Broadly spraying for pests also kills beneficial insects, preventing pollinators from reaching flowers and eliminating food sources for birds and other wildlife. Instead, use targeted or non-toxic alternatives.
For specific insects, such as spotted lanternflies, use a targeted spray such as a dish soap solution or undiluted vinegar in a spray bottle. Solutions of essential oils work well as repellents for mosquitoes and ants. Mosquitoes can be physically kept away by using a box fan where you sit outdoors. Keep mosquito populations low by placing Bti dunks in water sources or in a bucket as a mosquito trap to kill larvae.
Just like humans, plants can get stressed if their basic needs aren't met. Watering trees and shrubs during extended periods of drought will keep plants healthy and more able to cope with biotic stressors like insect herbivory - it's like preventative medicine. Different plant species can sometimes be planted together to solve an insect problem. For example, planting marigolds in your vegetable garden will keep away squash beetles, Mexican bean beetles, and nematodes; peppermint repels ants; and garlic protects against fleas, Japanese beetles, and spider mites.
Welcome the presence of wildlife small and large in your yard. Spiders and wasps are predators and will assist you with pest control. Tolerate some insect damage on your plants, particularly if you have native plantings in your landscaping. The caterpillars that feed on a few leaves will become pollinating butterflies. Those same caterpillars are an important source of food for birds, particularly as they forage for their nestlings in the spring and early summer.
For specific insects, such as spotted lanternflies, use a targeted spray such as a dish soap solution or undiluted vinegar in a spray bottle. Solutions of essential oils work well as repellents for mosquitoes and ants. Mosquitoes can be physically kept away by using a box fan where you sit outdoors. Keep mosquito populations low by placing Bti dunks in water sources or in a bucket as a mosquito trap to kill larvae.
Just like humans, plants can get stressed if their basic needs aren't met. Watering trees and shrubs during extended periods of drought will keep plants healthy and more able to cope with biotic stressors like insect herbivory - it's like preventative medicine. Different plant species can sometimes be planted together to solve an insect problem. For example, planting marigolds in your vegetable garden will keep away squash beetles, Mexican bean beetles, and nematodes; peppermint repels ants; and garlic protects against fleas, Japanese beetles, and spider mites.
Welcome the presence of wildlife small and large in your yard. Spiders and wasps are predators and will assist you with pest control. Tolerate some insect damage on your plants, particularly if you have native plantings in your landscaping. The caterpillars that feed on a few leaves will become pollinating butterflies. Those same caterpillars are an important source of food for birds, particularly as they forage for their nestlings in the spring and early summer.
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