Yay! It’s summer and that means more time in the garden picking all those yummy vegetables. The sunny, bright days allow for some wonderful one-on-one time reveling in that peaceful garden vibe. One thing most people are not excited about however, is all those pesky bugs. 

Popular Pesky Garden Bugs

Red Spider Mites: These little guys live under leaves and suck on sap. They cause yellow mottling and their webs can sometimes be seen with the naked eye. 

Leaf Miner: These interesting bugs create trails and discolored blotches on leaves. They are harmless and usually go untreated. 

Aphids: These tiny bugs like to leave a sticky substance called honeydew on the plants they come in contact with. From the honeydew, black fungus can start to grow and spread.

Scale Insects: These shell-like insects are really bad for leaf spines as they leave behind an excretion that can cause mold. 

Thrip: Also known as a “thunder fly” , the thrip creates white patches on the petals of indoor plants. They like peas, leeks and onions. 

Cabbage White Caterpillars: Caterpillars love to eat leaves, and these guys will leave egg clusters on your plants. 

Grasshoppers: These little quick hoppers love to eat on everything within a garden. In fact, they can eat up to half their body weight in just one day. If you create a garden that attracts bluebirds, they will  take care of the grasshopper problem for you.

Slugs: When you see small holes in tomatoes, those are caused by slugs. Once the slug has opened up the tomato, it allows other insects to get into the tomato as well, which rots it from the inside out. 

Natural Remedies 

Repellents/Barriers: By using these two things, you can keep bugs from coming into your garden because they act like a wall. For example, if you plant your carrots into toilet paper rolls, insects like cutworms will not be able to get to them. 

You can use scents like spearmint, peppermint and pennyroyal to keep insects like aphids and ants away from your plants. Also, insects do not like scents like garlic or lavender. 

Traps/Lures: Some traps are harmful to insects, so it wouldn’t be my first go-to in order to get rid of them. However, they are an option. By luring an insect and safely trapping it into a make-shift box, you can get rid of pests while also feeling good about not hurting or killing an insect. 

Oils/Soaps: Insecticidal oils and soaps are great for getting rid of aphids, spider mites, whiteflies, etc. However, they are not very effective in getting rid of adult insects so it’s important to use these when insects are in their immature larval stage. These soaps and oils are toxic to certain types of insects and won’t harm things like ladybugs and praying mantises. 

Bugs You’d Like To Keep

Leaving water, food and shelter for good bugs you want in your garden is the best way to attract them. They need a healthy habitat. These bugs are: ladybugs, praying mantises, damsel bugs, spiders, ground beetles, bees, green lacewings, aphid midges, etc. These are all bugs that will help your garden to flourish and grow and they can also help to keep your garden free and clear of other insects that will cause it harm. 

With the summer months in full view, it’s time to get a plan set from making sure your garden produces nourishing fruits, vegetables, herbs, spices and flowers.  If you need help, Wildout Animal and Pest Control can offer you a free inspection and offer you a quote on what it would cost to get rid of any pesky insects for you.
 Just give us a call today! 844-945-3688