Spring is here and gardeners throughout Idaho are anxious to get started on their gardens. Before you start plotting your rows or breaking ground, it is important to consider which plants you will display in your garden and whether they will attract insects. While some plants bring beneficial insects to your yard, others bring pests that may destroy your plants, and that you will have to deal with until the fall. Below, one of our pest control experts explains further.
Plants that Attract Beneficial Insects to Your Yard
If you are new to gardening, you may not realize that some insects are beneficial for gardens. For example, Asian lady beetles are very good for gardens. These insects are often mistaken for ladybugs because they have the same cheerful and colorful polka dots. However, Asian lady beetles are enthusiastic carnivores and they devour a large number of plant-eating pests, such as aphids.
Pirate bugs are also predators and they will feast on spider mites, aphids, whiteflies, thrips, and caterpillars. All of these pests will quickly munch on garden leaves and destroy them. Hoverflies, assassin bugs, parasitic mini-wasps, and lacewings are all beneficial insects that can also reduce the number of pests that may invade your garden.
To attract the above insects, plant the following in your gardens:
- Queen Anne’s lace
- Fern-leaf yarrow
- Angelica
- Carpet bugleweed
- English lavender
Plants that Repel Pests
Establishing a strong pest defense for your garden is like any other good investment. You should diversify to reap the biggest benefits. It is important to add plants that repel pests to your main gardens and throughout your yard to create another layer of protection and to keep your garden beautiful and healthy.
You can ward off flies, mosquitoes, and biting insects by planting rosemary, basil, and mint in your spice gardens. Some plants can help you reduce the number of ticks, cockroaches, aphids, and beetles in your space. These include chrysanthemums, marigolds, petunias, and even catnip. Chrysanthemums, in fact, naturally provide one of the safest and most popular pesticides in the world.
Caring for Your Plants
The way in which you arrange your garden and take care of it can have a significant impact on pest control. Plants should be given plenty of room to grow and breathe, and proper air circulation will make your plants less desirable to pests. Also, water in the morning so you do not burn the plants. Make sure the water soaks the soil a minimum of eight inches below the surface.
Lastly, taking care of your entire yard can also keep pests to a minimum. Keep your lawn short so insects do not have a place to live and hide, and trim your hedges to keep pests off of your property.
Our Pest Control Experts in Idaho Can Help
Now that the spring thaw has set in, pests are going to become more abundant. At Pestcom Pest Management, our Idaho pest control experts can provide the advice you need to prevent pests from invading and get rid of an infestation should they make their way in. Call us now at (986) 214-0953 or contact us online to schedule a free pest control inspection.