A large number of insects and small animals are defined as vermin because their way of life collides with successful plant care. To prevent pests from gaining the upper hand in the garden, destroying the harvest in the kitchen garden or devastating the flower bed, the modern gardener uses ecological control methods. Find out the best non-toxic strategies for controlling bugs in the garden here.

In the event of vermin plagues, you should react as quickly as possible

Identify vermin as such

There are only a few real pests in the garden, such as ticks or rats, which transmit dangerous diseases. On the other hand, useful animals are wrongly treated as vermin, even though they make a valuable contribution to a healthy garden.

Ants and moles are a bit annoying with their crawling and mounds of earth. In fact, they loosen the soil and devour vast amounts of insects. Therefore, please consider carefully in advance whether you are actually dealing with vermin in the garden.

Collecting reduces the infestation pressure

If insatiable snails or Colorado potato beetles infest the garden, the manual control method works wonders. They take the edge off the current pressure of infestation so that ecological pesticides can then develop their effectiveness. Early morning is the best time to collect slugs with snail tongs and Colorado potato beetle or vine weevil with your fingers.

Water - the underestimated combat agent

A strong jet of water is enough to get rid of aphids, spider mites and other vermin. If you add the following non-toxic additives to the water, the effectiveness increases:

  • Against aphids: Dissolve soft soap (€44.90) or curd soap in hot water
  • Against ticks: simmer chopped citrus fruits with essential oils in water for 60 minutes
  • Against Colorado potato beetles: Let horseradish ferment in water to make liquid manure or mint broth

Moist plant leaves are a welcome target for fungal spores. Therefore, use pesticides in the early hours of the morning, before sunrise, so that the foliage dries quickly during the day.

tips

In the near-natural garden there are crowds of beneficial insects that eat vermin in large quantities. Therefore, do without a meticulously tidy area, because that deters your garden helpers. Instead, integrate a lifelike dry stone wall and mixed hedge into the design plan, leave piles of leaves and brushwood as inviting retreats and nesting sites.

Category:

Animals in the garden