Insect Pest Control
The Do's and Don'ts of Insect Pest Control for Your Garden
There are many beneficial insects that help your garden flourish. But there are also plenty of critters that work to destroy all of your hard work. Here are a few ways to keep insect damage to a minimum.
Do: - Decide how much insect damage is acceptable. Plant extra vegetables to compensate for expected losses, and keep an eye on plants to catch infestations early.
- Select disease-resistant vegetable varieties. Avoid plants that attract insects or are susceptible to diseases. For instance, beans, beets, chard, spinach and squash are more insect resistant while potatoes, carrots and cauliflower can attract wireworms, maggots and other soil insects.
- Keep plants healthy with regular watering and thin plants to limit competition for moisture.
- Weed regularly so insects have nowhere to hide.
- Plant daisies, cosmos, yarrow and other small-flowered plants that attract beneficial insects such as lady beetles, minute pirate bugs, green lacewings and Western damsel bugs, which feed on pest insects.
- Use row covers and other barriers such as plastic bottles and plant collars to keep insects at bay.
- Rotate crops and avoid large plantings of any crop.
- Kill insects by putting them in soapy water.
Don't:- Use synthetic pesticides if you can help it. There are so many other natural ways to control insect pests to try first.
Regularly check your plants to beat the bad bugs -- and catch early infestations. And before you plant, do your research. Know which fruits and veggies need more watching than others.
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