A thriving garden can bring you a lot of joy—but an infestation of insects can ruin the entire experience. While some bugs can be beneficial to backyard plants, others can wreak havoc on your garden: chewing leaves, spreading disease, and stunting growth.
Fortunately, you don’t need an abundance of super harsh chemicals to take back control. With a combination of smart gardening practices and natural deterrents, you can keep harmful pests at bay and enjoy a healthier, more balanced backyard garden.
Here are some practical tips for insect control in your garden.
Know your enemies…and your allies.
Remember: not all insects are bad. In fact, many play important roles in your garden’s healthy by pollinating plants or preying on harmful pests.
Beneficial insects include:
- Ladybugs – They feast on aphids, mites, and scale insects.
- Lacewings – Their larvae consume soft-bodied pests like aphids and mealybugs.
- Parasitic wasps – Tiny but powerful, they lay eggs inside caterpillars and other pests.
- Hoverflies and bees – Essential for pollination.
Harmful insects include:
- Aphids – Tiny sap-suckers that multiply quickly and weaken plants.
- Japanese beetles – They chew through leaves, flowers, and fruits.
- Cutworms and armyworms – Feed on stems and leaves, often overnight.
- Spider mites – Microscopic pests that cause leaf speckling and webbing.
Before you declare war on all of the creepy crawlies in your garden, take the time to learn which insects are present, and learn about the effects they might be having on your plants. Make sure you’re only getting rid of the bugs you don’t want.
Practice crop rotation and companion planting.
Insects often target specific plants. When those plants return to the same spot year after year, pests can build up in the soil. When you rotate your crops (meaning, you move them to different parts of the garden each season), you can help break up this cycle.
You can also try companion planting, which means you strategically place certain plants near others to naturally deter pests. For example:
- Marigolds repel nematodes, whiteflies, and aphids.
- Basil deters mosquitoes and tomato hornworms.
- Nasturtiums attract aphids away from other crops like tomatoes and beans.
- Garlic and chives help fend off Japanese beetles and aphids.
Using natural defenses like this reduces the need for chemical-laden sprays.
Keep your garden tidy.
Pests are attracted to cluttered, overgrown, or poorly maintained spaces. A clean garden is not only more appealing to the (human) eye, but also less inviting to harmful insects.
Simple maintenance, done regularly, will go a long way.
- Remove dead leaves and debris regularly, especially around the base of plants.
- Weed frequently. Weeds can harbor pests and diseases.
- Trim overcrowded plants to increase airflow and reduce humidity (which attracts fungal diseases and some pests).
- Clean up fallen or overripe fruit or vegetables, which can attract flies and beetles.
When you keep things neat, you make it harder for pests to hide, while also making it easier for you to spot potential problems early.
Use physical barriers and traps.
If you can keep pests from reaching your plants in the first place, you’re starting out ahead. Simple, low-tech solutions are available to help you stop pest problems before they start.
- Use row covers to protect seedlings and vulnerable plants from insects, while still letting in sun and rain.
- Install copper tape or collars to repel slugs and snails around the base of plants.
- Sticky traps, coated with adhesive, attract and trap flying pests.
- Throw on a pair of gloves and handpick larger pests off of your plants.
These methods are safe for both you and for the more beneficial bugs in your garden.
Water wisely.
Overwatering your garden can lead to soggy soil and humidity, creating the perfect environment for pests like fungus gnats, slugs, and root-eating insects.
To make sure you’re not overwatering:
- Water early in the morning so plants dry during the day.
- Use drip irrigation or soaker hoses to deliver water directly to the base of plants and avoid wetting the leaves.
- Check soil moisture before watering. If it’s still damp, wait another day.
Appropriate watering plays a big role in a plant’s resilience, and healthy plants are better able to resist pests. So, not only will these watering practices keep pests away, they’ll also keep your plants stronger and healthier.
Use organic or natural sprays.
Infestations will likely still occur, and when they do, you might need a little boost in your treatment approach. The good news is that as eco-friendly gardening has grown in popularity, so too have greener pest control solutions.
Popular choices include:
- Neem oil: Derived from a tropical tree, it disrupts insect hormones and repels pests like aphids, whiteflies, and beetles.
- Insecticidal soap: Breaks down soft-bodied pests like aphids, mites, and mealybugs without harming most beneficial insects.
- Diatomaceous earth: A fine powder made from fossilized algae that damages insect exoskeletons, especially useful for crawling bugs.
- BT (Bacillus thuringiensis): A natural bacteria that targets specific caterpillars without affecting other wildlife.
Always follow label directions. Typically, you’ll apply these treatments in the early morning or evening, to avoid harming pollinators.
Respond quickly.
Keeping a close eye on things—and responding as quickly as possible to potential problems—is really your best weapon against harmful pest outbreaks. Take the extra time to carefully inspect your plants regularly, including the undersides of leaves. Check for eggs, chewed edges, sticky residue, or other signs of damage. If you see something alarming or unusual, take action before the problem spreads.
Over time, track which plants are affected, what treatments are effective, and what patterns you see emerging. Be watchful and proactive; it goes a long way in keeping pests under control.
You don’t have to use harsh chemicals to control insects in your garden. By encouraging beneficial bugs, planting strategically, and keeping things clean, you can maintain a flourishing garden that benefits your home and the planet. So be patient, be smart, and pay attention, and you can enjoy the pest-free garden of your dreams.
At Rustic Creek Landscaping we have over 20 years experience designing custom landscapes in Queen Creek and throughout the Valley. Contact us today to work with one of our design experts to create the garden of your dreams.
