| Once you have a beautiful garden growing and | | | | nursery is often where I got the best information |
| you've retired for the night seeing that all is well, it | | | | when I had a customer with some pest or fungi |
| can be frustrating when, in the morning you find | | | | that I didn't know how to eradicate. |
| that some of your plants have been near eaten | | | | Another problem you may have in the garden is |
| to the stock. "By Gum!" you exclaim. Right? | | | | birds, used to be when I saw birds in my garden I |
| Well, the garden is green and lovely and good for | | | | ran outside and chased them away with a loud |
| the eating as far as insect pests are concerned | | | | noise... then the police came and took my gun |
| so here are some ideas to drive the little pest | | | | away. Much to the relief of neighbors. Nowadays I |
| out. Insects are really very good in your garden | | | | use a sophisticated method. I put bird feeders on |
| as long as they are not leaf eating beetles or root | | | | the other side of the lot. Hey I enjoy the birds |
| devouring larvae or... you know what I mean? | | | | and they eat well but not my fruit. Bird feed can |
| As you garden systematically eliminate places | | | | be expensive though. You can buy fake owls and |
| where bugs can live and multiply so that you can | | | | post them at the corners of your garden and also |
| help prevent a problem from occurring. Some | | | | hang various flashing shiny objects from nearby |
| bugs live under leaves and debris on the ground | | | | trees and bushes to help keep them away. You |
| and some live in the soil. Anything you can pick up | | | | won't eliminate the problem but they will eat less |
| and put in the compost pile, which should be at | | | | of your crop. |
| least some distance from your garden, will help. | | | | Three other pest are really hard to get rid of and |
| That means old leaves, weeds any chunks of | | | | that is gophers, moles and rodents. Of the three I |
| wood or plastic just anything that isn't growing. If | | | | have had most success with rodents using |
| you have bare earth areas in your garden a little | | | | tracking powder and I am not sure you can get it |
| two tined rototiller to break up the soil periodically | | | | from the local super store, but you can get baits |
| may help reduce pest and disease. | | | | and traps. Be very careful with poisons if you |
| In February or March when foliage is gone and | | | | have pets it would not be a bad idea to have |
| plants are dormant, you can treat your garden | | | | them somewhere else the first few days of |
| with dormant spray, used to keep destructive | | | | eradication as stumbling poisoned rodents can be |
| insects and diseases under control. The spray can | | | | irresistible to pets, with disastrous consequences. |
| be ineffective if you do not properly apply it so | | | | I have never dealt with gophers and I have had |
| make sure you read the label on the package and | | | | unsatisfactory success against moles. One lady I |
| get it right. Wear protective clothing and gloves | | | | know had a pest control company tell here that |
| when applying any chemical. | | | | the moles were eating worms and to get rid of |
| I know of one guy who went into the garden and | | | | the moles you had to spray the yard every |
| just spread that dormant spray around without | | | | week to kill all worms. I told here I'd rather have |
| much regard for anything, with the hopes of | | | | some mole hills than a toxic yard. She had little |
| doing some good. Killed the whole garden that | | | | children too, but she went with the spray. |
| way...boy I'll never do that again. | | | | Sorry I can't really advise on moles or gophers |
| If you are a real garden enthusiast you have | | | | you may need to call a specialist. Even as a |
| probably already learned the harmful insects from | | | | licensed pest control operator with special poisons |
| the good ones but if you are in doubt put | | | | for moles. The best treatment I ever saw were |
| unknown species in a jar and head to the local | | | | traps that you can get at the superstore. Traps |
| superstore garden department. Those folks teach | | | | are a hassle but safe, effective and |
| the employees about different bugs in the area. If | | | | environmentally friendly. |
| you don't live near one of those you can research | | | | Good luck against pest and keep on gardening! |
| the internet or go to the closest library. A local | | | | |