Garden Pests – Begone With The Nuisance!
Gardens are a matter of pride to a gardener. Gardeners put in a great amount of effort in tending to the plants and maintaining the garden. Therefore, it is highly frustrating to have insects or pests in the garden that are destroying it. One fine day, you may be surprised to see the leaves of the plants full of holes. The plants that were in perfect health a few hours ago may have been devoured by some plant-eating insect. An incident such as this needs immediate attention. The reason for this destruction of your plants could be garden pests. This is one issue that has to be dealt with immediately; otherwise, all your hard work in creating a beautiful garden will go waste. Garden pests are mainly slugs, insects, worms, caterpillars, snails, birds, and the occasional gopher. It is impossible to wipe out garden pests in their entirety; however, one can take some steps to reduce the infestation.
Insects are the worst form of pests. They usually take up residence under fallen leaves or decaying matter or even in the soil. It is always better to keep the garden clean and free from old fallen leaves, dead wood and dirt. Regular weeding can help to keep insects at bay. The soil can also be turned up occasionally so that the insects cannot burrow underneath to destroy the roots of the plants. Any lumps formed need to be broken and the soil loosened out regularly. Another way to keep the garden free from pests is to use dormant spray. It helps to keep diseases and destructive insects under control. It can work wonders for the garden by keeping it healthy and free from pests. It is to be used during the month of February or early March when most plants are in their dormant phase. However, dormant spray is effective only if the instructions for use are strictly followed. If not, one may end up killing the entire garden and the plants in the surrounding areas. Some insects can be beneficial to the garden, like those promoting pollination and fertilization of the flowers. Therefore, one needs to be sure of which insects are the pests that need to be destroyed.
Birds are attracted to the insects in the garden and they may end up destroying the fruits and flowers in the garden. One way to get rid of them is to chase them away, but this is not a very practical solution. They return to the same spot once they feel the area is safe. As the saying goes, what cannot be cured must be endured. One way to reduce the problem would be to place a bird feeder in the garden. The birds can then feed at the bird feeder rather than eating up the garden. In the long run it saves the time, energy and money spent on the garden. The bird feeder can be a part of the garden décor apart from keeping the birds away from eating the garden. This may not eliminate the problem, but serves to reduce it. Having a dog can also help to reduce the problem, because dogs usually chase away the birds.
Sometimes, mounds of earth keep appearing in the yard and plants begin to die for no apparent reason. This could be a gopher problem. Gophers are rodents that eat the roots of the plants. They are furry creatures having brown, black or white fur; about five to fourteen inches long and have short tails. They live in tunnels burrowed underground. One method of getting rid of gophers is to set traps for them. The key to capture them successfully is to place the traps near their tunnels. Another means to get rid of them would be to use smoke bombs. The smoke bombs can be placed inside the tunnel so that enough smoke spreads inside and reaches the gophers to flush them out.
Garden pests can be a nuisance and it is best to eliminate the problem before it gets out of control. Although it may not be possible to eliminate all the pests in the garden, some factors like keeping the garden free of dead and decaying matter, dry leaves etc. can help to reduce the problem o a great extent.
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