GardenMaid| Organic Garden Pest Control

Organic Garden Pest Control

Garden pests are not just limited to the insect world. Pest can include birds, squirrels, chipmunks, moles, voles, deer, groundhogs, rabbits, etcetera.. A garden pest is anything that destroys or harms your hard work.

Insects are in my opinion one of the most frustrating of the garden pests. The frustration one feels when you walk out to the garden and find holes in all of your plants that looked fine only a few hours ago. The explanations for many of these plant-destroying holes are garden pests. Some of the main garden insect pests are slugs, worms, caterpillars, and snails. Although you can never wipe out these pests entirely, after all your hard work in the garden you feel like you have to do something.

An organic approach to discouraging these predators is one that uses no chemicals or uses only natural occurring chemical defenses as a last resort.

The first line of defense is to know your enemy. Know your plants and which predators affect them. Choosing a native plant, as in native to the area in which you live, is usually a better choice as they tend to be better protected than non-native plants. Some plants are more resistant to pest damage than a similar plant so buy resistant varieties when possible.

Healthy well cared for plants have a much higher resistance level than sickly plants. Another important step is to clean up the garden in the fall. Move all the dead vegetation to the compost bin. Many insects over-winter in the dead branches and brambles. They won't survive long in the compost pile.

Natural biological pest control is defined as the reduction of pest populations by the pest�s natural enemies. Encourage or introduce a predator for the pest. Conservation of natural existing natural enemies is the first important step in this program. Introduction of pest predators to a new area where they do not currently exist is an advanced form of that and is not something the home gardener should be considering. Augmenting the existing supply of natural predators is a very acceptable thing for the home garner to consider. Provide shelter for the beneficial bugs, don't use chemicals as they kill the good bugs as well as the bad, and bring in reinforcements.

And finally there is the use of natural chemicals such as insecticidal soaps, bacillus thuringiensis, rotenone, and garlic oil spray. Tobacco juice tea has even been used for critter control.

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