You put time and love into your garden, so naturally, you want to protect it against harmful insects and other pests. This begins with caring for your soil, which is home to millions of bug species, but there are other things you can do. Our residential bug control program in Boynton Beach is a proven and environmentally safe solution to keeping bugs away. In our line of work, we know that prevention is your first line of defense. Try these five effective strategies to keep your garden free of pests.
Promote Healthy Soil
Soil provides plants with vital nutrients, oxygen, and water to survive. When it’s healthy, your plants, in turn, will be healthier and strong enough to endure attacks from unwanted pests. There are several ways to nourish your soil. You can:
- Add compost to your garden at the start of spring for added nutrition.
- Use mulch to limit water evaporation, regulate soil temperature and minimize weeds.
- Rotate your plants to new beds each season to increase nutrients and interrupt pest cycles.
- Layer the topsoil with amendments, like peat moss and even manure, and allow earthworms to aerate the soil in place of turning it.
Introduce Predatorial Bugs
Not all bugs are bad for your garden. Some will help your garden thrive by eating pests that destroy your plants. Many others pollinate for propagation and decompose waste to create a natural fertilizer. A few bugs that are beneficial to your garden are:
- Bees
- Ladybugs
- Spiders
- Praying mantis
- Ground beetles
- Centipedes
- Ants
It goes without saying that you should not kill these bugs when you see them. Do the opposite: attract more of them to your garden. You can do this by ensuring your garden has specific plants they need for survival. For example, bees, which aid in pollination, love wildflowers, so make sure to plant an abundance of wildflowers in your flower garden. Spiders, which eat unwanted pests, prefer tall plants that they can easily attach and weave their webs, like sunflowers. Ground beetles, which also eat pests, enjoy mulch.
Check for Damage
As you walk around your garden, inspecting the growth and success of your plants, be on the lookout for pest damage. The leaves in your yard will tell a long and thorough tale. Check the leaves for signs of:
- Deformity
- Discoloration
- Chewing
- Folding
If the damage is minimal, this means pests are not running rampant in your yard. Don’t be alarmed if you experience some damage, as this is not unusual.
Water Your Plants
Most plants need water on a regular basis, so don’t forget to water your plants every day to promote photosynthesis (plants transforming light energy into chemical energy). While watering the leaves and stems, make sure to soak the soil and roots of the plant, too.
Professional Pest Control
The warm and humid climate in South Florida creates an ideal breeding ground for some of the most destructive pests. As a gardener, you may want to be more proactive in your endeavors and hire a professional. We can provide a hands-on solution with our environmentally friendly pest control products in Boynton Beach.
Our goal is to identify your pest problem and provide the solution to control the problem, while always maintaining a safe and healthy environment. We utilize the environmentally sensitive approach to pest management known as Integrated Pest Management (IPM) to gather information on the life cycles of pests and their interaction with the environment, then couple this with pest control methods. This method ensures the safety of our clients and their families.
Contact Ringdahl Pest Control Inc.
Established in 1960, we have serviced homes, offices, recreational vehicles, and more with our comprehensive pest management solutions. We offer affordable pest control services with the highest quality and care possible. For residential bug control in Boynton Beach, contact Ringdahl Pest Control. Call (561) 737-6413 for a free estimate.