Nature offers plenty of effective ways to manage unwanted bugs and critters without harming your family, pets, or the environment.
While calling a pest control company is almost always a good idea, it doesn’t hurt to apply these natural methods as a way to maintain a certain level of pest control in between visits.
Why Go Natural?
Many solutions and treatments create more problems than they solve. They can harm your children, pets, and the air you breathe. They kill helpful insects along with the pests. And over time, bugs develop resistance to these chemicals, making them less effective.
Natural pest control works with the environment instead of against it. It costs less than repeated chemical treatments. It targets specific pests while protecting beneficial creatures. And it creates a healthier ecosystem in your yard.
Build Healthy Soil First
The foundation of natural pest control starts with healthy soil. Plants growing in nutrient-rich soil resist pests better than weak, struggling plants.
Use food waste as natural fertilizer. The scraps you’d normally compost can feed your garden directly. Healthy plants naturally fight off many pests, and you’ll avoid the cycle of chemical treatments that kill all insects indiscriminately.
Choose the Right Plants
What you grow matters. Native plants adapted to your region naturally resist local pests. Research plants native to your area and learn which ones work well together.
Companion planting pairs different plants that help each other thrive. For example, milkweed and Joe Pye weed support each other and attract beneficial insects like monarch butterflies.
Plant natural pest deterrents throughout your garden:
- Mint (keep in containers to prevent spreading)
- Lavender
- Rosemary
- Lemongrass
- Basil
These herbs repel many common pests and serve double duty in your kitchen.
You can also use trap crops, which are plants that lure pests away from your main garden. Sunflowers and marigolds planted a few feet away from your vegetables will attract bugs that might otherwise damage your food crops.
Create Natural Barriers
Physical barriers work well for larger pests. Instead of plastic guards, use wood, metal, or cardboard materials to keep your garden plastic-free. Privacy fences keep animals out of your yard entirely.
Raised garden beds prevent many ground pests from reaching your plants. They also make gardening easier on your back and knees, and let you change plants seasonally without disturbing established soil.
Manage Water Properly
Poor drainage creates pest problems. Standing water attracts mosquitoes and termites. Improve your yard’s drainage to keep trees and plants healthy while preventing moisture-loving pests.
Create a French drain with rocks to redirect excess water. Mix soil with diatomaceous earth, orchid bark, and peat moss for better drainage. The bark creates air pockets, the moss provides nutrients, and diatomaceous earth acts as a natural pesticide.
Use Food Waste as Pest Control
Your kitchen scraps can fight pests, such as:
- Cut leftover citrus peels into small pieces and add them to garden soil or place them on counters and windowsills.
- Put chopped onion in water and leave the bowl on your counter to repel mosquitoes.
- Spread used coffee grounds around your home’s perimeter or along windowsills to keep away ants, mosquitoes, wasps, and bees.
Welcome Helpful Creatures
Not all garden visitors are pests. Many animals and insects help control problem species.
For example, birds eat slugs, caterpillars, and other pests. Meanwhile, ladybugs consume aphids, tiny bug eggs, and small ants. Finally, monarch butterflies and hummingbirds not only add beauty but also eat small insects like mosquitoes and gnats.
Handle Bugs Directly
Don’t fear getting your hands dirty. Pick up non-stinging caterpillars and move them away from prized plants. You can also relocate beneficial insects like spiders to areas where they won’t bother you but can still hunt pests. Don’t be afraid to remove harmful bugs like fleas, mites, and hawk moths, either, as long as you do it carefully.
Benefits of Natural Pest Control
Natural pest management offers several advantages over chemical approaches, such as:
- Better long-term results: Insects can’t develop resistance to natural methods.
- Garden protection: Chemical treatments damage your lawn and garden over time, while natural approaches support plant health.
- Preserves beneficial insects: Natural methods target specific pests without killing helpful pollinators like bees and butterflies.
- Pet and family safety: Natural solutions are pet-safe treatments that don’t risk harming children and pets through exposure.
- Home continuity: Unlike fumigation, which requires evacuation, natural methods allow you to maintain normal household activities.
Finding Balance
Natural methods let you target harmful pests while protecting the creatures that help your yard flourish.
By working with nature instead of against it, you create a sustainable ecosystem that essentially manages itself. You’ll spend less time fighting pests and more time enjoying your outdoor space.
These natural solutions work just as well as chemicals for the most common garden pests. Try them in between scheduled visits from a pest control expert, and you’ll discover that nature provides everything you need to keep your garden healthy and pest-free.
