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Author Name: Samuel Quino
Contact Email Address: groups@gardening-
WebSite: http://www.gardenin
Category: Gardening, Gardening, Hobby, Environment, Home
Description: <a href="http://www.gardenin
Keywords: garden tips & gardening advice, home and garden remedies, garden pests control, garden, gardening
Word Count: 368
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Article Content:
In nature, pests are usually controlled by the presence of insect
predators and parasites which keep the populations of the harmful
insects in control.
Most of the insects in nature are either beneficial or at least
harmless. There are many ways to encourage insect predators in
one's garden.
1. Create a suitable habitat for insect predators. Flowering shrubs
and trees throughout the garden will attract many beneficial insects
including parasitic wasps which require pollen and nectar for their
growth and maturity. Plants belonging to Umbelliferae family are
particularly effective in attracting natural enemies of pests.
2. Provide alternate hosts for pests. To ensure availability of
food for the beneficial organisms, grow alternate host plants along
fence lines and in between cultivated crops. The natural enemy
populations on these alternate host plants will control pests
attacking the cultivated crop.
3. Create nesting sites for frogs, reptiles and birds. Logs of dead
trees, irregularly shaped rocks with crevices and cavities and plenty
of mulch can be a good nesting sites for snakes, lizards, frogs,
rove beetles and carabid beetles and carabid beetles, which feed on
insects.
4. Increase humidity by providing water holes. Humidity is much
needed for the survival of natural enemies. It serves as a source
of drinking water for reptiles, birds and frogs. Many predatory
insects live in, on and near water. Well-vegetated small dams,
little water pools and swales scattered throughout the garden will
create conditions for the build-up of natural enemies.
5. Practice mixed crops and harvesting them in strips help maintain
natural enemies and confuses pests. For fungal pathogens, the
practice of mixed cropping is desirable as the root exudates of
another crop can be toxic to the pathogen. Mixed cropping also
encourages soil microbes which, in turn, act as barriers to the
fungal pathogen.
6. Reduce dust build up in crop plants. Dust inhibits the functioning
of natural enemies. Growing well-designed windbreaks and ground cover
crops like centrosema and lablab bean will reduce dust. Use of
overhead sprinklers will also help periodically in washing off the dust.
7. Avoid spraying chemical pesticides. Chemical pesticides eliminate
beneficial insects. Improved application method should be developed
and minimum doses should be applied.
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Author Biography:
Samuel Quino is the founder of
<a href="http://www.gardenin
www.gardening-
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