Are bugs slowly taking over your precious garden?
Well, I might have a way, or rather a few ways you can stop them.
This article will walk you through 7 strategies you can implement to eliminate bugs from your garden and make it a safer place for growing plants WITHOUT using any harsh chemicals.
Let’s get straight into it, shall we?
7 Natural Bug Repellents For My Garden (Pest Control)
7 – Plant Lavender
Planting lavender in your garden will not only keep pests and bugs out but also beautify the place and make it a lot more fragrant.
Because lavender emits a naturally strong scent, bugs find it unpleasant to come anywhere near the plant.
If planting and growing lavender sounds like too much work, you can make a homemade bug-repellent spray using a tablespoon of lavender essential oil and a gallon of water. Just spray this solution across your entire garden every once in a while and see how quickly bugs flee the place.
6 – Plant Basil
Basil in the garden will provide plants relief from unnecessary bug and pest stress. Basil works because it emits certain compounds that pests find incredibly unattractive.
Yes, this method might take a little longer and isn’t an instant fix but, in the long run, you’ll be thankful that you have basil in the garden protecting other plants.
5 – Scatter Citrus Peels
Citrus peels contain natural oils that repel certain pests and mosquitoes.
After juicing limes or peeling oranges, instead of throwing the peels away as waste, scatter them around your garden, especially near plants that might be affected by the pests.
4 – Diatomaceous Earth
Diatomaceous earth or DE is a natural powder made from fossilized algae. When it comes in contact with pests and bugs, it dehydrates them, which eventually leads to death.
The good thing about DE powder is that it’s completely harmless to pets and humans, meaning it only works to eliminate insects with exoskeletons.
Simply cover plants and affected areas of the garden with DE powder and watch how quickly it eradicates pest growth.
3 – Peppermint Oil Spray
Pests and bugs are particularly sensitive to strong scents like that of peppermint. They find it unpleasant and stay as far away from it as possible.
Planting a good amount of peppermint in your garden can actually help ward off pests and keep surrounding plants safe.
However, if you don’t want to plant or don’t have the space for peppermint in the garden, simply make a solution out of peppermint oil and water and spray affected areas of the garden with it for a similar pest-repelling effect.
2 – Plant Marigolds
Planting marigolds in the garden is another natural solution to pest and bug problems.
They emit a scent that repels your average garden pests and it’s strong enough to significantly lower the chances of them coming back.
The best practice would be to plant marigolds around the entire parameter of your garden. They’ll add beauty and serve a useful purpose.
1 – Scatter Eggshells
Scatter crushed eggshells around your garden and in places where pest activity is high. The abrasive texture of eggshells is rather disruptive to snails and certain soft-bodied pests, meaning that they likely won’t be able to cross over to the garden.
This trick is a little unconventional but it certainly works.
You can also sprinkle some crushed eggshells at the base of your garden plants to keep pests and bugs from crawling onto them.
Final Words
Pest control methods don’t change. Certain effective, time-proven strategies worked back in the day, and, to no surprise, they still work!
Naturally, there are only so many ways to keep pests out of the garden.
One can employ taste deterrents, scent deterrents, or physical barriers and that’s about it. However, taking the natural route when it comes to pest or bug-repelling will save you from a lot of potentially harmful side effects that can come with the use of chemical pesticides.
