How to Keep Bugs Away From Plants Organically

Ladybugs offer natural pest control.

Experienced gardeners know that insects are a natural and necessary part of a healthy landscape. Bees and butterflies pollinate flowers, while insect larvae often mix and aerate soil. Insects, of course, are not all beneficial. Sometimes they cause damage by eating plant leaves and buds, sucking plant juices, boring into roots and tubers or eating fruit. The fast response would be to grab a pesticide and start spraying, but many people are concerned about the toxicity of these products. The good news is that many pests can be managed organically.

Things You'll Need

• Garden hose
• Insecticidal soap
• Bacillus thuringiensis

Instructions

1. Spray aphids and other soft-bodied insects with a strong spray from a hose. The bugs will fall to the ground where they will not recover.

2. Plant strong-smelling herbs and flowers as companions to vulnerable plants. Many insects locate food by smell, and the pungent odor of other plants can cause confusion and send them away. Marigold, mint, wormwood and catnip are just a few plants useful for this purpose.

3. Encourage ladybugs, praying mantis, lace bugs, beneficial wasp larvae and other beneficial insects by not spraying their larvae. Learn to recognize the adult insects and their larvae. Indiscriminate spraying eliminates beneficial insects as well as pests.

4. Introduce ladybugs and other beneficial insects to the garden if they are not already present. They are available at local garden centers and from online retailers. Release ladybugs in the shade in the evening so they don't overheat in the sun and fly away to a new home. Praying mantis cocoons and wasp larvae, likewise, are available for purchase.

5. Spray tough insect infestations with insecticidal soap. These products are effective against aphids, mites, larvae and other soft-bodied creatures that feed on outside plant parts. Use a product that is labeled for both the pest and the host plant.

6. Apply Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) to control stem-boring and root-sucking larvae. Choose a strain of Bt that is labeled for the target pest and apply according to label directions to avoid killing beneficial insect larvae.

References

• Cornell University Department of Horticulture; Integrated Pest Management Of Roses; Carolyn Klass, et al.; October 2010
• University of Nebraska Extension; Insect & Disease Control for Organic Gardeners; 2011
• University of Kentucky College of Agriculture; Ladybugs; Ric Bessin; January 2010