Bug Off!!

We love our gardens, we hate garden pests. What do we hate more than pests...chemical pesticides. Most wildlife poisonings and surface water contamination comes from chemical pesticides. In North America, approximately 136 million pounds of chemical pesticides are used on lawns, gardens, and in the home. What to do? Never fear, because for almost any pest there is a natural remedy!

Natural Pest Control

Prevention:

The first step in controlling garden pests is to make the environment inhospitable. You can accomplish this by:

• Pulling weak plants-If they are not already infected, they will be. Weak plants are a predator's dream. Pull them carefully, wrap them up in newspaper, and throw them away.

• Build healthy soil-Use natural compost, mulch, and fertilizers to grow healthy, vigorous plants.

• Clean your garden-weeds and debris are insect breeding grounds.

• Keep the foliage dry-Wet leaves encourage molds, fungi, and pests. For watering tips, check out http://midmichiganflowergardening.blogspot.com/2012/04/its-just-water.html 

• Regularly disinfect-Keep your tools clean.

Members of the Umbelliferae family

Using Other Insects

Beneficial insects can be lured into your garden or purchased from catalogues. Beneficial insects prey on harmful insects and their larvae.

• Brachonids, Chalcids, and Ichneumon Wasps-destroy leaf-eating caterpillar. Carrots, celery, parsley, caraway, and Queen Anne's lace will attract them to your garden.

• Ladybugs-prey on aphids, whiteflies, mites, and scale. Plant daisies, tansy, or yarrow to attract ladybugs.

Yarrow

• Lacewings-prey on aphids and their larvae. To attract them, plant yarrow, goldenrod, black-eyed susans, and asters.

• Praying mantis-Love to eat almost all garden pests. You will need to order the eggs online and hatch them in your garden.

• Nematodes-prey on cutworms, beetles, and root-weevil larvae. They are harmless to humans and pets. These will also be ordered online.  http://www.greenhousecatalog.com/product/beneficial-nematodes/pest-control

DIY Products

1 tbs. Canola Oil

3-5 drops Liquid Ivory Soap

1 qt. water

Mix ingredients well and put into a spray bottle. Spray your plants from top to bottom and bottom to top, being sure to get the undersides of foliage. The oil will smother soft-bodied insects, such as mites, aphids, and mealybugs.

Spider Mites

2 tbs. Hot Sauce or cayenne pepper

3-5 drops Liquid Ivory Soap

1 qt. water

Mix well and let stand overnight. Transfer mixture into a spray bottle and use the same method as above to help control mites and other insects. Be sure to shake the bottle several times during application.

Aphid Infestation

2 tbs. baking soda

1 qt. water

Mix well and spray plants displaying fungal disease. You will need to re-spray every couple days until signs of disease are gone.

Fungal Disease

**Note**Sprays that kill harmful insects will also kill beneficial insects. Spray only infected plants. It is best to spray early in the morning. Re-apply after rain.

Other Pests

While they may not be what we typically think of when we think of garden pests, deer will eat up to 5 pounds of greenery per day. They are creatures of habit and once they find a great place to feed, the will keep coming back for more. Fortunately, deer can also be deterred using natural remedies. 

1 c. Milk

2 Tbs. Cooking Oil

2 Tbs. Liquid Detergent

2 Eggs

2 Gallons water

Feel free to add a few drops of hot sauce, mix well, and spray area. Continue spraying the area until the deer give up find a new food source.

Enjoy!