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Farms help society; however, bugs hurt farms. Sadly, these bugs can turn your vegetable beds into a picnic bar. If you do not act, they can ruin your effort and frustrate your dream of having freshly grown farm produce.
This calls for a tactical approach to dealing with bugs. There are simple steps you can take to get rid of bugs without harming your plants. This article sheds light on some methods you can try today.
Add Beneficial Insects
Not all bugs are bad, as some as even essential to the balance of the ecosystem. Some insects assist with pollination and breaking up soil manure. Ladybugs, for instance, is one fantastic insect that helps destroy garden insects and pests. Some of the meals of ladybugs are mites, aphids, larvae, and eggs of many of these annoying insects. Other useful bugs are lacewings, praying manties, parasitic wasps, etc.
If you want to use ladybugs or other beneficial insects, make sure you do not use any chemical or insecticides before releasing the insect. You can purchase such insects from horticultural supply firms.
Another way to get these insects into your farm is to cultivate plants that will attract them. Be sure to diversify the plants to attract various insects that will keep bugs in check. A few of these plants are:
- Marigolds
- Carrots
- Tansy
- Parsley
- Dill
- Zinnia
Cultivate Bug Repelling Plants
Besides attacking and trying to get rid of insects, a good approach is to make your garden uncomfortable for them. The best method of attack is defense, they say. With bug-repelling plants, you can ward off insects and enjoy your garden in peace.
A few of these plants placed strategically in your garden can go a long way to keep bugs off. A few of these plants are:
Basil: basil is a useful plant that will immensely benefit your garden. Basil is rich in oil that destroys mosquito eggs. This is, in addition to repelling flies.
Beans: You might purchase the best Cannabis seeds for sale in the market; without the right soil nutrient, the chance of survival is minimal. With beans, your soil will get enough nitrogen, which helps ensure optimal growth and survival. This is in addition to the insect repelling capacity of bugs.
Marigolds: marigold is another class of bug-repelling plants you can try. Marigold helps repel flies and insects by releasing limonene. Limonene is a turn off for aphids and mosquitoes.
Rosemary: Rosemary will repel mosquitoes. Besides, there are vital insecticides in rosemary – camphor and 1.8-cineole. These help keep your garden plant from bug infestation.
Lavender: We love lavender as it helps relieve anxiety and aids our sleep. It is also pretty beneficial in the garden as flies, mosquitoes, and moths find it repelling. With a few planted strategically around, you can keep pests and bugs off.
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Use Poisonous Gas to Kill all Bugs
You can make your pesticides with household items. The advantage of this is that you will spend way less compared to the price of a pesticide.
A combination of potassium permanganate and hydrochloric acid releases potent chlorine gas. Bear in mind, however, that these are toxic chemicals that are harmful to man, especially in concentrated form.
In the absence of the chemicals recommended above, bleach and ammonia work as a substitute. Make sure to use a mask and other protective gears before releasing this gas.
Try Homemade Soap Spray Solution
With two teaspoons of liquid dishwashing soap, you can make your own homemade soap spray solution. Be sure, however, to keep it mild and mix in a quart of water. We do not recommend detergent used in the dishwasher but the ones used in washing dishes by hand.
You can get rid of aphids, mites, mealybugs, powdery mildew, and other soft-bodied pests with soap spray. If you are looking to keep your cannabis plant safe from bugs at your shop, then something like Mike’s Worldwide Smoke Shop Distributor may come in handy for you.
Practice Crop Rotation
Crop rotation is an ancient practice in agriculture. This involves switching the type of crops you plant in your garden every year or planting season. Planting the same kind of crop year in year out will make the bugs happy. They will simply lurk somewhere, wait for the next planting season to attack. Since their food is intact, reproduction will be in top gear, which could lead to severe infestation.
Rotating crops come with many advantages. In addition to keeping pests off your garden, you also get to conserve soil nutrients. Corn or squash, for instance, depletes soil nitrogen. Planting beans, the following year will help enrich the soil with nitrogen.
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Keep Your Garden Clean
In other words, make sure your garden is free from fallen branches and leaves. These components’ decaying provides the perfect breeding ground for garden bugs, fungus, and other insects. Make sure to try and clear your garden of debris every time you can.
Also, get rid of stagnant water as it creates breeding space for mosquitoes and other bugs.
Conclusion
There are many things that can frustrate a farmer’s effort, and one of them is a bug. They do not mind ruining days and months of hard work if left alone. With the tips discussed here, you can make your garden uncomfortable for bugs and have a worthwhile harvest of your favorite plants.
