Getting Ready to Garden

• Pluck, wash or vacuum bugs off plants.

• Pull weeds the old-fashioned way- by hand! Try to get them before they produce seeds and spread.

• Lay down mulch – fresh soil with lots of decomposing plant matter – to prevent weeds from growing.

• To protect against slugs, fashion rings from copper flashing (strips of copper about three inches wide) and place around your plants. Slugs that come into contact with the copper receive a slight electric shock.

• Apply corn gluten meal to turf grass in early spring and fall to prevent germination of dandelions, crabgrass and other common weeds.

• Kill weeds in driveway and sidewalk cracks with boiling water or a propane torch.

• Sprinkle diatomaceous earth in pest hiding places and entry points.

• Lure slugs with saucers of beer or a yeast and water mixtures placed flush with the soil surface.

• Lure yellow-jackets into narrow-necked bottles or jugs containing apple juice.

• Use vegetable oil-based sprays instead of petroleum-based sprays.

• A mixture of water and hot pepper flakes can help get rid of aphids when sprayed on infected plants.

• Know your allies: Lady bugs eat aphids, green lacewing larvae feed more generally on soft-bodied insects, mites and insect eggs. Other allies include spiders, soldier bugs, predatory mites, and some nematodes.

• Provide your allies with the food and shelter they need.

• Realize that different strains of the bacterium, Bacillus thuringiensis, or bt, targets different pests. Bt israelensis is effective against mosquito and black fly larvae. Bt kurstaki is toxic to most caterpillars – cabbage worms, tomato hornworms, tent caterpillars, etc., but is also harmful to some beneficial species. Determine what pest you are targeting before using this bacterial pesticide.

• Be aware that many naturally-occurring plant extracts and compounds have insecticidal properties and tend to degrade rapidly in the environment. They can vary greatly in their toxicity to humans as well as non-target organisms. Use them carefully.

• Try neem to control cutworms, mites, nematodes, and other pests.

• Use sabadilla (a Mexican plant in the lily family) as an effective control for bugs like squash and harlequin bugs, but watch out, because it is also toxic to honeybees.

Prevention

• Remove potential pest hiding and breeding sites. Keep outdoor areas free from trash and standing water, which are perfect breeding grounds for mosquitoes.

• Mow a little higher- taller grass can help crowd out weeds.

Attitude Adjustment

• Take a minute to consider the definition of “weed” and determine if you are willing to live with a few of them. Try tolerating some plants other than grass. There are also several prairie flowers that can survive mowing and can add color to your lawn.

• Before you take action, determine whether or not a pest is actually causing damage to your plants. If it isn’t, try letting it alone.