Pests can invade, destroy, and annoy both the garden and the gardener. While bugs are an inevitable (yet sometimes rewarding) presence in your garden, you don’t need harmful chemicals to ward off these little visitors. Many tried and true organic solutions can zap away pests without the toxic residues of chemical pesticides, which can leak into the ground and contaminate the groundwater that eventually flows from our taps. Try these organic methods to keep common garden pests out of your garden safely and naturally.
Aphids, also known as plant lice, are so common that almost every plant has one or more species that feed on it. They are small, soft-bodied insects that have needlelike mouths that suck the sap out of plants while simultaneously injecting the plant with their toxic saliva. This results in distortion and discoloration of the leaves and stem of a plant. Aphids can be brown, green, yellow, red, or black, depending on their species, but generally, you can counter all of them with the same methods. Aphids are particularly difficult to battle in that they are actually born pregnant, which means they multiply fast. To combat these critters naturally, first try to grow plants that attract predators of aphids, such as parasitic wasps (sweet alyssum, parsley, buckwheat, hairy vetch, yarrow, sunflowers and cosmos), ladybugs (dill, Queen Anne’s Lace yarrows, golden marguerite and fennel), hoverflies (tagetes), lacewings and praying mantids. Aphids also shy away from certain strongly scented plants, such as chives, basil, catnip, yarrow, and mint.
Slugs and snails are very easy to spot because of the slimy trail they leave behind. You'll usually find them on greens, such as lettuce. They usually come out overnight and hide during the day, when you'll find the evidence of their bite marks on plant leaves. There are many methods to control slugs and snails. They have very soft bellies, so an easy way to control them is to place crushed up eggshells on the ground beneath the plants they like to nibble on; these sharp edges of eggshells are like razor blades and will send them packing without killing them. Another more permanent solution is a beer trap. Place a shallow dish of beer at ground level near the plants being eaten, or create a beer funnel. (Find a 2-liter bottle with the cap. Cut it about 4 inches from the top. Dig a hole large enough for the funnel to fit (cap down) and fill it with beer at ground level.) The slugs cannot resist the beer, which they will crawl into and drown; both the slugs (and your garden) will have a happy ending. Natural enemies to slugs and snails include ground beetles, lizards, toads, and snakes to enlist their help when possible!
Rabbits may be cute, but they are notoriously persistent, sneaky, and very nimble. Just like you, they love the fruits and vegetables growing in your garden! They can burrow up to two feet into the ground to get around a fence. Your best defense against rabbits is to use fencing similar to chicken wire. Dig deep into the ground around your garden beds and place the wire fence underground and above ground. Rabbits also detest the smell of garlic so check out the recipe for the All Purpose Pesticide Spray (below).
Mosquitoes are more annoying and harmful to the gardener than the garden. When you're outside tending your garden, you don't want to get bitten. The most common ingredient in conventional bug sprays is DEET, which has linked with cancer, reproductive and developmental toxicity, rashes, and even seizures in a certain percentage of the population. Repel mosquitoes naturally with a eucalyptus-based repellent that contains the natural oil "eucalyptol." Studies have found these repellents to be highly effective, nontoxic alternatives to DEET. In addition, planting lemongrass can keep mosquitoes at bay.
Caterpillars are insatiable eating machines that can rip through your garden's bounty; but after their metamorphoses into a butterfly or moth, they become an ally, deterring pests and helping your garden. Like snails and slugs, these little critters have soft bellies that will not want to touch eggshells placed around the plant bases. You can easily remove caterpillars manually. Plucking them straight off the vine and move them to another area of the yard (away from your garden) or destroy them using one of the sprays or soaps listed below.
Leafhoppers are hard to spot but the damage they leave behind is unmistakable. They are sap-sucking insects and the plants they attack have foliage that appears crispy and burnt at the ends. To rid your garden of leafhoppers, try to attract parasitic wasps to your garden by growing thyme, sweet alyssum, dill, cilantro, parsley, yarrow, candytuft, verbena, or goldenrod. Leafhoppers also detest geraniums.
Colorado potato beetles are commonly known as potato bugs or pill bugs. Don’t let the potato in its name fool you. While potatoes are their vegetable of choice, all plants are vulnerable to their attacks, including tomatoes, eggplants, peppers and more. Deter potato beetles with strategically placed plants. They hate the scent of yarrow, catnip, and garlic.
All-Natural Recipes for Sprays and Soaps
Sometimes a gardener needs to take it up a notch with pest control, but resist the temptation to buy chemical pesticides from the nursery or home improvement store. Try the following recipes as go-to formulas for knocking out all kinds of unwanted visitors.
One of the best ways to protect your garden from infestation is to grow healthy plants that are free from disease to begin with. Sickly plants make for easy targets, and while healthy plants are not defenseless, damage inflicted on them by pests will be less intrusive. So be diligent about inspecting leaves for discoloration or damage and deal with the problems as soon as possible by deadheading, pinching off, or removing entire plants that become diseased. Water your plants to their liking; protect them from malnutrition by replenishing their nutrients through organic fertilizers and compost. Keep a weed-free environment to reduce the probability of attracting pests to live among the foliage. Encourage pest-consuming predators, such as bees, wasps, lacewings, praying mantids, ladybugs, and spiders to make homes in your garden. Bees in particular are important because they destroy unwanted critters as well as pollinate your garden. Growing pollen-heavy plants will attract them to your plot.
