbors’ yards in search of sustenance.
By following these few suggestions, it will be possible to protect your garden, organically, from the belly-bound predators, allowing your flowers and plants to prosper, beautifying your home and yard all season long.
About the Author
About the author: Jon Bassfarm is an Internet content writer who enjoys researching and writing about many subjects including hose reel and landscaping.
Organic Pest Control Tips
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Just the other day, on our way back from the local farmer’s market, my daughter said she was “displeased” with me for purchasing “regular” oranges. (They weren’t organic.) After pleading my case, which centered around the idea that the value of organic food is still theoretical, she countered with a zinger. I’d recently become fascinated with the world of organic pest control, specifically in my garden. I’d been spouting the benefits of safe pesticides and natural bug extermination for weeks, so she sort of had me on a technicality. I couldn’t sing the praises of organic bug extermination and discount the healthful benefits of organic oranges. We turned around and returned the oranges. My daughter was happy.
Now back to the organic pest control business. In the past, I relied on conventional store-bought insect killers and deterrents, which got the job done and then some, but the idea that I could get rid of bugs without using chemicals that may or may not be harmful intrigued me. Here are some of the techniques I used that really seemed to work, and they were easy too.
- Japanese Beetles
Japanese beetles can destroy a garden. And these little beasts have no natural enemies, so they have the run of any green space they descend upon. My secret weapon – geraniums. The geranium is basically a narcotic to Japanese beetles. They fall into a drunken state after ingesting it.
The quickly become addicted and have little time for anything other than binging and the subsequent napping that occurs. They lose the motivation to reproduce, and leave themselves vulnerable to hungry mammals like my dog, Dave.
- Mosquitoes
The mosquitoes down here (the Southeast) can make gardening incredibly unpleasant. These little parasites breed in standing water, so it behooves any gardener to give the yard a once over every week – flowerpots and planters are notorious hotspots.
Garlic is the ultimate natural insect repellent, and it really works on mosquitoes. Those little vampires run from the stuff like, well, vampires from garlic. I used a solution consisting of four parts water and one part garlic juice. I dipped old rags in the stuff and put them around my backyard. You can also plant garlic, but I’ve had more success with the concentrated stuff.
- Ants
These guys aren’t as much a problem in my garden as they are in my kitchen. Every morning in the summer I’d have to break up a single-file line of ants running from my patio doors to the sink. Then, I discovered this trick. I plugged in a nightlight in the outlet by the doors, and viola, luminary pest control. The little light broke up their foraging path.
Try these technique if you’re stressed about any of the pests I talked about, and you want to get rid of them the natural way. If your success is limited, there’s no harm in calling a professional exterminator. They have a lot more experience doing this than I do and many companies can provide services just as safe and environmentally responsible as the ones I described, but that’s your call. Good luck!
Organic Garden Maintenance Leafing, Topping and Manual Aphid Control
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John of www.growingyourgreens.com shares with you some common maintenance he does in his organic front yard edible raised bed garden. He shows you how he does leafing, topping and manually controls aphids.
Video Rating: 5 / 5