Pesky Pests

For the purposes of this article the word ‘pest’ refers to insects, slugs and snails, fungal diseases, weeds and other pests associated with home garden.

Controlling Pests in the Home Garden
It’s an old story. Your vegetables are flourishing, roses are blooming, and your newly planted annuals are just getting established. The evening before you took a walk around your garden and all looked fine. You wake up the next morning and the vegetable plants have all been nipped off at the base, the roses are covered with powdery mildew and aphids and the annuals have all disappeared. What should you do?

The First Defense is Prevention

• Choose plants that are disease resistant and do not attract insect pests.
• Be aware of potential problems that may be associated with plants you choose.
• Keep plants in good health so that they will be better able to defend themselves from attack.
• Monitor you plants on a regular basis so that you can nip potential problems in the bud.
• Determine whether the problem is serious enough to be concerned about: If you look hard enough you are bound to find signs of disease and plant-eating insects in any garden but this may not be cause for concern. In fact, a few insect pests will attract predatory insects and birds who will help keep the number of pests low.

The Second Defense is Physical Control
Physical control means using your own hands, products like sticky traps and floating row covers or gardening tools to lessen insect populations or prevent the spread of fungal disease.

For example: Insects, Slugs or Snails
Aphids can be controlled by squashing them with your fingers or by washing them off with a strong stream of water repeating as often as necessary.

Caterpillars and cut worms can be removed by hand. They are very good at hiding especially when small. Look for them along the midribs and veins on the backs of leaves or in the case of cut worms in the soil around plants during the day and on plants after dark.

Sticky traps point can capture large numbers of adult aphids, whiteflies and other insect pests, breaking these breeding cycle and reducing insect populations.

Use floating row covers (Reemay cloth) on vegetables crops such as carrots, onions or turnips to prevent insect infestations.

Hand pick slugs and snails and dispose of them or capture them in traps baited with beer.

For example: Fungal Diseases
Remove and destroy infected leaves by hand as soon as signs of disease are noticed.

Rake up any fallen infected leaves under plants and dispose of them in the garbage.

Use mulches around plants to prevent fungal spores from splashing up from the soil on to vulnerable foliage.

Prune plants to open them up and improve air circulation.

The Last Resort: Pesticides
Take Note: Pesticide is an all encompassing term that refers to insecticides, fungicides, herbicides, etc…

If all else fails and pesticides are needed choose the least toxic products and treat only the plants or areas that are infested.

e.g. Aphids: spray with Insecticidal soap, pyrethrins or products that are a mixture of both. Repeated sprays will probably be necessary so don’t forget to monitor your plants.

e.g. Black Spot on Roses: spray with lime sulphur before leaf buds break in spring. Thereafter monitor for disease problems and if detected spray with a fungicide registered for black spot on roses such as sulphur, copper spray and others.

For more information on specific insect and disease problems in the home and garden drop by or give us a call. Please bring in a good representative sample of the problem.

Other Pests in the Garden

Weeds
Weeds can also be considered pests in the lawn and garden because they compete with desirable plants for nutrients and water and they can look unsightly. If allowed to get out of control they can result in hours of back breaking labour or a big hole in the pocketbook if you have to hire someone to remove them.

Lawn Weeds
As usual, the best line of defense is prevention.

Keeping your Lawn Healthy

• Mowing practices: Mow lawns often with a sharp blade. Mow relatively high (6-7cm [2-3”]), this strengthens turf roots and shades out weeds.
• Fertilizing: Leave grass clippings on the lawn to provide nutrients as they break down. Supplement with slow release turf fertilizers; apply dolomite lime to maintain soil ph between 6.5 and 7.0.
• Watering: Water deeply, but infrequently, to encourage deep root growth.
• Aeration: Aerate lawns at least once a year.
• Control Weeds by Hand: Remove dandelions and other lawn weeds in spring while the soil is moist.
• Overseed sparse of patchy lawns: Thick turf will not allow weeds to get established.

The Last Resort: Herbicides
Spot-treat patches of weeds in the lawn with registered herbicides if all else fails.

Consult with our staff at Maple Leaf Garden Centres about which products to use.

Take Note: The District of West Vancouver has restricted the use of pesticides in Bylaw: No-4377 for homeowners in West Vancouver. You may contact them for more information: 604-925-7192.

Weeds in the Garden
The First Defense is Prevention
Prevent the spread of weeds by making weed removal part of your garden routine. The best time to weed is in the fall and again in the spring. Supplementary weeding can take place through summer but if you have done a thorough job earlier in the year your weed population will be small.

Take Note: Annual weeds like Bittercress and Chickweed should be removed before they set seed so if you see them start flowering get them out quickly.

The Last Resort:
Herbicides should not be used on weeds in the garden because they may damage or even kill desirable plants.

Weeds Between Pavers and Along Driveways
The First Defense
Kill weed seedlings by pouring a thin stream of boiling water along cracks and crevices in pavers and other hard surfaces.

The Last Resort
You may choose to apply registered herbicides according to package directions.

Squirrels
The First Defense
Don’t feed the squirrels! This only makes your home and garden feel like home to those pesky squirrels.

Sprinkle Blood Meal around garden plantings and particularly around plantings of tulips or crocus. The smell of blood repels squirrels and Blood Meal is a good organic source of nitrogen. Re-apply after heavy rainfall.

Use commercial animal repellents according to package directions.

Scatter cotton balls soaked in oil of peppermint (available at health food stores) around plantings. Oil of peppermint repels rodents which is what squirrels are (bushy tailed rats).

Don’t use bone meal when you plant bulbs. It seems squirrels are attracted by the smell. Use Bulb Food instead.

Cover bulb plantings with chicken wire or try spreading prickly branches (such as holly or berberis branches) over plantings.

Of course there are still more pests that may do damage in your garden. Even birds can be a problem in some cases. For info on specific problems please come in and visit us at either of our two locations.

Conclusion
By practicing preventative measures and utilizing physical control methods we can reduce or even eliminate the use of pesticides and help to contribute to a safer and cleaner environment.