Here is a list of common plants that attract beneficial insects:
Nature has provided many tried and true pest control methods for us. They are all "organic" and do not harm the soil, groundwater, gardener, or the food growing in your garden. Remember to exercise a reasonable amount of tolerance when it comes to pests. Allow some balance to exist between friend and foe in your garden.
Wadudu wanaweza kuvamia, kuharibu, na kukasirisha bustani na mtunza bustani. Ingawa wadudu ni jambo lisiloepukika (lakini nyakati nyingine linafaa) katika bustani yako, huhitaji kemikali zenye kudhuru ili kuwafukuza wageni hao wadogo. "Mafuniko mengi ya kikaboni yalijaribiwa na kweli yanaweza kuondoa wadudu bila mabaki ya sumu ya dawa za kuua wadudu za kemikali, ambazo zinaweza kuvuja ndani ya ardhi na kuchafua maji ya chini ya ardhi ambayo hatimaye hutoka kwenye mabomba yetu. """ Jaribu mbinu hizi za kikaboni ili kuepuka wadudu wa kawaida kutoka kwenye bustani yako kwa usalama na kwa asili. Mimea ya Aphids, ambayo pia huitwa chawa, ni ya kawaida sana hivi kwamba karibu kila mmea una spishi moja au zaidi inayolisha. Ni wadudu wadogo wenye mwili laini ambao wana vinywa vinavyofanana na sindano, na huchota maji ya mimea huku wakirusha chumvi yao yenye sumu ndani yake. Hilo husababisha kuharibika na kubadilika rangi ya majani na shina la mmea. Aphids inaweza kuwa kahawia, kijani, manjano, nyekundu, au nyeusi, kulingana na spishi zao, lakini kwa ujumla, unaweza kupambana nao wote kwa njia sawa. Aphids ni ngumu hasa kupigana katika kwamba wao ni kweli kuzaliwa mimba, ambayo ina maana wao kuzidisha haraka. Ili kupambana na wadudu hawa kwa asili, kwanza jaribu kukuza mimea inayovutia wawindaji wa aphids, kama vile nyigu wa vimelea (sweet alyssum, parsley, buckwheat, hairy vetch, yarrow, sunflowers na cosmos), ladybugs (dill, Queen Anne's lace yarrows, golden marguerite na fennel), hoverflies (tagetes), lacewings na mantids kuomba. Pia, vimelea huepuka mimea fulani yenye harufu nzuri kama vile chives, basil, catnip, yarrow, na mint. Ni rahisi sana kugundua konokono na konokono kwa sababu ya alama zenye umajimaji wanaoziacha. Kwa kawaida utazipata kwenye mboga, kama vile saladi. Kwa kawaida wao hutoka usiku na kujificha wakati wa mchana, wakati utapata ushahidi wa alama zao za kuumwa kwenye majani ya mimea. Kuna njia nyingi za kudhibiti konokono na konokono. Kwa sababu ya tumbo laini, njia rahisi ya kuwalinda ni kuweka makapi ya mayai yaliyopondwa chini ya mimea wanayopenda kula; kingo hizi kali za makapi ya mayai ni kama kisu cha kunyoa na zitawapeleka pakiti bila kuwaua. Suluhisho jingine la kudumu ni mtego wa bia. Weka sahani ya chini ya bia kwenye kiwango cha ardhi karibu na mimea inayokula, au fanya mtungi wa bia. (Kumbuka kuwa chupa ya lita mbili na kifuniko cha maji ni muhimu.) Punguza kwa inchi 4 kutoka juu. Chimba shimo kubwa ya kutosha kwa funnel kufaa (kifuniko chini) na kujaza na bia katika ngazi ya ardhi.) Slugs hawawezi kukabiliana na bia, ambayo wao crawl ndani na kuzama; wote slugs (na bustani yako) itakuwa na mwisho mzuri. Maadui wa asili wa konokono na konokono wanatia ndani mbawakawa wa ardhini, mbawakawa, chura, na nyoka ili uwatumie msaada wao inapowezekana! Huenda sungura wakawa wapendwa, lakini wanajulikana kuwa wenye kudumu, wenye hila, na wepesi sana. Kama wewe, wao hupenda matunda na mboga zinazokua katika bustani yako! Wanaweza kuchimba shimo hadi meta mbili chini ya ardhi ili kuzunguka ua. Ulinzi wako bora dhidi ya sungura ni kutumia uzio unaofanana na waya wa kuku. Chimba ndani ya ardhi karibu na vitanda vya bustani yako na uweke uzio wa waya chini ya ardhi na juu ya ardhi. Kwa sababu ya harufu ya vitunguu, sungura hupenda kutumia dawa ya dawa ya dawa ya dawa ya dawa ya dawa ya dawa ya dawa ya dawa ya dawa ya dawa ya dawa ya dawa ya dawa ya