HELPFUL LINKS: Natural Worm Composting The Tanglefoot Company Colorado State University Western Colorado Entomology Floating Row Covers Veggiecare.com Floating Row Covers New Fabric Make an inexpensive vermicompost bin

Natural pest control is the Dirt Cheap Gardener way to control pests.  It is much less expensive than buying commercial pesticides and is safer for your family and the environment. 

Americans use over one hundred million pounds of pesticides annually. Homeowners are using 3 times the amount of pesticides as farmers and most of our surface water contamination from pesticides comes from single-family homes. 

Bear in mind when you use any type of pesticide, even if it is a natural horticultural oil, it can kill beneficial insects as well, so use then carefully and sparingly.





There are a few basic  strategies involved in integrated pest management:

Prevention

Prevention is your first and best defense against garden pests.

Prevention starts with building up organic, healthy soil.

Rotating crops will deter plant specific pests. 

Water in the morning.  This allows plants to dry in the sun.  Dry foliage will discourage fungus and insects.

Remove diseased or infected plants and keep them away from your other plants. 

Companion Planting

Aromatic plants such as herbs and marigolds will deter pests.  Intermix basil, sage, mint, dill and thyme throughout your garden.  In a huge step-up from toxic pesticides, these natural pest deterrents are also edible!





Garden plants attract a multitude of insects. Aphids, slugs, etc.  The good news is that there are many beneficial insects that will happily prey on the variety of bugs chomping their way through your garden.  Some of these insects are available for purchase either online or at your local nursery.  Others can be attracted to your garden with specific types of plants.  It is a good idea to familiarize yourself with these bugs.

Beneficial Insects Available for Purchase:

1.  Lady Bugs


            adult ladybug        photo:  Free Digital Photos.net

Both Lady Bugs and Lady Bug larvae will feed on a variety of garden pests.  If you purchase these bugs for your garden it is best to release them in the late afternoon or early evening.  They will be more likely to settle down and stay in your garden rather than immediately flying off. 

Note:  Ants feed off the sweet honey-like substance produced by sucking insects such as aphids, mealybugs and thrips.  They will protect these bugs from their natural enemies.  If possible, work to eliminate ants from your garden before you release your ladybugs.

2.  Green Lacewings


The Green Lacewing is a popular choice for controlling many different garden pests.  Many species of the adult lacewing do not actually kill the pest insects, they prefer a more vegetarian diet of pollen, nectar and honeydew.  It is the larvae that really do the job.  Each lacewing larvae will consume 200 or more pest insect or insect eggs per week during their two to three week larval stage.  Each adult female can deposit more than 200 eggs. 

To create a habitat that will attract lacewings and encourage them to stay, include honeydew, and plants that produce nectar and pollen. 


3.  Praying Mantis

The praying mantis gets the gold medal for the all-around competition as a generally beneficial insect.  It has a very large appetite, and will eat a wide variety of insects in your garden including moths, mosquitoes, flies, aphids and roaches.  It will even eat small rodents in your garden or fields.  

The praying mantis is the only predator that is quick enough to catch flies and mosquitoes and is also the only predator known to prey on moths at night. 

The eggs are available for purchase through garden catalogues or online.  The eggs hatch in your garden and grow quickly to adult size. 

4.  Nematodes



Nematodes are effective against grubs (beetle larvae).  They release bacteria into the grubs, which then kills them.  It can take two or three weeks to see results (you can manually pick off beetles in the meantime.)  They are available at garden centers or the catalogues and online.  Nematode eggs are microscopic and come a million at a time on a sponge. 


Other beneficial insects for your garden:

1.   Assassin Bugs--Assasin bugs feed on almost        everything--from beetles to caterpillars. 

5.  Ground Beetles--larvae prey on slugs, cutworms and other pests on the ground.


6.  Hover Flies--Flys and larvae consume aphids and the larvae will eat other insect pests as well.

7.  Minute Pirate Bugs--These tiny bugs are  only 1/16th inch long, but are big eaters.  They feed on aphids, mites and thrips. 



Garden Spiders

Although spiders are not technically insects, let's not forget their amazing talent for spinning webs that will catch many unwanted garden pests. 


Garden Worm Compost

Vermicomposting turns organic wastes into high-quality compost using earthworms.  New studies have shown that worm compost can cut down on damage from chewing insects like catarpillars, mealy bugs and aphids.  Greenhouse trials were rrecently conducted at Ohio State University in which 40, 20 and zero percent vermicompost were added to potting soil.  The vegetables in the soil were then exposed to common garden pests.  The vermicompost soil of both 40 and 20 percent showed significant reduction in the number of aphids, mealy bugs, and sucking and chewing insects. Scientists are not sure why the vermicompost helped supress pests in the garden, but speculated that it might contain essential nutrients that could make the plants more stress resistant, less attracive to pests, or a combination  of the two. 

You can make your own inexpensive vermicompost bin using a styrofoam cooler and some shredded newspaper.  (And some Red Wiggler worms of course.)



Natural Repellents  

There are many homemade insect recipes available.  We have provided a few that seem to work on a variety of garden insects:


Garlic

This natural insecticide is effective on many garden pests.

Mix 4 or 5 cloves crushed garlic, 1/4 cup canola oil, 4 tablespoons hot pepper sauce and 1/2 teaspoon liquid soap in one gallon of water.  Mix well and apply with spary bottle.   


Cayenne

Cayenne repels insects. 
MIx two tablespoons of cayenne pepper or hot pepper sauce with a few drops of ivory dish soap in one quart of water.  Let sit overnight. Stir and apply with spray bottle.  You can intensify this formula by chopping up some habenero peppers and boiling with the cayenne and one or two quarts of water.  Strain through cheese cloth when cool.  Spray once a week or so. 


Canola Oil

Oil smothers insects.
One to two tablespoons canola oil with a few drops of ivory dish soap in one quart water. 


Traps

While many  inexpensive and effective  pest control traps are available at your local garden supply center, you can easily make your own as well. 

You can buy sticky traps at garden supply stores or you can easily make your own with yellow index cards.  (Many insects are attracted to yellow.)  Cover the yellow card with plastic wrap, cover the plastic wrap with a nontoxic sticky substance such as Tanglefoot,  When the trap begins to lose its stickyness, you can throw away the plastic wrap and make a new trap with the yellow card. 

Sticky flly paper also works. 


Wasps





Barriers

Floating Row Covers

Floating Row Covers are a fantastic way to protect your gardens from pests,  as well as excessive weather and wind.  Floating row cover is a type of fabric that lets light and water in, while allowing heat to escape.  The fabric can be suspened over hoops to cover your row or raised bed. 

Some plants can be covered for the entire growing season, while others, such as melons, need insects for pollination so the floating row cover must be removed as the plant matures. 

There is a ightweight version of the fabric for summer planting and a heavier grade for frost protection.









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