Have you tried all products available under the sun with the sole aim of protecting your vegetable garden from pests? The chances are that your garden stays pest-free for a short while, but the pests always come back. It almost seems like a never-ending problem.
However, before you completely give up, there are some natural tricks and hacks you can use to protect your garden from pests. If you want to get rid of pests permanently, remember to be patient. The methods below need to be implemented consistently for 2 to 4 weeks before your yard can be pest and disease-free.
Sanitation Methods
To protect your vegetable garden from pests and diseases, it is important that you implement reliable sanitation methods. Make sure to keep your garden clean by getting rid of leaves, rotten fruit, fallen vegetable pieces, and grass clippings. Remove them from the foundation of your home altogether so that pests do not have a place to hide.
Moreover, keep the window wells and drainage guttering clean so that you do not attract more pests. If you want to give your garden the ultimate layer of protection, you can keep prune shrubs and tree limbs near the house. This will help block the pathway of pests, naturally deterring them.
Pest-Proofing the Compost Bin
We all know that compost bins attract insects and pests, making a vegetable garden more vulnerable to prey. One of the ways to avoid this is to pest-proof the compost bin. When maintaining the bin, remember not to compost oil, fatty foods, fish, meat, bones, or cat/ dog manure. These can attract pests to the compost, so it is better to keep them out of the bin.
Another hack is to throw food waste into the center of the compost bin. This will hide the smell, misguiding insects and pests. Moreover, keep every layer of the compost slightly wet. You can also poke tiny holes in the piles every other day to ensure that pests are not nesting in the compost. By harvesting the completed compost at the very end of the compost bin after a couple of months, you can ensure that pests do not find their way into your vegetable garden.
Trash Receptacles
If you are looking to protect your vegetable garden from pests, one of the best things you can do is invest in trash receptacles that are pest-resistant. Pest-resistant trash receptacles have lids that can open and close automatically. Moreover, they have a tight seal to ensure that pests do not find their way in and other insects are not attracted to the trash.
Keep in mind that a dumpster is full to the brim with trash from the inside, as well as from the outside. Hence, we would recommend steaming the dumpster every week to ensure a deep clean. This will help get rid of any stubborn bacteria or smells that may attract pests in the future.
Keep Good Insects
Birds and bats play a vital role in getting rid of insects and pests. This is a natural, fool-proof way of keeping pests from your vegetable garden. All you need to do is make them visit your home. You can also plant certain trees and scrubs to encourage bats to nest so that they can give birth and raise their offspring. These bats and birds will ensure that no pest comes close to your vegetable garden.
Moreover, you can also keep a source of fresh water out for the birds and bats. This will attract thirsty birds automatically as they graze on your land. Once they notice the trees and shrubs, they will call on their friends, and together, they will start to call your garden their home.
You can also attract bugs like ladybugs, praying mantis, hoverflies, lacewings, honey bees, and dragonflies. These bugs love to feast on garden pests.
Interplant
One of the smartest ways to get rid of pests is to interplant crops with each other. This method will help confuse pests as they look for a home in your vegetable garden. As they look for their preferred crop, these pests will get lost due to the interplanting.
Different vegetables can be interplanted. You can also create a mixture of vegetables and herbs or vegetables and flowers to create a diverse garden that will confuse pests. Throw in some vegetables with brightly colored leaves, such as purple cabbage and kale. This will also help confuse pests immensely, deterring them from your garden.
Maintenance Checks
Even though we do not expect you to check your home every day for any pest or insect activity, it is best to visit your vegetable garden every weekend. This way, you can make sure that there are a limited number of insects and pests in your garden.
The best way to conduct maintenance checks is to inspect parts of your garden where previous pest activity has been reported. While making maintenance rounds, keep an eye out for the pest-proofing methods that you have employed. Confirm to see that they are still doing their job.
Pest Control Provider
Do you need some professional help with your vegetable garden? Don’t worry; AntsPlus has got you covered. We promise the most effective methods to protect your vegetable garden from pests and insects at the best prices! Contact us today!