ntpw:natural_pest_and_weed_control

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ntpw:natural_pest_and_weed_control [2026/06/07 14:34] – [Controlling pests] Otto Haguentpw:natural_pest_and_weed_control [2026/06/07 15:36] (current) – [Controlling pests] Otto Hague
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 First, make sure you are practising good [soil management](/soil/soil), because vigourous, healthy plants growing in healthy, well-managed soil are much less susceptible to pests.  First, make sure you are practising good [soil management](/soil/soil), because vigourous, healthy plants growing in healthy, well-managed soil are much less susceptible to pests. 
  
-Secondly, make a habit of walking your garden, fields, orchards, or other places you maintain. Take a good look at what is showing up, where, and when. Pests have different preferences and life cycles, and to most effectively prevent or clean up a pest problem you need to target them at their weakest. For example, if you kill a bunch of adult weevils //after// they've already laid eggs, you're going to have to deal with weevils again in the future. +Secondly, make a habit of walking your garden, fields, orchards, or other places you maintain. Take a good look at what is showing up, where, and when. Pests have different preferences and life cycles, and to most effectively prevent or clean up a pest problem you need to target them at their weakest. Their life cycles will also vary based on weather: most insects mature faster if it's warmer than usual.
  
 === Encouraging pest predators === === Encouraging pest predators ===
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 In recent years it has become possible to buy insects such as ladybirds by mail order. This might be worth doing if you have plenty of money, a large greenhouse, a major aphid problem, and no ladybirds - but it's an expensive solution and the ladybirds might fly off elsewhere! You'll also often see adverts (if you read gardening magazines) for mail-order nematodes - tiny parasitic worms, less than 1mm long, which get into slugs and kill and eat them from the inside (yuk). These are watered into the soil starting in early spring, and will control slugs for about 6 weeks, after which you might need to buy another pack - see [nemaslug.co.uk](http://nemaslug.co.uk). While some gardeners do find nematodes useful, longer term, rather than relying on a predator which you have to keep on buying all the time, you're probably better off taking other natural measures to control slugs - such as encouraging birds, amphibians and hedgehogs, and of course removing slug and snail habitats such as piles of stones and long grass around the edges of beds. In recent years it has become possible to buy insects such as ladybirds by mail order. This might be worth doing if you have plenty of money, a large greenhouse, a major aphid problem, and no ladybirds - but it's an expensive solution and the ladybirds might fly off elsewhere! You'll also often see adverts (if you read gardening magazines) for mail-order nematodes - tiny parasitic worms, less than 1mm long, which get into slugs and kill and eat them from the inside (yuk). These are watered into the soil starting in early spring, and will control slugs for about 6 weeks, after which you might need to buy another pack - see [nemaslug.co.uk](http://nemaslug.co.uk). While some gardeners do find nematodes useful, longer term, rather than relying on a predator which you have to keep on buying all the time, you're probably better off taking other natural measures to control slugs - such as encouraging birds, amphibians and hedgehogs, and of course removing slug and snail habitats such as piles of stones and long grass around the edges of beds.
  
-If you're having a problem with a particular pest (it is super important to know what pests you're dealing with; spend time in your garden!) you can try and attract parasitoid wasps. These tiny wasps are super specialists, laying their eggs on or in only one or two species. When the eggs hatch, the wasp larvae feed off of and ultimately consume the host. Since the wasps are so specialised, they can take on problem pests like the cabbage aphid (*Brevicoryne brassicae*) which has a nasty habit of exploding and covering its predators in "mustard gas", killing ladybirds.+If you're having a problem with a particular pest (it is super important to know what pests you're dealing with; spend time in your garden!) you can try and attract parasitoid wasps. These tiny wasps are super specialists, laying their eggs on or in only one or two species. When the eggs hatch, the wasp larvae feed off of and ultimately consume the host. Since the wasps are so specialised, they can take on problem pests like the cabbage aphid (*Brevicoryne brassicae*) which has a nasty habit of exploding and covering its predators in "mustard gas", killing ladybirds. Adult parasitoid wasps feed on nectar from flowers, so encourage them to move in naturally with lots of flowers, ensuring you have flowers that //bloom at different times of the year// so the wasps always have food.
  
 === Trapping === === Trapping ===
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 </WRAP> </WRAP>
  
-In daytime, you can inspect your crops for pests such as caterpillars and aphids (blackfly, greenfly, whitefly). Caterpillars can be picked off and taken away or killed; aphids really just have to be squished between your fingers (or sprayed with a dilute household soap solution, which kills them and is safe and environmentally friendly). Garlic and chilli pepper solutions may also be useful as a natural insecticide.+In daytime, you can inspect your crops for pests such as caterpillars and aphids (blackfly, greenfly, whitefly). Caterpillars can be picked off and taken away or killed; aphids really just have to be squished between your fingers (or sprayed with a dilute household soap solution, which kills them and is safe and environmentally friendly). Garlic and chilli pepper solutions may also be useful as a natural insecticide. You can also spread vegetable oil on the walls of barns, which can suffocate fly larvae and eggs.
  
 === Barriers === === Barriers ===
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 === Rotation === === Rotation ===
  
-Rotating crops and livestock can prevent a pest problem. Often, pests and diseases will stay in the soil over the winter, so if you plant the same crop in the same field, the pests will stick around. If you plant something different (and not closely related), the pests will have nowhere to go and may die off. The same goes for livestock parasites, which often spread via infected manure being left on pasture. Don't put the same kind of livestock in the same pasture too soon, if you're worried about parasites.+Rotating crops and livestock can prevent a pest problem. Often, pests and diseases will stay in the soil over the winter, so if you plant the same crop in the same field, the pests will stick around. If you plant something different (and not closely related), the pests will have nowhere to go and may die off. The same goes for livestock parasites, which often spread via infected manure being left on pasture. Don't put the same kind of livestock in the same pasture for at least a year if you're worried about parasites.
  
 ==== Controlling weeds ==== ==== Controlling weeds ====
  • ntpw/natural_pest_and_weed_control.1780842885.txt.gz
  • Last modified: 2026/06/07 14:34
  • by Otto Hague