Controlling Pests: The Organic Way

Mealybugs, leafminers, spider mites, whitefly, caterpillars; how do you get rid of them? At the first sign of garden pests it’s not necessary to resort to harmful pesticides. Organic control is fast becoming a popular method of eliminating pests.

Organic Treatment

There are a variety of environmentally friendly sprays on the market that will help rid your garden of unwanted guests. They are much greener than their toxic alternatives and are safe for children, pets and wildlife.

You can also buy special glues for trees, stronger shrubs and containers, which trap the predators before they get a chance to munch on your precious plants. Also available are hanging glue traps (similar to indoor fly papers) that can be hung from trees and bushes. Effective, but not the most attractive of garden enhancements.

Slug and snail traps and mats are widely available and are an effective way of saving your plants when the damper weather arrives.

Planting members of the allium family will help to prevent pests. The smell of onions, garlic and chives keeps them at bay.

The other method of eliminating pests the green way is to use either living organisms or friendly insects. The organisms can be purchased from larger garden centres or from the internet.

Friendly insects

Popular friendly insects include ladybirds, spiders, bees, hover flies and parasitic wasps. Yes, even wasps can be friendly! They do an important job in maintaining the balance of nature and only sting if provoked.

Friendly insects can all be attracted to the garden by dedicating a special area to plants that attract these insects. The area doesn’t have to be large, but should be regularly maintained, just as the rest of the garden. Rotting and dead plants will just re-attract the pests.

Plants that attract friendly insects include lupins, sunflowers, alyssum, daisies and marigolds. Any pollen producing plants will attract bees. Herbs are also great for attracting insects; dill, mint, coriander and rosemary are just some that can be used. The less common lemon balm also attracts insects and smells wonderful. For the more casual organic gardeners amongst you, any of these flowers and herbs can look fabulous interspersed with vegetable plants. This method is known as companion planting.

It’s worth noting that it’s not a good idea to use organic pest control methods in conjunction with pesticides as the pesticides will eliminate the good insects as well as the bad ones.

And finally, don’t forget the traditional method of trapping slugs and snails – the good old can of stale beer. Organic pest control – a good excuse to down a pint!