How to keep bugs off the plants

[CrazyCatLady]

I'm looking for some advice on how to keep the bugs off the plants in the garden.
In past years I would have just sprayed stuff on there to kill them once they were on (green fly / white fly etc), but am hoping I can do something now to stop them even infesting the plants before spring/summer.
Thanks xxx

 

[ledboots]

My mom, a master gardener, sprayed a weak mixture of garlic powder, red chili pepper flakes and water. Tomatoes were tasty, too! ;-)

 

[CrazyCatLady]

Thanks!!
Ill make some up and start spraying! How often does she do it please? Xxx

 

[ledboots]

She would do it weekly or if she saw bugs, or after the rain washed it off. Mom would also hand pick any slugs or other invaders.

The rabbits were the real issue in the garden.

 

[CrazyCatLady]

Thanks! I'd heard that my washing up water could stop the ants on my apple and cherry trees...do you or your mum know if this is true please? Lol, ta xxx

 

[KLS52]

Coincidentally, my daughter just gave me a book for my kindle for my birthday...it's about keeping all kinds of bugs away with natural remedies. I'll try and post some of them once I check out the book.

 

[CrazyCatLady]

Coincidentally, my daughter just gave me a book for my kindle for my birthday...it's about keeping all kinds of bugs away with natural remedies. I'll try and post some of them once I check out the book.

That would be great, thank you. May I ask what the book is called please? Xxx

 

[ledboots]

Thanks! I'd heard that my washing up water could stop the ants on my apple and cherry trees...do you or your mum know if this is true please? Lol, ta xxx

Yes she did that too. Also she sprayed a bay leaf mixture on the fruit trees that ants like. She would spray around the trunk low down. Ants hate bay leaves I guess and avoid them.

 

[CrazyCatLady]

I need to invest in some spray bottles! Xxx

 

[KLS52]

Natural Solutions to Things That Bug You - by Dr. Miles H. Bader

 

[CrazyCatLady]

Natural Solutions to Things That Bug You - by Dr. Miles H. Bader

Thanks. Tried to find it but only available on kindle and in the U.S. as far as I can see :-( boo xxx

 

[ledboots]

Some tips here, some not vegan. Scroll down and there are some ideas. http://eartheasy.com/grow_nat_pest_cntrl.htm

 

[Pickle Juice]

I need to invest in some spray bottles! Xxx

If you have trees you might want to buy a compressed air sprayer. They have larger capacities and you pump them full of air so that all you have to do once they are pressurized is turn on the nozzle. That way you won't wear yourself out squeezing the handle of a manual sprayer.

You can also try companion plantings. Plant things with yellow flowers to attract the aphids. Ants often go where the aphids are, because they collect them and milk them for their sweet sap. Keeping the aphids out of your trees will probably keep the ants out. You don't want to let the ants get the aphids, as they will only culture them and increase their numbers by protecting them from their natural enemies. Kinda like how people do with cows. Though I daresay the ants treat their aphids a lot more kindly.

Sorry, forgot to say that aphids are greenfly.

 

[CrazyCatLady]

If you have trees you might want to buy a compressed air sprayer. They have larger capacities and you pump them full of air so that all you have to do once they are pressurized is turn on the nozzle. That way you won't wear yourself out squeezing the handle of a manual sprayer.

You can also try companion plantings. Plant things with yellow flowers to attract the aphids. Ants often go where the aphids are, because they collect them and milk them for their sweet sap. Keeping the aphids out of your trees will probably keep the ants out. You don't want to let the ants get the aphids, as they will only culture them and increase their numbers by protecting them from their natural enemies. Kinda like how people do with cows. Though I daresay the ants treat their aphids a lot more kindly.

Sorry, forgot to say that aphids are greenfly.

Thanks for the tips!
The biggest thing I have is a small apple tree. That and the small cherry tree get the black ants. A bush nearby with some yellow and some green get the greenfly. There are a few mounds down the garden with red ants but they just keep to themselves if I avoid them with the lawn mower! Xxx

 

[FortyTwo]

The aphid/ant thing has always amused me. It's basically what happened in the early human transition to domestication of wild animals, except the ants don't kill their aphids.

On-topic, right... good luck with your garden!

ETA: I'd never heard the term 'greenfly' before so I looked it up on Google Images to see if it was British and sure enough, one of the first things to come up...

Try to read that with any other accent but English. You can't.

 

[Tom L.]

I've been thinking about this, too. I was picking out seeds for my community garden plot and they had a lot of leftover Habanero Pepper plant seeds. Okay- I've tried Habaneros and they're just not my thing- I can eat jalapenos straight, raw, but Habaneros are just painful/nasty. But I was wondering if a spray of ground-up habaneros would have the same effect on critters who want to munch my vegetables?

I've heard that Garlic is a good repellent too, but I want to keep all of that for ME. I've personally elevated it to its own food group. I recently added peppermint and oregano to my herb garden and am experimenting with other strong-smelling-or-tasting herbs (those that are easy to grow anyway). Whatever I can't use in my dinner I can hopefully use to drive away pests.

 

[ledboots]

I've been thinking about this, too. I was picking out seeds for my community garden plot and they had a lot of leftover Habanero Pepper plant seeds. Okay- I've tried Habaneros and they're just not my thing- I can eat jalapenos straight, raw, but Habaneros are just painful/nasty. But I was wondering if a spray of ground-up habaneros would have the same effect on critters who want to munch my vegetables?

I've heard that Garlic is a good repellent too, but I want to keep all of that for ME. I've personally elevated it to its own food group. I recently added peppermint and oregano to my herb garden and am experimenting with other strong-smelling-or-tasting herbs (those that are easy to grow anyway). Whatever I can't use in my dinner I can hopefully use to drive away pests.

Sounds like a good idea. Marigold flowers keep some things away and are pretty, too.

 

[EnriqueSmith]

Greenhouse whiteflies, spider mites, mealybugs, fungus gnats, aphids, and springtails are some of the common bugs that may damage your indoor and outdoor plants. It is very important to know which type of bugs have invaded your house and to get the effective solution immediately. There are several ways to get rid of bugs on houseplants. You can start by washing your plants repeatedly with jets of water, which will help curb aphid and spider mite population. Hand picking method can be used to control larger houseplant bugs like mealy bugs. Vacuuming can help get rid of whiteflies. Moreover, trapping some of these insects using bright colored sticky cards can also be very useful. If these solutions do not work consult the pest control North Jersey like professionals for an effective solution.

 

[Andy_T]

Moreover, trapping some of these insects using bright colored sticky cards can also be very useful.

Glue traps are not exactly something that is seen as compassionate ...

 

[Katrina]

Sounds like a good idea. Marigold flowers keep some things away and are pretty, too.

Yeah, that's what I ended up doing this year. Marigolds are supposed to repel the tomato wormhorn and some other pests. And I'm planning to mix in some garlic with my parsnips, since garlic repels the carrot fly.