dawa ya dawa ya dawa ya dawa ya dawa ya dawa ya dawa ya dawa ya dawa ya dawa ya dawa ya dawa ya dawa ya dawa ya dawa ya dawa ya dawa ya dawa ya dawa ya dawa ya dawa ya dawa ya dawa. Mbu huudhuru na kuharibu zaidi mtunza bustani kuliko bustani. Unapokuwa nje ukitunza bustani yako, hutaki kuumwa. "Kifaa cha kawaida katika dawa za kawaida za kuua wadudu ni DEET, ambayo imehusishwa na saratani, sumu ya uzazi na maendeleo, kuvuja, na hata mshtuko katika asilimia fulani ya idadi ya watu.""" Kuondoa mbu kwa njia ya asili kwa kutumia dawa ya kuondoa mbu inayotokana na eucalyptus ambayo ina mafuta ya asili "eucalyptol". Utafiti unaonyesha kuwa dawa hizo ni bora zaidi kuliko DEET. Kwa kuongezea, kupanda nyasi ya limao kunaweza kuwazuia mbu wasivamie. Caterpillars ni mashine ya kula isiyo na ukamilifu ambayo inaweza kuharibu bustani yako, lakini baada ya kubadilika kuwa kipepeo au nondo, wanakuwa mshirika, wakizuia wadudu na kusaidia bustani yako. Kama vile konokono na konokono, wanyama hawa wadogo wana tumbo laini ambalo halitaki kugusa magamba ya mayai yaliyowekwa karibu na misingi ya mimea. Unaweza kuondoa kwa urahisi minyoo kwa mkono. Kuondoa mimea hiyo kwenye shamba la mizabibu na kuihamisha kwenye eneo jingine la bustani (kando ya bustani yako) au kuiharibu kwa kutumia mojawapo ya dawa za dawa zilizoorodheshwa hapa chini. Ni vigumu kugundua vipepeo hao lakini uharibifu wanaofanya ni dhahiri. Wao ni wadudu wanaonyonya maji na mimea wanayoishambulia ina majani yanayoonekana kuwa makali na yaliyochomwa kwenye ncha. Ili kuondoa wadudu hao, jaribu kuwavutia kwa kukuza thyme, alyssum, dill, cilantro, parsley, yarrow, candy, verbena, au goldenrod. Vipepeo pia huchukia mimea ya geraniamu. Mdudu anayeitwa Colorado potato beetle kwa kawaida huitwa mdudu anayeitwa potato bug au mdudu anayeitwa pill bug. Usiruhusu jina la viazi likudanganya. Ingawa viazi ni mboga zao za kuchagua, mimea yote ni dhaifu kwa mashambulizi yao, ikiwa ni pamoja na nyanya, eggplant, pilipili na zaidi. Wazuia vipepeo wa viazi kwa kutumia mimea iliyowekwa mahali panapofaa. Wao huchukia harufu ya yarrow, catnip, na vitunguu. Dawa za asili za dawa za kuua wadudu: Wakati mwingine mtunza bustani anahitaji kuchukua hatua ya juu na udhibiti wa wadudu, lakini epuka kishawishi cha kununua dawa za kuua wadudu kutoka kwa duka la watoto au duka la kuboresha nyumba. Jaribu mapishi yafuatayo kama njia za kwenda kwa ajili ya knocking nje aina zote za wageni zisizohitajika. Njia bora ya kuhifadhi bustani yako ni kukuza mimea yenye afya na isiyo na magonjwa. Mimea yenye magonjwa ni rahisi kuishambulia, na ingawa mimea yenye afya haina ulinzi, uharibifu unaosababishwa na wadudu wa hatari hautoathiri sana. Kwa hiyo, chunguza majani kwa uangalifu ili uone kama yamebadilika rangi au kuharibiwa na utatue matatizo hayo haraka iwezekanavyo kwa kuondoa, kukata, au kuondoa mimea yote inayokuwa imeathiriwa. Mazao ya mimea yako kwa kupenda; kuwalinda kutokana na utapiamlo kwa kujaza virutubisho vyao kupitia mbolea za kikaboni na mbolea. Kuhifadhi mazingira ya magugu-free kupunguza uwezekano wa kuvutia wadudu kuishi kati ya majani. Wanyama wanaokula wadudu kama vile nyuki, nyigu, nyigu, nyigu, na buibui, wafanye makao yao katika bustani yako. Nyuki ni muhimu kwa sababu wao kuharibu viumbe zisizohitajika kama vile pollinate bustani yako. Kukuza mimea yenye chavua nyingi kutawavutia kwenye eneo lenu. Hapa kuna orodha ya mimea ya kawaida ambayo huvutia wadudu wenye manufaa: Asili imetupa mbinu nyingi zilizojaribiwa na za kweli za kudhibiti wadudu. "Kila aina ya mimea hiyo ni ya ""kibichi"" na haidhuru udongo, maji ya chini ya ardhi, mtunza bustani, au chakula kinachopandwa katika bustani yako." Kumbuka kuwa na uvumilivu wa kadiri inapohusu wadudu. Acha usawaziko fulani uwepo kati ya rafiki na adui katika bustani yako.