The Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that pests affect at least 40% of the global crop production. Because of this, many people may go without food or have wasted tons of money on gardens.
If you have bugs damaging your plants, you’ll need to find a way to combat them. You don’t need pesticides with chemicals that could hurt pets or damage the environment.
While reading, you’ll learn various green pest control methods you can deploy to combat pests before they damage your plants.
1. Use Neem Oil or Other Insecticidal Oils
There are various insecticidal oils. There are dormant oils, which kill pest eggs. Lighter oils will protect your plants because they evaporate quickly. The best oil for natural pest control is neem oil.
It’s derived from the neem tree. This oil will repel and poison insects while also combatting fungus.
Before dousing your plants with oil spray, test it to ensure it won’t damage your plants. Spray a few leaves and wait 48 hours to see how they react.
If your plant passes the test, you’ll need to spray this oil directly onto the pests to control them. Don’t forget to spray under the leaves.
2. Diatomaceous Earth Powder
This type of powder comes from microscopic algae silica shells. They’re coated with sharp projections that will impact an insect’s cuticle. Because of this effect, the pest will leak bodily fluids and eventually die from dehydration.
You’ll find this non-toxic pest prevention useful if you want to combat insects with exoskeletons. Some examples of bugs they’ll deter include snails, ants, roaches, and root maggots.
Diatomaceous earth powder isn’t poisonous. That means you won’t have to worry about harming your plants. You will need to worry about harming beneficial insects like ladybugs.
3. Deploy Insect Traps
Instead of dealing with microbes or powders, you can in the following traps as green pest control solutions:
- Pheromone traps: these lure insects of the opposite sex
- Sticky traps: material coated with a sticky substance that catches insects
- Slug traps: ideal for getting rid of slugs
If you’ve attempted to use every eco-friendly pest control on this list without success, it’s time to call in a specialist. Learn more about how Greenpestservices.net can help.
4. Plant Insectary Plants
These types of plants attract pollinators like bees. With an influx of bees caring for your insectary plants, they’ll help mitigate your pest population. Some insectary plants that you should include in your garden include marigolds, basil, and mint.
5. Mulching Is Your Best Friend
Mulching is when you lay any materials over your soil’s surface. These materials are also a great means to prevent pests. According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, adding mulch has significantly lowered certain insect populations.
Deal With Your Green Pest Control Today
You don’t need to rely on chemicals to eliminate insects. Instead, you can use popular green pest control methods like neem oil. If that doesn’t help, you can also plant insectary plants and weave mulching into your gardening.
Do you want to learn more about managing your home? Explore more of our posts that cover topics surrounding the environment, real estate, and home management.
