10 Easy Ideas for Organic Pest Control

Posted by Cathy England
March 7th, 2011
Filed in Garden Pests and Diseases
Tags: beneficial insects, bugs, homemade insecticides, pests

Why is it important to make any effort at organic pest control when there are so many insecticides and traps that work just as well? The basic reason is that insecticides do not degrade naturally in the environment, and it means that you are spraying poison on the food products that your family is going to be eating at harvest time.

Additionally, conventional insecticides are not selective in the pests that they control. This means that you are not only killing the troublesome pests, but also the beneficial insects who, left to their own devices, will do a pretty good job of taking care of infestations for you. So, get rid of all of the poisonous controls in your garage or shed, and change your mindset.

Organic gardener’s best friend…Creepy but wonderful. Photo by Amayu

So what in the world can I do instead? A bunch of things. It requires a bit more planning, time, and committment to the cause. But, the rewards will be worth it. The following list will provide some of the tactics that can be used to thwart the destroyers of your plants.

1. Plan your garden well-There is a mantra in the world of organic gardening about planting the right plant in the right place.  The idea here is that a stronger plant is more likely to be able to ward off pests on it’s own.  A healthy plant can withstand a little damage, without dying off entirely.  Promotion of healthy plants include rotating plantings year after year, adding organic amendments specific to what that crop needs, and paying attention to sunlight needs and tolerance.
2. Plant or provide appropriate shelter for creatures who will help with pest control. Aphids are often a big problem in any organic garden.  If you are able to encourage ladybugs in your garden, you will have ladybug larvae which consume huge numbers of these pests in a short amount of time.
3. Use companion planting to help avoid damage to one plant by planting one that deters pests.
4. Place cardboard collars around the base stem of the plant. Make sure that part of the collar is buried about an inch.  This will deter sloths, and sometimes cutworms.
5. Encourage birds to make homes in your yard.  Nesting birds with young are always looking for food, and many times will find the nasty worms, slugs and aphids to be tasty treats for their babies.
6. Find a strong spray bottle. Aphids can very often be dislodged by a strong stream of water.
7. Cover seedlings with fine netting. Watch for cabbage moths and other creatures that may be scouting to lay their eggs on or around your plants.   Cheap tulle from the fabric store works really well.  This will prevent moths and butterflies from depositing potential pests on your plants.
8. Make your own “insecticides”. A spray bottle with 3 parts water, and one part hot sauce, sprayed on the plants will deter plants, and some critters.  Crushed garlic left in water for a few days and then sprayed also works well.  There are insecticidal soaps which are safe for plants, but very often kill off beneficials.
9. Keep your eyes open. Look for signs of pests.  Holes in leaves, yellowing, lines in leaves.  Identify which pest can be causing this, and look for the best way to get rid of them.
10. Hand pick them off. Last but not least, and certainly not for everyone, is my favorite method, which is to go out early in the morning or around dusk with a container of soapy water, and pick the bugs off of my plants, and throw them in the water.  Use rubber gloves if too squeamish.

Using any or all of these methods will get you well on your way to a reduction of pests, beautiful plants and produce that you can feel good about.