The key to maintaining a healthy and beautiful garden in your yard is to keep pests at bay. If you’re not sure where to start with garden pest prevention, Dewey Pest and Termite Control has you covered with helpful garden pest control tips to use against common yard bugs.

1. Identify Common Garden Pests

Whether it’s the start of spring or the thick of fall, there are various garden pests to look out for in California. To address your pest problem, you’ll need to identify what you’re dealing with. Here are some common pests to look out for in your yard: 

• Beetles. Japanese beetles feed on garden flowers, fruit, and foliage and cause damage to your plant life.

• Ants. Although ants don’t feed on plants, a strong ant presence lures other plant-hungry pests to your yard.

• Earwigs. These small brown insects feed on plants or aphids and mites, leaving a path of destruction in your garden.
• Aphids. These tiny pests suck on sap and stunts plant growth and promotes leaf decay.

2. Keep Your Garden Clean

The best way to proper pest prevention is to keep these intruders off your property from the start. One preventive pest control method to use is to keep your garden clear of clutter. Fallen leaves and overgrown plants are a prime breeding ground for pests and fungi alike. Some of the best ways to keep your yard clean are to trim your plants, mow your lawn, and pull weeds.

The more you clear your garden of these issues and keep your plants tidy, the more you’ll shield your yard from a wide variety of pests.

3. Maintain Good Soil Health

Another key to keeping your garden clean and clear of pests is to promote healthy soil. Soil is home to billions of microorganisms that each play important roles in the integrity of your yard. The healthier the soil, the better these microorganisms can do their jobs and keep your plant life strong and free of pests.

First, test your soil using a store-bought kit to determine if it’s in good condition. If needed, add organic matter to improve availability to air and water.

4. Set Up Physical Barriers

Another effective approach to blocking out pests is with physical barriers. These barriers help prevent pests such as aphids and earwigs from reaching your plants. Some examples of physical barriers to use include row covers, fencing, and wired fences. For maximum effectiveness, replace your barriers when they start to show signs of wear and tear.

5. Use Natural Repellents

Instead of relying on chemical pesticides, a healthy and eco-friendly pest control method is to use natural repellents. Several natural substances are unappealing to numerous pests and have the potential to deter these creatures. These natural garden pest repellents include:

• Garlic
• Rosemary
• Essential oils
• Herbs, such as parsley and sage
• Neem oil

6. Use Companion Planting

Companion planting is another effective way to prevent garden pests, attract pollinators, and keep your garden even healthier. The process of companion planting involves planting two or more plant species that will benefit from being near one another. If you have lavender in your garden, for example, common companion plants include species like rosemary, marigolds, and sage. 

7. Rotate Between Plants and Crops

If you grow the same crops every year, certain garden bugs will attack your plants from the same area. To prevent frequent invaders year after year, try rotating out your plants annually. Planting different crops each year will help disrupt the behaviors and life cycles of common garden pests, including aphids, scales, and earwigs.

8. Contact Professional Garden Pest Control

Although home pest control tactics can help with garden pest prevention, they are not a definite answer. To achieve the best results for garden bug yard pest control, trust professional pest control services. 

The best yard pest control services, such as those from Dewey Pest and Termite Control, are provided by a team of expert and experienced technicians. These professionals will conduct thorough inspections throughout your yard to determine the extent of your infestation. From there, they will determine a treatment plan best suited to combat your pest problems and yield long-term solutions.

Get Professional Garden Pest Prevention From Dewey Pest and Termite Control

When you’re struggling with garden bugs, yard pest control is your best option for keeping these unwanted invaders off your property. At Dewey Pest and Termite Control, we’ve provided premier residential pest control for gardens and yards across California since 1929. With the best team of pest control technicians on the job, you can turn your attention back to the joys of gardening in no time.Contact us or find your nearest Dewey Pest and Termite Control branch to receive a free quote or schedule an appointment today!