When you think about dealing with potential pests in your garden you also need to consider your health, the health of your plants and the overall ecosystem that is your garden. I strongly discourage the use of chemical sprays in your garden. They can have a negative effect on your health and the overall well-being of your yard.
Organic pest control is an art unto itself. Pests can be controlled with an artful array of scents, odors, heat, oils, or soaps. We’re talking garlic, salt, cayenne pepper powder, mineral or vegetable oils, and soaps. We’re talking birds, beneficial insects, and complimentary plantings.
A little creativity helps! Where I live, we have a significant problem with grasshoppers. They LOVE the spinach, the chard…
Our neighbor, a much more established gardener, has a chicken coop right next his garden. Several mornings a week he lets the chickens into the garden and they feast! Not only do the chickens keep the grasshoppers under control, but they feed the garden with their droppings and scratch up the soil nicely without harming the vegetables.
Photo courtesy of dmje at Flickr.com.
I’ve placed mountain bluebird feeders all around my garden. The boxes are in use every summer and the number of grasshoppers those birds eat is astounding. Gophers? I planted daffodil bulbs and they were gone within weeks. Gophers hate daffodils. Often times, the problem is the solution! I truly believe that, if your garden is in balance, your soil thriving and your plants healthy, you will have very few pest problems.