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Pest Control For Your DeLand-Area Garden

During the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a considerable increase in people taking the time and energy to enjoy their gardens. At first, we suspect this was due to the number of people who spent time at home, quarantining from the world. But now, as the state of Florida has opened up, it’s clear that gardening is a trendy hobby that is here to stay.

Whether you have a vibrant flower garden, a delicious edible garden, or something in between, there is one thing that all gardeners have in common. Pests are the bane of gardener’s existence and can be highly frustrating for the amateur who doesn’t know how to properly fight against them. Even longtime gardeners will fight against one pest or another during each growing season. No matter where you fall on this spectrum, we have some advice that will help.

The following tips and tricks are simple ways you can keep pests at bay on your property, but they are not a substitute for professional pest control. If you want long-term success against pests and critters that try to take up residence around your home, we have a variety of services that will help you.

Attract Predators

Think of a bug you just can’t stand around your garden. Some common garden pests that come up in the DeLand area are caterpillars, aphids, or slugs. One easy way to eliminate those pests is to introduce something that will eat it.  For example, birds eat caterpillars and slugs. If you introduce birds by placing a bird feeder, birdhouse, or birdbath in your garden area, you may be able to eliminate the pests that are eating your crops. 

Another example is that ladybugs love to eat aphids, so introducing some adorable ladybugs may help eliminate these frustrating pests. It’s essential to do your research to determine where these pests are coming from, and what kind of caterpillars you’re working with. Many types of caterpillars transform into beautiful butterflies and might be worth keeping. Research the predators of your least favorite pests, and let mother nature do what she does best!

Build A Barrier

Pests will come to your garden from all directions. Some dig in from underground and eat the roots, some come from above, and others creep across the ground. By taking interventions to create barriers for pests, you can keep them away from your favorite plants. Many vegetable gardeners lay ground cover down across the ground to keep weeds from cropping up. This can also help keep critters like moles from digging up your plants from below. Create a prickly or slippery barrier to prevent pests that crawl along their bellies. You can use cuttings from thorny plants or even eggshells. And finally, birds and squirrels love fruits and vegetables as much as we do. If you notice that your crops are becoming the midday snack of a greedy rodent, cover them up. You can use a greenhouse or even netting to create a barrier between your plants and the animals that would like to eat them.

Make It Scented

Many gardeners swear by aromatic plants as a natural pest control. The idea is that when grown amongst your other plants, they deter pests and, in some cases, attract predators. Some popular options are citronella, mint, catnip, and lemongrass. Not only do they keep pests away, but some of these pest deterring plants are delicious herbs to use in your kitchen. Even if this pest control experiment doesn’t work, you’ll end up with a heartier crop next season. 

Call In The Professionals

We don’t like to get into the habit of directing people toward DIY pest control methods because often, they don’t do the trick. We’re simply not in the business of giving bad advice. We do, however, support a good experiment and think you should give these tips a try. If they don’t work, it’s probably time to call in a professional pest control company. Companies like ours have decades of experience servicing homes and gardens like yours. And in that time, we’ve gotten good at problem-solving.

There has been a lot of hardship to come out of the last year. One wonderful thing we’ve enjoyed seeing is the care and attention that people have given to their homes, lawns, and gardens. Pride of place is an essential factor in building beautiful and vibrant communities, and it’s right in our wheelhouse. Our team of pest control experts is enthusiastic about serving the homeowners in the DeLand area, and we would love to work with you too. If you’re interested in learning more about our services, contact us anytime.

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