How to keep pests out of your vegetable garden for good

How to keep pests out of your vegetable garden for good

The garden is one of the best sanctuaries that we have from the stresses of daily life, and yet there are a few things that can make tending to a garden stressful in its own way. One of the biggest problems for many people who are trying to grow either fruits or vegetables at their home is the sudden appearance and constant presence of pests such as rodents and ants that can overtake and destroy your plants before you know it.

To prepare yourself for the problem of pests, first you should examine your garden and see what you can do to make it less attractive in the first place for certain species of pests. Often times it is the case that a place only gets infested because there is something that is considered irresistible to the insects or rodents in question, and usually that object is food of one kind or another.

Since you won’t be able to get rid of all of the possible food that pests can eat in your garden, preventing them from getting in in the first place is a viable option. Here are a few tips on how to keep all sorts of pests out and how to get rid of them even if they do get into your garden.

Prevention
The best way to keep your garden safe is to plan and invest in some preventative measures that will keep all kinds of pests out for good.

The best option if there are no pests in the garden are usually repellents, of which there are many choices. These, if properly applied, will help to ensure that the garden is seen as off limits by pests from roaches to ants and rodents; even larger animals such as deer and raccoons will not be tempted to venture in and steal your food. One huge benefit of most commercially available repellents is that they are non-toxic and often eco-friendly, definitely more so than most pesticides, so using them is a good way to keep your garden safe without harming the animals or the environment.

Eradication
Should preventative treatments such as repellents not result in the desired amount of protection, and bugs or rodents do find their way into your garden there is only one thing that can be done, and that is the complete elimination of the problem pests. Luckily this is easier in most cases than it might appear at first. The key to successful pest control is planning ahead and knowing the habits of whatever pests you are trying to control.

For insects such as roaches, ants and the like, it’s best to use a simple sprayed on pesticide. Although it’s important to use one that is approved for use in and around a garden, as there are certainly some pesticides on the market that are not safe for use on or around food and food products.

Once you have chosen a good pesticide to use, it is important to treat both where you find pests and around the entire perimeter of the garden to keep more of the insects from coming in in search of a free meal.

• Prevention is best achieved through the use of repellents, and also through the use of pesticides with a long residual action. Meaning that they are still able to kill insects that attempt to cross through them even many months after their initial application. Most products like this however are safe for humans, pets and children once they dry, which usually takes about an hour or so.
• Eradication is a worst-case scenario, but is much easier than you might think, especially if you set up a perimeter of pesticide around your garden away from the actual plants. This will serve to keep them safe while still protecting them from the harmful effects of the pesticide.

Following the simple advice contained in this post will help to keep your vegetable garden healthy year round so you can continue enjoying all the fresh food you desire.

Author Bio
Sam Gerald has written many articles on home improvement, and his areas of expertise include both gardening and pest control.