It was a balmy 73 degrees today. (Seventy-three degrees in March in Wisconsin—that’s something to brag about.) Our family took advantage of the beautiful weather by visiting a local wildlife sanctuary. After I got a good look at the critters there I came home and surveyed our yard and garden. Lo and behold, not five minutes into my inspection, a big fat fly landed on my arm. (Ah, the welcoming committee doesn’t miss a beat.)
With the spring thaw in progress it won’t be long before I am battling bugs and other garden-loving pests. In previous blogs I’ve written about the dangers of chemical pesticides, but I haven’t really touched on the topic of “biological controls.” Studies show that birds, insects and other living organisms can control many pest populations.
The key is finding a way to use a pest’s natural predators to spare your garden. For example, bats eat thousands of bugs in one night. While ladybugs eat mealy bugs, whiteflies, and mites. I’ve also found having spiders, beetles, dragonflies, and ants around help keep bigger pests away.
If you don’t happen to be raising a child who loves to collect the aforementioned bugs you can buy and release predatory insects from gardening catalogs and magazines. Some of the most popular pest controllers include parasitoids such as wasps that lay their eggs inside the eggs or bodies of insects. Once the eggs hatch, the offspring kill their hosts.
You could also try using microscopic pathogens such as fungi, bacteria and viruses to control unwanted pests. A good example is the milky sport disease, which attacks Japanese beetles. This type of biological pesticide is sold at most hardware and garden stores.
Be warned (and be patient) the results are not immediate. However, over time you may find that one or a combination of these non-chemical treatments may be just what you need to rid your garden of unwanted visitors.
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