Building a garden vegetable patch became a big trend at the start of the pandemic in 2020. But around 86% of newbie gardeners said they would continue to grow produce into 2021 and beyond.
You’ll face many obstacles as you venture further into green-fingered pursuits. One of them is dealing with garden pests. They are inevitable and one trick might get rid of one pest but not all.
What you need is a simple guide on what the most common garden pests are and how to get rid of each of them. Lucky for you, this is that guide!
How To Keep Birds Away
You might view birds as innocent garden visitors, not garden pests. But they need to eat like any other creature so you should take steps to protect your vegetable patch from them.
In olden times, farmers used to use scarecrows to ward off birds and it’s still an effective garden pest control tool. Instead of a stick man, opt for a plastic (but realistic) decoy bird of prey like an owl or falcon to sit near your patch. You could also use windchimes and sonic machines to keep them away from your entire garden.
Push sticks and twigs around your vegetables to confuse the birds. They will also make it difficult for birds to land in your vegetable garden.
If the birds are still relentless, put netting around your patch. It doesn’t look attractive but it will allow sunlight and water to reach your vegetables while making it impossible for the birds.
How To Keep Insects Away
Insects are, without a doubt, one of the most notorious garden pests. These are some common insects in vegetable garden:
- Caterpillars
- Aphids
- Codling moth
- Flea beetles
- Mealybugs
- Thrips
- Leaf miners
- Vine weevil
There is a whole host of chemical pesticides you could use to remove these vegetable garden pests. But you should try and use natural garden pest control methods where possible. There is a range of sprays that deter insects from vegetables, for example:
- Garlic pepper tea spray
- Tomato leaves spray
- Neem oil spray
- Chili pepper spray
These sprays don’t taste very nice to insects so it will encourage them to leave without killing them. But if nothing seems to work, you might need to call the professionals. Local pest controls like HolmesUtah.com which specialize in lawn care will be able to help you.
How To Keep Slugs and Snails Away
Slugs and snails can be as destructive to your vegetable garden as other insects. But they demand a different method to get rid of them.
Spray soap spray to your plants to remove slugs while keeping your veggies healthy.
Keep Garden Pests at Bay With These Tips
All garden pests have an essential role in the planet’s ecosystem. But that doesn’t mean that you need to let your veggies become caterpillar fodder! And with these tips, you’ll be able to keep the pests away and enjoy eating your delicious veggies.
When you become a homeowner, you have so many new problems you need to learn how to solve. Browse our home articles for tons of tips and tricks to help you out!
