Planting and growing your own vegetables can be rewarding, but learning to protect your garden from pests and animals can involve a lot of trial and error.
Organic gardeners know all too well how difficult it can be to deter garden pests – especially if you aren’t sure which common garden pest is using your garden as a private salad bar.
Between birds feasting on your crops, insects chewing the stems and aphids attacking the leaves, finding the right pesticide is an essential part of gardening.
No matter how good a gardener you are, at some point or another animals, insects, and diseases will attack your plants. Fortunately, we’ve listed best organic pest control methods to stop unwanted pests from eating into your harvest.
See the common pests you need to know, the best organic insect repellents and bird repellents and what to look for in an organic pesticide.
Common Garden Pests
Whether you’re an avid gardener or your green thumb is just starting to show, there are tons of insects and larger animals that you don’t want hanging out in your garden. From nibbled plants to an empty harvest, the havoc garden pests can cause is often irreparable. We’ve listed common garden pests that can cause the most damage, and a quick overview of the best organic garden pest control to keep your garden healthy.
- Grasshoppers and leafhoppers – insecticidal soap
- Aphids – neem oil
- Squashbugs – insectocidal soap
- Caterpillars, moths and beetles – bonide or spinosad spray
- Birds – bird repellent spray
The Best Organic Pest Control For Your Garden
1. Neem Oil Spray
Neem oil is a naturally occurring pesticide found in seeds from the neem tree. It can protect plants from pest infestations including aphids, Japanese beetles, leafhoppers, tomato hornworms and other garden pests. It works best on slow-moving insects, killing them before they can lay eggs.
2. Insecticidal Soap
While it may be tempting to make your own insect-killing blend, dish soap and other natural remedies don’t offer strength that insecticidal-grade soap does.
A insecticidal soap is a great organic garden pest control method because it is gentle on the affected plant and the environment, but effective for killing soft-bodied pests like grasshoppers, leafhoppers, and squashbugs. Some users say it is also effective against aphids.
3. Spinosad Garden Spray
Spinosad is a fast-acting bacterium, that kills a range of chewing insects such as caterpillars, leaf beetles, spider mites, and more.
Although spinosad isn’t toxic to most beneficial insects, it is toxic to bees. Be sure to spray only in early morning or late evening when bees are not flying to avoid harming these pollinators.
4. Bird Repellents
Learning how to keep birds out of the garden doesn’t have to be difficult. Fortunately, there are several easy ways to keep these flighted fiends from savaging vegetable gardens. Measures like reflective tape, netting and chicken wire are a great place to start.
When birds are continuously destroying your vegetables, it’s time to take control. Although shiny objects and bird feeders can distract birds, they don’t guarantee that birds won’t return. A deterrent spray, like Avian Control, is the most efficient and long-term solution.
What to Look for in an Organic Pesticide
Long-Lasting
It’s important to consider long-term solutions and not just short-term ones. If your pesticide has a short shelf life, you may be stuck back at square on in no time.
When comparing products, be sure to weigh the longevity of the pest control method. For example, some insecticidal sprays don’t last long and some even have to be sprayed directly on the pest to have an effect!
Ingredients
With a growing trend in recent years on organic products, you no longer have to mix your own organic pesticides. The demand for organic pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers is at an all-time high, and the number of products available is overwhelming.
Organic pesticide ingredients can be split into several groups, including bacteria, pyrethrin, natural oils, dusts, and soaps. It’s up to you to read the ingredients to ensure you are getting what you want.
Spray
Generally, a spray creates a barrier deposited directly onto an insect, blocking its ability to continue destroying your plants. It can’t get away, and that’s what you want from your pesticides.
A spray is also effective because using a spray bottle keeps the product away from your body (no after-use clean up) and a spray is easy to apply to large areas of your property or garden.
How Avian Control Can Help Protect Your Garden From Unwanted Pests
The most efficient way to consistently and effectively deter wild birds from your garden is with Avian Control, a humane, long-lasting liquid bird repellent.
Here are the top reasons Avian Control is the best bird deterrent spray for your property:
- Affordability
- 10-14 days of protection
- No damage to the property
- No harm for the wild birds, humans or other animals
- Easy application methods to suit your preferences
Other methods may take time each day to ensure their potential success, but Avian Control can be sprayed just once and it lasts up to 14 days.
Shop today or contact us at 888.868.1982 to talk with one of our experts today.
The Complete Organic Pest Control Product Buyers Guide 2023