How to Control Pests in Your Garden

Gardens take hard work, whether you plant vegetables, flowers, or both. The ground has to be tilled and proper soil added in. The seeds or seedlings have to be planted, and you have to water frequently. Once everything is sprouted, you have to weed around your plants to keep them going strong. Even with all the proper plant care, like mulch and shade and pruning, your precious plants may struggle. There are pests of all kinds that can get into your garden, and they can not only injure your plants, they could also kill your crop. Read on to discover a few ways to control the pests in your garden, and keep it going strong. 

Locate the Problem Areas 

The first thing to do when looking at your suffering garden is to look for problem areas. Determine where the sickest plants are, and inspect them thoroughly. You’re most likely going to find the problem hiding in these areas of your garden. Aphids are the most common garden pest, and there are many different varieties. They are attracted to roses, nasturtiums and most other plants, so they are the likely culprit when your plants are looking lackluster. You can handle most garden pests yourself, but If you aren’t sure what kind of bugs you have, or if the infestation is out of control, any pest control services chicago il can give you professional assessments and help. 

Handle It With Soap 

Once you’ve located the pests, try making a solution of water and a few drops of non-bleach dish soap. Use a spray bottle to apply this solution right on the leaves of the plant. The soapy residue is mild enough that the plant remains unharmed, but the bugs become dehydrated and die. Gardeners agree that though you need to reapply this solution every two to three weeks to affected plants, the results are worth it. Be sure to check the undersides of leaves, where many bugs can hide. 

Bring in the Good Guys 

Another way to handle pests in the garden is to introduce good bugs that protect your plants. Ladybugs are notoriously greedy for aphids, one can eat up to 5,000 of them in its lifetime. You may already have some of these spotted helpers in your garden, hard at work eating aphids or any other soft-bodied pest on your plants. Another helpful insect is the praying mantis, who loves to eat all kinds of garden pests. These insects are really helpful in hedges, where dark and moist conditions help fuel aphid infestations. 

It took you a long time to get the garden you have, so don’t let bad bugs get you down. Get down into your plants and take a closer look. Locating the source of your garden’s problems, and attacking it with the right methods are the quickest ways to transform a wilting garden into a fresh, happy one. With just a little bit of extra effort, you can once again enjoy the beautiful garden you created.