Day: May 24, 2010

There are other ways to repel insects without having to use insecticidal soap or pesticides.  Here are a few ways to naturally get rid of pests:

• Plant other plants in your vegetable garden that these insects don’t like, such as mint, borage and nasturtiums (but be careful of mint and other invasive plants that may take over your garden)
• Plant other plants that attract beneficial insects such as lady bugs, lacewings, some beetles and wasps.  Plants such as mint, dill, parsley, alyssum, and sage attract insects that devour crop eating insects.
• Use the jet setting of your water hose to blast bugs off your crops.
• Remove old leaves, sticks and other debris where caterpillars and slugs can burrow and multiply.  Removing leaves also reduces disease, which can make plants more susceptible to pest problems.
• Grow your seeds indoors.  Bugs love young sprouts so make sure your plants are past their germination stage before putting them outside
• Plant seeds early.  Aphids begin to show up in Georgia around April.
• Plant your seeds in March (as well as indoors) so that the plant will already be established.
• Cover your plants with clotches or clear plastic.  Hot soil kills many types of pests.

To make your own natural pesticide/insecticide, view my blog on Organic insecticides.