The most bountiful gardens often have the highest number of seasonal visitors – and we’re not just talking about your next-door neighbor! Every successful gardener wants to welcome helpful insects to their garden and bar the troublemakers. But how can you keep your garden safe from damaging pests without compromising the safety of your harvest?
Apple Pest Control has organized this guide to help you understand your options when it comes to organic pest control. Whether you’ve spotted one suspicious critter or your garden is overrun, we have the solution for you. From physical barriers and product suggestions to companion planting and professional interventions, you can trust us to provide the best garden pest control in San Antonio.
Common Garden Pests
For many south Texas gardeners, there are three main garden pests: mosquitoes, ants and wasps. Apple Pest Control has experience treating over a dozen categories of common backyard pests and insects. You can trust us to eliminate the critters so you can get back to enjoying your garden. If you’re not quite ready to call in the professionals, read on to learn about some organic pest control options you can try yourself.
Organic Pest Control Options
While there is an ever-growing list of organic pest control options out there, we’re going to cover three proven methods. First, companion planting helps to ward off pests interested in laying eggs. For instance, growing catnip near squash plants can deter squash bugs. In addition to helpful plants, you can introduce beneficial insects that prey on other insects. One of the most popular beneficial insects are ladybugs, which feast on aphids. Lastly, there are organic sprays and soil additives that can help rid your garden of unwanted bugs. Some gardeners swear by applying powdered eggshells around their tomato plants to keep slugs away.
Companion Planting
Certain plant species produce chemicals that can deter and sometimes kill specific insect species. For instance, chrysanthemums contain a chemical compound called pyrethrin that makes them lethal to ants, mosquitoes, flies, fleas and many other bugs. Some more plants perfect for companion gardening are:
- Marigold – to deter mosquitoes and cabbage worms
- Rosemary – drives away flies and mosquitoes
- Lemongrass – a popular mosquito repellant
- Nasturtium – one of the best trap crops for aphids
- Dill – to attract hornworms away from tomatoes
By planting herbs and flowers near your vegetables, you can deter unwanted insects from damaging your garden.
Beneficial Insects
In addition to pairing beneficial plants with your vegetable crops, you may also consider introducing beneficial insects onto the scene. Only purchase beneficial insects from reputable sources and research the impact of introducing these species into your area. There are many species of insect that prove helpful to the home gardener. Some examples are:
- Assassin bugs
- Parasitic wasps
- Ladybugs
- Lacewings
- Praying mantises
These predatory creatures will hunt and eliminate the destructive pests in your garden, leaving your vegetables unharmed.
Organic Applications
Sometimes even the most detail-oriented gardener finds themself at a loss. If you’re tired of manually picking pests off your leaves, there are a few soil additives and products you can use to eliminate pests.
- Insecticidal soap
- Essential oils
- Neem oil
- Diatomaceous earth
Make sure to fully research a product before applying it to your plants. Some methods can cause leaf wilt, sunburn or even stunt vegetable production.
Professional Pest Control
Apple Pest Control utilizes natural products to help reduce the over-reliance on toxic chemicals. While we’re not 100% organic, our approach does emphasize the natural option over the chemical option. In addition to our commitment to quality, we also offer coupon opportunities to help our customers save.
You can trust Apple Pest Control to take care of your pest problem without exposing your family to dangerous chemical products. Get back to the garden and leave the pests to us.
Banish Pests with Apple Pest Control
When it’s time to call in back-up, trust our team to help rid your space of unwanted pests. Our top pest control solutions include:
- Low-impact, natural insecticidal products
- Natural solutions classes to develop your natural pest control regimen
- Weep hole services
Pest Control for San Antonio Gardens
Whether you’re interested in protecting your tomatoes from hornworms or your cabbages from moths, you can rely on tried-and-true organic methods. Set your garden up for a successful season and keep your family safe from toxic pesticides. Feeling overwhelmed? Turn to the pest control professionals at Apple Pest Control to help you grow the garden of your dreams. Contact us today for more information!
