Organic Pest Control Technique Number Five: Bring In The Good Guys

Many gardeners, even those of the organic world, put a lot of effort into their pest control by using sprays. But you can prevent a lot of pests by bringing in the beneficial insects early in the season.

The die-hard self-sufficient gardeners don’t want you to buy anything other than an initial batch of seeds in order to grow your own food. However, when it comes to attracting beneficial insects, this philosophy can cause more harm than good.

The most beneficial insects are parasitic wasps and beneficial nematodes, which feed on the larvae of pest insects, leaving the “good” ones alone relatively early in the spring. They therefore dramatically decrease the general pest population for the growing season before it has a chance to get started. But they generally don’t show up unless there are flowers blooming all around, which usually isn’t happening at that time of year.

You may, in that case, opt to purchase packages of these tiny creatures. Release them according to the directions, You can find both parasitic wasps and beneficial nematodes at http://planetnatural.com.

Another easy and free way to keep your garden pests down is to invite frogs and toads to live among or near your vegetables by building them a pond. On the edge of your garden area dig out a six- to twelve-inch deep hole a foot or two in diameter, line it with plastic and fill it with water. Or, you might obtain a plastic, glass or stone container, such as a large old mixing bowl, bury it at ground level and fill it with water. Keep the water level high, and change it if it gets murky and stinky.

A bonus to putting in mini-ponds is that it also encourages the predatory beetles, who appreciate an occasional drink of water.

Use this organic pest control technique, and growing your own food will be that much more fun!