Tips for Garden Bug Control

Posted by GuestPoster in The Great Outdoors

The first rule of pest control is always to identify your pest. Those in Des Moines, Iowa who have gardens that seem to suffer the effects of bugs or pests might arm themselves against infestation by learning more about Des Moines bug control.

One insect that has been pinpointed to the area is the cabbageworm. Following the first rule of thumb, identifying the pest means that also identify whether it is harmful to your garden. Not every bug or creature present around plants and soil destroy your crop. In the case of the cabbageworm, research will indicate it is indeed harmful to your garden. The cabbageworm is a larva of the white butterfly. It sustains itself by eating broccoli, cabbage, and other cruciferous vegetables belonging to the mustard family.

One pest that you normally wouldn’t associate with the garden in Iowa is the yellowjacket and the paper wasp. In the late summer you will find these pests feeding on fruit trees. They are attracted to the sweet sugar that is found in the fruit. These pests are normally beneficial if they wouldn’t sting you and eat your fruit, making it unsaleable in the market. To control these you need to either harvest often so they don’t eat the ripened fruit. As with any pests early detection is key as well. Knocking down wasps nest early and deterring them from making a nest will also keep them away.

Placing traps around the outside perimeter of the garden before the fruit ripens will help knock down the damage done to the fruit. You can try different types of lure and see which one works the best. Once the yellowjackets find fruit the traps will be of little use. You can also spray the nest at night with an insecticide and this will kill the majority of the yellowjacktets

Des Moines bug control, or pest control in any geography, must begin with an inspection of leaves for bugs, insects and eggs. Next, you will need to look for evidence of damage, which can include holes in the leaves and wilting or dying leaves. Make sure that the soil or some other factor is not the reason for the condition of your plants. Check the moisture and pH levels of the soil to be sure of the source of the problem.

If everything else checks out, and you still have a problem, then you probably need to take measures for pest control. A couple of things should help you identify how your garden is being destroyed. Chewing insects or bugs leave a ragged edges or holes in leaves. They do what is known as skeletonizing – or consuming the tissue of the leaf and leaving the veins. Sucking bugs make a hole in the leaf and suck out fluids. Still other pests, like wireworms, prey on the roots of plants.

Dangerous pesticides are not normally necessary with garden bugs. You can use something as safe as soap and water to kill off your garden pests.

Part of performing pest control is about understanding the habits and life cycles of pests. It is always best to fight pests in their most vulnerable states. You will also need to decide the degree of pest control based on the timing of your plants. If it is time to pull cabbage out of the ground in two weeks, for example, a Des Moines bug control specialist may not be the wisest investment.

The art of pest control appears to be the art of observation and timing. If you are astute enough to watch the behaviors of pests and the development of plants and take good notes, you are able to address almost any potential grief.