Bugs are really bugging me.

Last winter was milder than usual and I think that's why I'm already seeing insect damage. I suspect flea beetle damage on pretty much all of my peppers and basil, and on one of my pepper plants that I successfully overwintered it's a big ant & aphid party already, with a few spider mites thrown in for good measure. Spotted my first snail in three years the other day too, and they seem fond of my opal basil. As an extra bonus I have squirrels that are quick to notice when the effect of my pepper spray has worn off but with vigilance I can keep them in check.

I'm trying to avoid chemicals but I have a feeling this is going to be a banner year for the bugs. I've read that garlic spray is an effective deterrent and was wondering if anyone has had any success using it. I was planning on something delicious like garlic + pepper + soap + water sprayed on the plants and possibly diatomaceous earth. Any suggestions? Cheap is good but deader is better.

Pheasants aren't a problem are they? I just noticed one running around today, which is strange since I don't really live in the country. Maybe it's a sign that it's time I taste pheasant...can't recall ever having it before.



This message was edited May 20, 2009 1:00 AM

In the fall (or winter) apply beneficial nematodes to your yard, beds, compost pile. This will help cut down on the number of soil-bearing pests. Apply another batch in the early spring and then another in late spring while it's still cool in the mornings. Apply them around dusk so that they'll have time to bore into the soil before it gets too hot and they die. That's the long-term "fix" for most pests. The nematodes will also help with fleas, roaches, snails and slugs, grubs, cutworms, ticks, and a host of other pests.

In the short term, I use an ammonia-soap-water treatment for aphids on my flowers. Not sure I'd use the ammonia one on my veggies. It's 9 parts water:1part ammonia and then add in a dash of soap. I use Dr. Bronner's peppermint soap and it smells great! Takes care of the aphids, but you have to repeat the application almost daily until they're gone. I know ladybugs are good for aphids, and I have some of those in my yard, too, but sometimes the aphid infestation is so bad that I don't have time to wait for the ladybugs to do their thing before my plants up and die.

I think that your idea of concocting a garlic pepper soap spray is a good one. A dab of DE in the mix can't hurt. I sprinkle plain dry powdered garlic (like you probably have in your pantry) on the beds occasionally to keep the snails and slugs away. I've found that it works fairly well.

Stephanie

Dorkasaurus - A fellow resident of Albuquerque here. I do
my veggie gardening in 12-gal. containers against a south
wall because we get such high winds here in the foothills.
There are yellow "sticky tags" that help a lot with flea beetles
and other flying bugs. The sticky tags come with wire stands
which you stick in the dirt and were a big help last year. I
ordered them from GardensAlive which carries a lot of
organic gardening aids.

I've also noticed a lot more snails this year but on the plus side
we have more bees which is a good thing. I'm hoping not to
have to do so much hand pollinating of my squash this year.
There was not a bee in sight last season.

Also had aphid infestation on some rose bushes, but I just spray
a mix of a little Dawn dish washing liquid and then use the hose
to wash them off. I don't use chemicals so have to keep an eagle
eye out for tomato cut worms. No mercy here, I just squish them.

We've never had a pheasant appear, although we do get some
quail and an occasional roadrunner.

I would think the pheasant would eat some of the bugs, but since we don't have pheasants here, I'm not sure.

I'll look into the sticky tags. Last year the only real pests I encountered were a few grasshoppers late in the season which were too late and too little to have much impact and only two hornworms, although just one can eat a surprising amount. This year I've already seen grasshoppers up to an inch in size feasting on my plants. I blasted the aphids with soapy pepper garlic stuff and they didn't seem to like it. They aren't overwhelming the plant at this point but no point in letting them get comfortable. I had no shortage of bees last year or 2007. I guess I got lucky and now that I'm expanding the garden a bit I'm being tested.

I thought I saw a pheasant run across the road leading to my place last summer but convinced myself it couldn't be. Yesterday it couldn't have been anything other than a pheasant. I can be downtown in five minutes from my front door so it's not like I'm in the wilderness or anything.

I see too many bugd too, have any of you tried praying mantis?

I raised pheasants one summer (I got them for free from the farm store--they were "sickly"). They LOVE to eat bugs. I used to put them out in my raised beds and they'd go to town. When they grew up, I sent them to live with a pheasant collector (???). Last I heard, they were pretty happy little birds!

