There is a delicate yet precarious balance in the natural world, reflected in the bugs that like to call our gardens home. For the most part, when that balance is working the way it should, the beneficial insects like ladybugs and pollinators do a pretty good job at keeping the less desirable, often destructive bugs like aphids under control.
Unfortunately, there are times when that equilibrium shifts and unwanted garden pests like aphids start to make their mark in the most unfortunate ways possible. Plants suffer, and in turn, gardeners do too. Luckily, most common garden pests can actually be managed with relative ease using non-toxic methods. But, how you go about tackling garden pests always depends on which one you are dealing with. Here are a few tips and tricks to battle some of the more common ones.
How to Fight Other Common North Dakota Garden Pests
Cutworms: These garden pests are actually the larvae of a variety of moth species. They tend to do the most damage in the springtime and can be particularly harmful to seedlings. They target veggie crops like green beans, cabbage, corn, and lettuce and usually start to feed around dusk and into the evening. To control them, you can hand pick them off of your plants every few nights until they are gone, dropping them in a bucket of soapy water, so they don’t return. You can also surround plant stems with diatomaceous earth, which will pretty much dehydrate the worms to death. Birds are also natural predators of cutworms, so by making your garden more bird-friendly, they may do much of the dirty work on your behalf!
Tent Caterpillars: There are a few different species of tent caterpillars, but the prairie tent caterpillar is most common in North Dakota. They tend to feed on chokecherry, currant, willow, and some other hardwood tree species. Smaller populations can be managed by dropping their nest into a bucket of soapy water (be sure to do so in the early morning or evening when they are all in the nest). Alternatively, natural predators like parasitic wasps and birds can help—and contact insecticides can also help manage tent caterpillar populations.
Potato Beetles: The common potato beetle targets—you guessed it—potato crops! They can also be found on tomatoes, pepper, and eggplants, though, and can decimate a veggie garden if given the opportunity. If you find these little beetles in your veggie patch, be sure to shake them from the plants onto another surface, and dunk them all into soapy water each morning until they are gone. Mulching around your plants as they emerge can also impede the movement of adult potato beetles. Organic methods such as lightly dusting diatomaceous earth over your crops can also help deter them.
Want to learn more about how to tackle garden pests like aphids naturally in Bismarck? Stop by Plant Perfect to talk to one of our experts, or grab some pest-resistant plants for your garden this season!