Pest control DIY or have someone?
ralph_zone8_nc
3 years ago
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3 years agoralph_zone8_nc
3 years agoRelated Discussions
flowers in the veggie garden for pest control?
Comments (10)I plant flowers in the vegetable garden mainly to attract pollinators, and as barrier crops for seed saving purposes. I'm with Jean, I have yet to see any conclusive evidence that companion planting repels insect pests. Anecdotal evidence (I used it, and had no .....) means nothing, unless a control (unprotected) planting of the same vegetable, at the same site, had problems. The most common myths seem to be for marigolds & nasturtiums. However, I am not saying that flowers are not useful for pest control. There are several ways they can be helpful. To the extent that companion planting breaks up large mono-cultures, it can be helpful in reducing the spread of insects or diseases. This strategy works best if the adjacent plants are of a different genera, with different insect pests. For example, you would not want tomatoes, eggplant, and potatoes to be adjacent to one another, since they are closely related - as is the flower Nocotiana. Flowers & herbs are seldom in the same genera as cultivated vegetables, so they are generally effective as companions... but with a little planning, the same effect can be achieved with edible plants. Flowers & herbs can be used as trap crops, as can other plants. I have observed some insects that are attracted more to the weeds in my garden, than to the vegetables. Mallows will attract white flies... but since okra is also a mallow, that strategy could potentially backfire. I grew an unusual solanaceae, "Litchi Tomato", which acts as a trap crop for Colorado potato beetle. The problem with using trap crops as a pest control strategy is that you are attracting harmful insects... so if planted as a preventative measure, it could actually make things worse. Trap crops are best used outside the garden, to attract the target insect & kill them. Flowers can also be useful for attracting & holding beneficial insect populations. Cleome, for example, attracts wasps... and as scary as that thought might be, wasps control several garden pests. Other flowers feed the adults of insects that are predatory as larvae, such as Syrphids (hover flies). And while this is not a flower, I'll mention that yardlong beans are attractive as feeding sites for ladybugs... so if you want to keep ladybugs from migrating, you might consider growing them....See MoreNatural pest control ideas
Comments (3)Hi Sandy, I feel your pain, and I also can relate to the BB gun. I won't use anything that isn't organic or can hurt the butterflies/cats. But, I will use a BB gun. The crows would pull up the seedlings in our flower gardens and in our vegetable garden and THEN eat all of the sunflower seeds (that is... what seed the squirrels left) out of the bird feeders not leaving any for my little birds. So, I started using my son's BB gun to get rid of as many squirrels and crows as possible. The squirrels are easy to shoot, but you have to really sneak up on those crows! If you kill a crow, hang it up in the garden and the others won't come back. It will eventually disinegrate, but it really works while the dead one holds up. If you can't bring yourself to use the BB gun, just go shopping for new flowers while your husband does the necessary deed. My biggest problems in my part of Central Va are deer and rabbits. The deer try to eat all of the roses and tomatoes and the rabbits will eat every fresh thing you plant. They think you just added a new item to their 'Bunny Buffet'!! I just found out today that a mother bunny is raising her baby in the thickest planted part of my circle garden in the middle of my driveway. No wonder my newly rooted and planted butterfly bush in the circle garden got chewed off! Oh well.... I don't have the heart to leave a baby motherless or kill a baby. Glad I bought those stakes at Walmart today to put some fencing around my newest butterfly bush cuttings. OK... now that I'm finished fussing, my suggestions are: You could try using some bird netting over your seedlings to keep the birds off and maybe pin down some wire over newly planted areas to keep the squirrels out. Once the plants grow big enough, the squirrels and birds will usually leave them alone and you can stop using the netting and wire. Hope this helps. Good Luck! Betty P.S.- Miss Sherry, I envy your fencing. I dream of fencing!...See MoreGarden Consultant for Pest control organic way
Comments (20)I was going to get around to ants (eventually); but since you ask we can deal with them here and now. To begin with, here is a quote on how to get rid of ants. "Rid your garden of aphids, whiteflies and mealybugs. These sap-feeding insects excrete "honeydew," a sugary favorite of ants.' Elsewhere, a similar site advises to get rid of aphids, "rid your garden of ants!" The connection (almost a symbiosis!) between ants and aphids is quite established. I got rid of aphids on some crepe myrtles by getting rid of the ants and leaving the rest to the lady bugs. Please do not ask what I used. (I wonder what would happen to the aphids population if lady bugs ate up ants.) And now we have to ponder "organic" methods of getting rid of ants. I am in favor of soap and water. Long ago and far away, I read that one should treat a lawn in a similar fashion as one treats her / his hair - cut / mow; comb / rake and shampoo / soap. At that time I was tempted to try anything. (Flower child and all that.) So I used to spray the front yard with a strong soap solution every month. It worked to keep the lawn free of insects. The soap was quite 'hard' - almost caustic. I kept a cake (bar) of it in a jam jar full of water. I would pour off the liquid into a hose end sprayer (modified paint sprayer) and hose down the lawn each month. I regularly use the "soap flush" method to determine insect infestation on lawns. I am quite confident that if the property (walls to fence) were to be sprayed with a solution of lemon flavored dishwashing liquid (one tablespoon per gallon through a Gilmour 00362 hose end sprayer) every 4 weeks, it will keep the landscape free of a build up of harmful insects. Did I forget to note that "mention of any trade name or commercial product does not constitute endorsement or recommendation of this product by me"? All of this has been an attempt to illustrate the use of another tool to "organically" control pests. Manipulation of the environment to reduce infestation or infection. The other tool so far, was Encourage the presence of predators to control a pest Do you wonder why I put quotation marks around words that are rooted in the term "organic"?...See MoreNatural pest control for your garden
Comments (2)The sites suggested are excellent and very helpful. I also have a range of pheromone traps for home garden and commercial orchards for a wide range of pests. The pheromone traps attract the male by emmitting the female scent, so the male comes into the trap and gets caught on a repacable sticky pad on the bottom of the trap. Check me out in the directory section under Desire Pest Control Products I don't have a web page, but very pleased to email information Regards Russell Fox...See Morekrnuttle
3 years agolast modified: 3 years agorhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
3 years agoralph_zone8_nc
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