If your garden is your pride and joy, it can be devastating to see animals nibble or dig in your plants. Luckily, there are plenty of cruelty-free ways to deter these pests without resorting to traps or poisons that can harm them.
By using natural repellents and other humane methods, you can keep critters away from your property while still being kind to the environment. This article looks at how you can keep your home and garden free of these unwanted pests.
For example, cayenne pepper is an effective deterrent because animals dislike its strong scent. Other methods include: removing outside clutter (animals like to nest in wood piles, old flower pots, and children’s sandboxes); relocating natural predators; and blocking access holes with wire wool or mouse mesh.
Herbs and Bugs That Keep Pests Away
The great outdoors is beautiful, but it can be less than ideal when bugs swarm and your carefully tended garden gets torn up by buffet-seeking deer. Rather than resorting to chemical treatments, strategically planting herbs and plants that repel bad bugs can keep pests at bay.
Yarrow, fennel, parsley, lemon balm, sage, thyme and lavender have strong fragrances that repel insects such as beetles and flies. These herbs can be planted in garden settings or potted up for a patio or windowsill.
Basil also has a strong smell that repulses beetles. It’s a fast-growing herb that you can move around the yard or garden to quickly get rid of bad bugs.
Dill also repels aphids, tomato hornworms, whiteflies, cabbage moths and carrot rust flies. It attracts hoverflies to eat the bad bugs, too.
Adding chives to your garden deters aphids, flies and mosquitoes. It also repels tent-making caterpillars, which are a common garden pest. It’s important to remove the caterpillars and their tents in cool mornings or late evenings before they cause damage.
Nasturtiums are a good companion plant for many vegetables and flowers because they lure cabbage moths, aphids, hornworms, leafhoppers, flies and squash bugs to their sticky leaves.
Honey bees, assassin bugs, and dragonflies are your trusted allies in your fight for your garden. They kind of do the dirty work for you, but they do it as mother nature has always intended – without ruining the balance.
Discourage Critters from Entering Your Home
A variety of wild animals are known to invade homes and gardens for food and shelter. While they are often harmless, these critters can damage crops and other outdoor structures, leaving behind torn stems, nibbled leaves and gnawed fruit. They also carry bacteria and parasites that may cause illness in people and pets.
Animals often get into homes through open attic vents, louvered dryer vents and holes in the walls. They can also gain entry through open basements, crawl spaces and garages. They may even dig holes through foundations and eaves, and can wreak havoc in your yard.
One of the best ways to deter unwanted wildlife is to remove their access to food and water. Bringing bird feeders inside at night and shutting down outdoor pet bowls will help.
It’s also a good idea to trim trees to stop them from hanging over sheds and other structures, as well as removing fallen branches and logs where animals can make dens.
Keep trash cans tightly closed and clean, and seal open vents and passages through the roof, foundation and walls with caulk or hardware cloth.
Regular yard clean up and brush clearing will also prevent critter hiding spots.
Repellents and Barriers for Gardens
There are a wide variety of natural barriers and repellents for gardens that will keep unwanted critters out without harming humans, pets or wildlife.
Some deterrents emit a scent that critters recognise as the smell of predators; others release chemicals that affect the nervous system of specific insects. Some repellents can be made from plants or recycled household materials.
For example, crushed eggshells – which contain calcium – can be a simple, effective, and organic way to prevent garden pests from munching on your plants and flowers. Many gardeners use these easy-to-find deterrents, which also provide an extra dose of nutrients for your soil when they break down. Other simple, natural ways to prevent animal attacks on plants and flowers include:
Growing garlic or using its extracts is a popular way to repel slugs and snails from garden beds. Some gardeners swear by chives and lawn chamomile to ward off slugs, as well. You can also try making a beer trap.
Planting companions such as rosemary, thyme, basil, mint and fennel can help keep pests at bay, too. These herbs, and other fragrant plants like sage and lavender, naturally repel mosquitoes and attract pollinators.
Other gardeners use row covers to protect their vegetables and flowers from animals and birds, while still allowing for light and air.
Trapping Pests Humanely
Occasionally, there may be no other option than to trap an animal that has invaded your garden or home. But you have many humane ways to go about it, from purchasing a fancy bug catcher to making your own.
For instance, if you have a problem with wasps, you can attract them away from your house with a wreath of holly leaves or garlic bulbs (the latter is a natural deterrent for them). Or flies can be herded away from your patio with brightly coloured cloth draped over a post and secured at the top of a post.
As for critters, many garden pests can be deterred with the scent of cayenne pepper. Mice and rabbits, for example, do not like its spicy smell and taste, so sprinkle the ground or around plants with it to keep them from nibbling on greenery or digging in your yard.
If you are determined to use a trap, opt for a humane trap, check with your local hardware store for options. Make sure to check traps first thing in the morning and at night, and release trapped animals as soon as possible.
Final Considerations
There are many humane and cruelty-free ways to keep unwanted critters out of your home and garden that are not only effective but also safer for the environment.
By using a combination of physical barriers, repellents, natural predators, and other methods, you can effectively manage pests without resorting to cruel or potentially dangerous extermination methods.
With a little creativity and effort, you can create a safe and healthy environment for both you and your critter neighbours.
About The Author: Katie Brooks
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