Keep reading to learn some different options for bee-friendly garden pest control and how to integrate them into your garden.
Controlling unwanted pests in your garden can be a challenge all season long. Many gardeners resort to chemical pesticides in an effort to protect their gardens. The problem with these pesticides is that they also kill the beneficial pollinators your garden needs to grow and thrive.
Bees may be among the hardest hit by these chemicals and in real danger of extinction. You can do your part in preserving safe habitats for bees by using bee-friendly garden pest control options.
Bee-Friendly Garden Pest Control
Beneficial Insects
A great way to deal with pests without endangering bees is to invite beneficial insects into your garden.
From parasitic wasps to ladybugs and lacewings, there are plenty of beneficial insects that can help protect your garden.
A great way to encourage these insects to come to your garden is to install a bug house. These can be homemade but hotel or you can purchase one from your favorite garden supply store. Packed with plenty of crevices and cubby holes for insects to hide and live.
Attract Hummingbirds
One thing people do not know is that Hummingbirds eat insects from aphids to fruit flies for protein.
Invite hummingbirds to your garden by hanging hummingbird feeders and planting hummingbird friendly flowers in your garden.
By making your garden friendly to hummingbirds you can help control pests in your garden without making it unsafe for bees.
Use Neem Oil
When it comes to great natural pest control in your garden, a great option is neem oil.
Neem oil will help control aphids, cabbage worms, scale, whiteflies and leafminers while not harming bees.
It is 100% safe to use neem oil on the food you grow for your family and leaves no chemicals behind in the soil. Neem oil can be applied to your soil for your plants to soak up.
Once inside the plant, neem oil works to reduce the appetite of insect, stopping their eating and reproductive cycles. Neem oil can be sprayed directly on the plants to be used as an effective repellent.
Mulch and Landscape Fabric
One of the best tools you have for preventing pests in your garden is to use mulch, landscape fabric, and row covers to your advantage.
These tools limit pests from making a home in the soil around your garden as well as preventing them from laying eggs that will grow into more damaging insects in your garden.
Insecticidal Soap
When it comes to fast treatment for plants that have already become infected with small pests that are hard to get rid of the quickest method to save your garden without harming the bees is to use insecticidal soap.
This will kill off most small insects allowing your plants time to recover. Here’s a recipe for DIY Insecticidal Plant Spray.