Just because you don’t want pests in or around your garden doesn’t mean you want to use harsh chemicals that would hurt the environment. There are less harmful ways to make sure these little critters stay out of your home and garden, and further into nature where they should be. Here are a few tips for organic pest control and natural remedies.
Prevention
One of the easiest ways to achieve effective pest control is to prevent them from coming into your home or garden to begin with. If you can prevent these critters from getting close to your home, then you’ll likely have to use fewer products to remove them down the road. Some of the best ways to prevent pests from getting closer to, or in, your home are:
Remove Dead Plants
Plants that have already died or are infected with any disease will attract pests as they continue to decay. Once you notice a plant is dying, it’s crucial to remove the whole plant as soon as you can.
Keep Plants Dry
If you can, water your plants early in the day, so they are dry for the majority of the time. Plants that are damp or wet will encourage fungal growth, and that attracts pests to your garden and home.
Welcome Snakes
Snakes are not a favourite for everyone, or most people, but they do help keep pests away from your home and garden. By nature, snakes help control slug, rodent and bug populations, so they don’t take over. If you can make your backyard a little more welcoming to snakes, you may see a decrease in pest activity.
Seaweed Mulch or Spray
This is a natural product that contains small amounts of iron, zinc, calcium, Sulphur and magnesium. All of these elements are used in promoting healthy growth in plants. Additionally, seaweed mulch or spray will make your plants much stronger so they can withstand any potential disease they might be exposed to. Seaweed is also known to repel slugs, so you’re sure to have a minimal amount of these little guys in your garden if you use this.
Onions and Garlic
Anyone who consumes either of these two foods, even once in a while, knows that they have an overpowering smell so it makes sense that they might repel little critters away, too. Most pests hate the strong flavour of these two things, so by hanging them or placing them around your garden you can keep pests – even rabbits – away.
Mint
Similar to the onions and garlic, pests are known to stay away from the smell of mint. You can either plant mint among your other plants or you can add some mint essential oil to your other natural bug sprays.
Understandably, you want to keep little critters out of the garden you’ve worked so hard on. Naturally, these pests want to feed on the plants and vegetables you’re growing, but you want to protect your plants from diseases and decay caused by infestations. Using chemicals to keep pests away can also hurt the plants and the environment, so by using some natural pest control and prevention you can be sure you’re doing what’s best for the environment, the critters and your garden.
Furthermore, these little critters attract larger pests such as birds, skunks and raccoons. So if your garden is a buffet of bugs, you might find a starling setting up a nest in your kitchen vent exhaust, or a skunk setting up camp underneath your deck.
