Several Eco-Friendly Approaches for Managing Pests

Insects and bugs can often play important roles within different ecosystems, because they can be a food source for animals, or they can even help decompose dead plant matter. But, there are also many insects and unwanted pests which invade gardens, herbs, and crops, and they can impede even the best prepared landscaping or gardening plans.

 

Traditional pesticides can sometimes be a quick and surefire way to eliminate insects, aphids, or other potential pests that are living in your yard. Some of these pesticides are highly selective and can even focus on just targeting specific pests. However, there are many other eco-friendly alternatives that you can try before turning to potentially harsh chemicals available on the market. Some of these chemicals can be unsafe for human ingestion as well, so you might not want to put them on your favorite basil plant. This article will discuss three different eco-friendly approaches for better managing pests in your yard.

 

Regular Trimming & Cut Back Overgrown Greenery: It is important to routinely mow your lawn and prune back any overgrown plants. Lawns that have lengthy grass can create homes for unwanted insects and pests, so it can be important to mow your lawn as needed to prevent pests from moving in. Shorter grass can also make it easier for local wildlife and birds to graze on any pests living in your lawn, since they can spot prey easier in shorter grass. It can also be important to cut back any other overgrown plants, trees, shrubs, to prevent overcrowding your space. Yards overcrowded with greenery are often a great place for pests to live, since it can provide them with many options for shelter and cover from local predators, and so it is important to cut back overgrown greenery regularly. By keeping a well maintained yard, with well pruned plants and plenty of open space, you can better keep pests under control, and make it harder for them to hide from birds and other predators.

 

Attract Local Wildlife to Your Yard: Insects and unwanted pests can be a nuisance for many gardeners, but they are often still an important part of local wildlife. Many birds and other animals need them for food, and so oftentimes they can be good allies with pest management, and there are steps that you can take to attract them to your yards. For example, if you wish to attract local birds, you could add a birdhouse or bird bath to your yard. By attracting local wildlife to your yard or garden, you can encourage them to graze on any nearby pests. Besides, if you provide birds with convenient and easy shelter, then they have more time to look for food in your yard. 

 

Consider Adding Pest Repelling Plants or Materials: There are many different kinds of trees and plants that have unique scents with innate insect repelling properties. Citronella is a common garden plant that has special chemicals, like citronellal and citronellol, which naturally repel pests like mosquitos, making them a great ornamental plant near outdoor patios. However, many of these pest repelling plants, in addition citronella, can also be toxic to pets, so just be sure to find the right plants that match your landscaping goals. Alternatively, you can turn to different insect repelling woods and materials, like cedar fencing. With cedar, it contains unique chemicals like cedrol and cedrene, which can have a disorienting effect on many pests like mosquitos. Mosquitos have a difficult time functioning normally in the presence of these chemicals, and so it can discourage them from going near your landscape. The ability of pest repelling fencing may dwindle over time, as the fence gets worn down and dries out, but they can still be helpful for repelling specific kinds of pests. 

There are many different natural and environmentally friendly ways to manage pests in your yard or garden, and you might not need to turn to harsh pesticides. Regularly landscaping and caring for your greenery can accomplish a lot on its own. You can even turn to other natural solutions as well, such as attracting local birds, or by using pest repelling plants and materials in your landscaping plans for your yard. Controlling and managing pests can be a nuisance, but there are eco-friendly steps and approaches you can take to start managing pests better today or as needed.