19 OCT 2019
Trees are gorgeous adornments for any garden or yard. Unfortunately, pests also find them to be wonderful housing as well. Maintaining a beautiful garden is a fulfilling and humbling practice, especially when you understand the complexities of the ecosystem. It is even more so when you prefer to adhere to organic protocols.
When it comes to keeping your crops healthy and protected from invasive pests, there are a number of options to do so with natural repellents. Sesmas Tree Service is happy to help fight off these pests. The following are some of our suggested natural repellents for tree pests. If you have any questions, then please feel free to call our office directly to speak with a professional arborist.
Invite the Birds to Dinner and Breakfast and Lunch!
We can all agree that it is better to have chirping birds around the garden than plant- and leaf-munching insects. Fortunately, birds love to feast on insects. Early bird gets the worm and many birds can rid your garden of unwanted pests. Try luring bug-eating birds to your garden by placing a lovely birdbath and a bird feeder onsite. Remember to regularly fill the birdbath with fresh water to keep the birds from picking at fruits for the juice. Also keep the bird feeder filled with seeds from late autumn to early spring to keep the birds coming so that they find their way back and feed on the insects at hand when spring and summer comes around.
Consider Some Extra Plants
It might be tempting to resort to chemicals to fight back against mosquitos, gnats, flies, and other pesky bugs, but there is a more aesthetic and healthy option: herbs and ornamental flowers.
Basil is delicious in salads and enhances the flavor of certain vegetables, but it also doubles as a bug repellent against mosquitos and flies. Lavender has been used for its wonderful fragrance for centuries but insects such as moths, fleas, flies, and mosquitoes are not as fond of the smell as humans are. The final herb we want to mention is mint. We recommend planting these in pots as they do tend to spread aggressively. Mint is great to freshen your breath, flavor your iced tea, and repel mosquitoes.
Flowers in the allium family are widely regarded as natural insecticides that can repel slugs, carrot flies, and cabbage worms. Chrysanthemums, meanwhile, can adorn your garden while repelling roaches, ants, ticks, beetles, lice, fleas, bedbugs, mite, and more. Nasturtiums are another beautiful option. They repel whiteflies, squash bugs, aphids, and many beetles.
Natural & Homemade Insecticides
How about some more simple options? If you do not have enough space in your yard or prefer to keep your yard minimalist, then try some of these homemade insecticides that are effective and easy to put together.
Mixing one cup of vegetable oil with one tablespoon of soap and shake well. When ready, add two teaspoons of the mix with every one quart of water and shake thoroughly. Spray this mix directly on the surface of invaded plants to get rid of those pesky pests. If you have a soft spot for insects and prefer a repellent as opposed to an insecticide, consider garlic sprays. Take two whole bulbs, puree them in a blender with a quart of water. Let this mixture sit overnight then add cup of vegetable oil, a teaspoon of mild liquid soap, and use one cup of mixture with each quart of water. Spray on infested plants and watch the pests escape.
If you have any questions or concerns, then feel free to call our local office. Sesmas Tree Service is committed to helping our community grow healthy trees and maintain beautiful gardens. Our professional arborists are ready to take your call.
