For many of us, home gardening is an integral part of living the dream. The freedom that comes with the ownership and the knowledge that you are growing your own crops is just unbeatable. But pests and diseases can make the realization of your dream a horrible nightmare.
Pest infestation and diseases destroy fruit-trees, shrubs, vegetables, and flowers. Therefore you need to look into ways at eliminating these pests that have adverse effects on your plants. Also, if you have a problem with tree pests, there are expert professionals who can get you covered.
Four major ways of controlling the pests in your garden…
- Behavioral pest control and management
The behavioral method is safe and convenient as it involves no use of a chemical in pest control. It involves simple procedures like eliminating litter in your garden that provides good breeding grounds for pests and proper spacing to contain the prevalence of diseases and pests. - Use of habitat
This method involves makes your garden an inhospitable spot for pests, and organic farming is the surest route to this end. Alternatively, you can plant companion plants that are pest-repellent. Weeding the gardening is equally effective, as it destroys the dwelling places of pests. - Chemical pest control
This is the most common, but unsafe way to gardening pest control. Pesticides work by poisoning, disruption of neural processes or both. The chemicals used for gardening pest control can take any form, from sprays, dust, granules or liquids. Chemical controls should be used sparingly since they have adverse ecological effects. They can kill even beneficial insects such as butterflies and bees that are very fundamental in pollination. - Biological pest control methods
This is the most nature-friendly form of pest control. It involves the use of other living organisms that have no adverse effects on the crops to consume the pests. Organisms such as snakes, toads, and ladybugs are natural predators to most pests.
There are other additional methods on how you can effectively control pests like practicing crop rotation, sterilizing, pruning, etc. to prevent the spread of crop diseases and ensure a fruitful and productive garden.
Some common gardening pests and their control
- Aphids
They mainly attack vegetables and are prevalent during the dry spell. Watering the plants removes them. - Birds
Birds are very destructive, and if not taken care of, they can wipe out an entire crop. The best way to keep birds at bay is by use of scarecrows and using traps. - Caterpillars
Spraying the leaves with a vinegar solution effectively kills them - Cats
In as much as they are pets, they can be deadly crop pests. Physical control is the way to go about controlling them like protecting your growing areas with strong netting. You can also use some plants that produce a smell that repels them as well as ultra-sonic devices which give off an awful high-pitched sound that the cats can hear, but us Humans can’t. Alternatively, you can physically scare them away or use water to chase them off, I find a small water pistol works well. :o)
These are some of the more common gardening pest control methods. The list is not exhaustive but covers the main ones.