What’s Your Go-To Organic Pest Control Method? 🐛✨

[TEG Project Manager]

Every gardener has that one trusty trick to keep pests at bay without reaching for harsh chemicals. Some swear by neem oil sprays, others rely on companion planting, and a few keep a bucket of soapy water close by for hand-picking stubborn bugs.

Whether it’s something simple you’ve used for years, or a clever hack you recently discovered, we’d love to hear your secrets! Not only could your method save someone else’s garden, but it might also spark a few new ideas for your own.

So, what’s your favorite organic pest control method—and why does it work so well for you?

 

[flowerbug]

no sprays are used here for bugs. the birds, other animals, spiders, etc. all get their shot at eating what they can find.

once in a while if i'm feeling really peevish i can go out and squish JBs by hand, but i don't really have that kind of time these days so not much of that is going on - it is a very futile activity...

if we are talking about critter type pests then the best results i get are from good fences, and then rat traps for the smaller ones and the air rifle for the larger ones (in that order).

in a normal season i may have to shoot a few groundhogs and rabbits and trap a few chipmunks, but in extreme seasons i've had to trap chipmunks by the dozens and for a while we had a lot of rabbits around. i shot at a few of them and chased a small one and haven't seen them since. i also weeded the gardens. not much more extra bunny food in them now or places to hide. i do not hunt deer.

 

[Marie2020]

Diatomaceous earth, organic slug pellets Beer in cans also for slugs and salt

 

[Marie2020]

no sprays are used here for bugs. the birds, other animals, spiders, etc. all get their shot at eating what they can find.

once in a while if i'm feeling really peevish i can go out and squish JBs by hand, but i don't really have that kind of time these days so not much of that is going on - it is a very futile activity...

if we are talking about critter type pests then the best results i get are from good fences, and then rat traps for the smaller ones and the air rifle for the larger ones (in that order).

in a normal season i may have to shoot a few groundhogs and rabbits and trap a few chipmunks, but in extreme seasons i've had to trap chipmunks by the dozens and for a while we had a lot of rabbits around. i shot at a few of them and chased a small one and haven't seen them since. i also weeded the gardens. not much more extra bunny food in them now or places to hide. i do not hunt deer.

I'm saying nothing, for once.

Okay. I've changed my mind. Furry creatures

 

[digitS']

I am willing to ignore some pest damage in the vegetable garden.

Neem oil works for aphids and spider mites but seems harder on the plants than insecticidal soap, when the sun is out the next day. Our climbing rose has mildew almost every year. Mildew will cause me to pull vegetable plants. This year, I tried neem on the rose instead of sulphur fungicide or a synthetic and if made no difference that I could see. Sulphur works okay.

Spinosad works well for many insects and if a few are still around after a few days –– I can hit them with pyrethrin. That's a good One/Two punch with dissimilar bug killers.

I have had very good success with hammering rocks into ground squirrel and marmot burrows. Flooding the burrows of voles with a slow trickle of water has also worked.

Steve