Natural pest control methods in your garden are a better option all round than pesticides. Pesticides are bad for the environment, and if you have pets or children you will not want to use dangerous chemicals around them. Pesticides can also kill harmless and helpful creatures. So if you're plagued by pests, try these natural pest control methods …
Ladybugs are one of the natural pest control methods that it will be a pleasure to use. Who doesn't love these bright little bugs? They're useful for getting rid of whiteflies, aphids and mites. You can attract them by planting daisies, or you can even order some ladybugs online.
You probably have baking soda in your kitchen. As well as cooking, it can be used to make natural cleaning products and even for pest control in your garden. If your precious plants are being attacked by fungal diseases, make up a spray of two tablespoons of baking soda in one quart of water. You will probably have to repeat the treatment for a few days.
A cloche is simply a cover for a plant, often made of plastic or net. You can buy or make a large one, or protect individual plants. You can easily make individual cloches by cutting off the end of plastic soda bottles and placing over the plant. Whichever type of cloche you use, you'll need to remove the cloches in order to water the plants. It's not foolproof, but offers a fair amount of protection and is totally natural.
Are slugs destroying your beautiful flowers? Next time you crack open a can of beer, save some to make a beer trap. Bury a shallow container until the top is level with the soil, then fill it with beer. The slugs are drawn by the fermented yeast, fall in, and die happy.
If you live in a rural area, you may have deer and other wildlife visiting your garden. This is nice to watch, but not so good for your garden. So if your garden pests are a little larger than slugs (imagine giant slugs! Ugh!), consider upgrading your fencing. Chicken wire will work for smaller animals like rabbits, but a high wooden fence is needed to stop deer from chomping on your garden.
This strange-sounding substance is actually the fossilised remains of a type of plankton. If you're plagued by horrid pests like earwigs and slugs, try sprinkling your plants with diatomaceous earth. It can also kill anything else with an exoskeleton, like fleas. Make sure you get a food grade product that has not been mixed with any other product, or you may not be buying a natural product.
This isn't as disgusting as it sounds! Mulch is an organic substance placed on the soil that keeps in moisture and stops weeds from growing. It also helps stop pests like fungi and molds from flourishing. A variety of substances can be used, such as straw, newspaper, cardboard or grass clippings.
Using natural methods of pest control is essential if you want to create an organic garden. There's no need to harm the environment by using poisonous chemicals. People managed perfectly well for thousands of years using safe natural methods. Have you any effective tips for natural pest control?