I only have a few tomato plants left, and all but one have been damaged and whatever is doing it doesn't care for the lower leaves just the new growth on top. They aren't being eaten, just torn and dropped to the ground. Corn is being molested as well. Peppers, herbs, cucumbers, and watermelon all have damage ranging from tiny holes to larger holes to ripped and torn leaves. All but two swiss chards ripped from ground roots and all. New growth on half of my peppers is not looking good....it's looks stunted and damaged. Most of my green onions yanked from ground as well. The only thing that hasn't been hit yet is some pole beans that I was really only growing for the vines and flowers. It has rained every day and night here for the last several days so my pepper + garlic spray gets washed off regularly and is basically useless. I check things a couple times a day, I've even gone out at odd hours (12am, 3am, etc.) with a flashlight looking for suspects but haven't seen a thing other than a little lizard that's often around when I'm watering. I assumed it ate bugs, but maybe it's vegetarian. I hope not because I don't know how I'd ever catch it, even though I remember catching the same kind as a kid. I must have been faster back then lol. I suppose it could have hailed here in the last few days, that might explain some of the damage but not all of it. It's probably chupacabra, and I'm not sure how to stop it. I guess I'll put everything under bird netting and/or chicken wire. The way it's going so far I'll be lucky to harvest anything, and each tomato and pepper will cost me around $10. This whole thing is starting to seem familiar because the first garden I attempted I killed everything with kindness (over watering) and then bought a bunch of nursery plants only to wake up one morning and see everything either pulled up and gone or eaten down to the stem. And I thought gardening was supposed to be peaceful and relaxing... Good times. =)

Sorry to hear about your garden Dorkasaurus. Your last post got me motivated to take awesome measures. So, I just ordered some praying mantis. They better jack up the other bugs. I am hoping they will live here and have babies and I will have permanent bug control (yeah right). I just don't want to spray any neem any more. Anyways when they are born I will take pics of the cute little critters...

The bugs aren't bugging me as much now that I know some critter is inappropriately touching my plants while I'm away. I'm putting up 1" mesh chicken wire on Wednesday. That should stop the animals. If it doesn't then it's on to snares and punji sticks and moats of burning oil.

I've seen mantis and ladybugs in my yard but I guess my bugs aren't appealing enough for them to hang out in my garden. They only seem to flock to a parsley plant I planted in 2007 and haven't watered or fertilized since summer of '07. I guess I'll have parsley this year so I shouldn't complain. Who knows, parsley soup with parsley flakes and parsley on the side might be delicious! Truth is I have yet to see any bugs in my garden other than a few aphids and ants on one pepper plant, the others are elusive but the evidence is easy enough to see.

Seriously though the chicken wire should do the trick, and most of the plants that have been violated should survive. Based on the last few years I just didn't think bugs or plant molesting chupacabras were going to be an issue this year or I would have done more to protect things before I put them outside in the garden. Live and learn I guess.

Dorkasaures - your night visiting critter might be after the earthworms in your soil. I had a terrible problem last year. This year, I have removed any earthworms I come across in my vegetable beds and put them in the pathways. The critter still visits at night, but tears up the pathways between the beds. So far (fingers crossed) I've had very little damage to the actual garden beds, but there is clear evidence of the critter visiting after dark she/he leaves holes every few feet along the pathways. I feel so sorry for the earthworms :(

Your chicken wire idea will work, I had to put some around my beds last year - so far haven't needed to do so this year. Lowes has some Poultry Wire that's just 2' high - low enough so you can still reach into your garden beds, but high enough to keep out the critter.

Birds will also peck at new growth, but it doesn't sound like birds to me.

You have any friend who hunt? If so they probably have a deer cam you can set out for a few nights and get some good pics of the chupacabras.

The chupacabra has been spotted!!! Unfortunately it looks a lot like a dog. A dog named Kane in fact. I caught him having a great time chewing on my corn. In a way I'm disappointed... a chupacabra sighting would have been more exciting, or maybe a garden shear wielding horny toad, but all I get is a plain old dog. I have a single strand electric fence around it to keep the horses out but the dogs can walk under it. The dogs weren't a problem in the past so I don't know what his problem is now but I shall fix his wagon shortly. I have some chainlink panels laying around so I'll just throw them up around the raised bed and most of my container plants will fit as well. A second garden area can't be easily protected but it's mostly peppers which aren't being chewed on, just eaten by insects and/or snails so I don't think he'll be a problem there. Even if he does chew them all up I'll still have plenty in the fort knox high security dog free garden zone so hopefully it will work out in the end.

Now I can get back to my regularly scheduled insect induced paranoia.