Controlling Insect Pests in the Garden

Insect pests can make a mess of your garden in no time — and ruin your harvest before you have a chance to reap the spoils of all your hard work!

In This Video:

In this video our friend and gardening expert Charlie Nardozzi identifies some of the most common insect pests, gives tips on prevention, and offers 3 natural, non-toxic remedies for mitigation should they appear in your garden.

1. Hand Picking: This works best in small garden spaces, or for large, easy-to-see pests like tomato hornworm or Japanese Beetles.

2. Barriers: Lightweight row covers let light and water pass through, but keep tiny insect pests at bay. However, be aware that some plants require insect contact for successful pollination and fruit production — you'll need to remove row covers regularly.

3. Traps: Traps work differently for different insect pests. Some, like Japanese beetle traps, work by luring beetles towards them — these need to be placed far away from the garden so you don't inadverently draw MORE pests towards your plant. Other traps are placed close to your plants, so they intercept pests as they approach the garden — these work well on aphids, white flies, and other tiny flying pests.