3 Ways to Safely Practice Garden Pest Control

After you have spent your time, energy and effort trying to cultivate a beautiful, healthy garden, the last thing you want to see is leaves filled with holes, mangled blossoms, or vegetables that have been gnawed on by tiny little teeth. Unfortunately, for many gardeners, the garden pests that can cause this kind of damage (like insects, birds and gophers) are an unfortunate fact of life.

There are many ways to practice pest control, and protect your garden from the insects and rodents that might damage it. But too many of these solutions are less than safe. For example, there are some you shouldn't use on the vegetables you intend to feed your family and friends. Others can be harmful to anyone who simply walks through your garden. And still others can actually damage the plants they are supposed to protect.

Here are some are some safer, more organic forms of pest control.

Get Physical

Manual pest control can take time and effort, but it's also very effective. You should regularly pick through your garden, and take care of any problems you come across by hand. Move the leaves aside to make sure there is nothing hiding underneath. If you see any little critters on your plants, remove them. If you find any holes, either fill them up or cover them so nothing can come through. And you should also break up any clods of dirt you find. These dirt clods make great hiding spots for the pests you are trying to get rid of.

Consider Organic Pest Control

While chemical insecticides certainly do their job, they aren't always the safest alternative. Instead, why not consider some organic pest control options? You can make pest control solutions using ingredients that won't harm your plants, and won't leave harmful residues on your vegetables. For example, a solution of water, vegetable oil and liquid soap can help you get rid of aphids.

Not All Insects Are Bad

You may have heard about how some insects are beneficial, and perform good deeds in the natural world. And that's true of your garden, too. There are some insects that not only won't harm your plants, but will actually help get rid of the insects that will do damage to your garden. Doing everything you can to attract the beneficial insects to your garden is a great form of organic pest control.

When looking for a means of garden pest control, you want to choose a method that is both effective and safe.