More insects to deter

There is, of course, numerous other insect like critters that will wreak havoc on a garden. There are Japanese beetles, leaf-footed bugs, aphids, mealy bugs, as well as many, many others. One of my favorite organic ways to eliminate these critters is Neem oil. Neem oil is pressed from the fruits and seeds of the Neem tree (Azadirachta indica), an evergreen tree that is native to India. It is non-toxic to birds, fish, bees and wildlife, and studies have shown no cancer or other disease-causing results from its use. The Neem causes insects to reduce or completely stop eating, can prevent young from maturing, reduces or interrupts their mating behavior and, in some cases, the oil will clog the breathing holes of insects and kill them.

Remember; do not spray any kind of horticultural oil if the temperatures are over 75 degrees This oil is also useful in lubricating a bazooka firing mechanism and, oh, hello Mr. H.O.A. president, nope, no bazookas here.

Small Mammals

The last critter(s) that I shall talk about can also fall under the cute and fuzzy category, small mammals. These include rabbits, squirrels, mice, opossums, etc. This group is probably the toughest of the list! They are sneaky, conniving, and very, very smart. Fencing is a joke. They climb it, burrow under it, or just fit through it. A large dog can deter them to some degree, but you’d have to leave your dog outside all day and listen to it barking all night, or the effect is minimal at best. Dog urine, in large quantities, can be detrimental to many plants. So, again that double-edged sword is at play. Maybe if the H.O.A. members were out of town for a couple of days, I could sneak a bazooka in and, no, I am sure there would be some collateral damage that would be obvious.

The method I have found that works, and this would be for any non-edible crops, is pepper sprays. Make up a spray bottle of crushed hot peppers and water, and then spray it on your plants. The critters take a bite and go running for water. It usually only takes a couple of times and then they learn not to touch that plant. You will have to spray it after any irrigation or rain, but hopefully they learn quickly. Eventually, you may get a new generation of critters, then this whole cycle needs to be started again. There are also numerous products that use this same kind of method, some of which are okay to use on edible crops.

Conclusion

This is just a short list of what you can do to stop critters from making a buffet of your garden. In some cases, you may just have to learn to live with some damage, and accept that you will not ever be able to be completely critter free. We all share this planet called Earth, and they enjoy a nice garden as much as we do. As long as they leave me some produce from all of my hard work, and don’t kill the plant(s) entirely, I will leave my bazooka holstered and just try to enjoy my critter neighbors.

Happy Growing!

Darren