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Organic Pest Control That Really Works

You may be reading this post because you are looking for a quick fix to a pest problem in the garden. There are organic pest control solutions that really work (I list them below).

Understanding the importance of healthy soil and plants in dealing with common pests in the garden is important. Healthy plants and soil are the best defense against pests. Pests often choose plants that are weakened in some way.

Before you decide which action to take, read through these 8 tips for effective organic pest control and prevention in the garden.

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#1: Focus on healthy soil

Healthy plants in soil rich in organic matter and nutrients, watered correctly with plenty of sunlight and airflow, are much less susceptible to pests.

In contrast, sickly plants struggling in depleted soil treated with chemical fertilizers are much more likely to have pests. 

It’s important to have your soil tested at least once a year to determine soil fertility and pH. When the nutrient levels and soil pH are correct, this prevents stress which then reduces pest problems. 

A soil test can determine the health of your soil. This is the soil test kit I use. It’s very simple to use.

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#2: Keep your garden clean

Remove dead leaves, fallen fruit, and other debris that provide refuge for pests. This will help prevent major infestations. Remove and throw away infested plants; don’t add them to your compost pile.

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#3: Keep plants healthy

• If pests or diseases have been an issue in the past, plant disease-resistant varieties. 
• Water correctly, and avoid water on leaves. 
• Give plants enough room, and space plants properly for adequate airflow.

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#4: Enlist Mother Nature’s help

• Provide shelter for natural predators: lizards, toads, ducks, chickens, birds, bats, birds, ducks. 
• Let herbs and vegetables go to flower. 
• Attract and learn to identify beneficial insects such as ladybugs, praying mantis, hoverflies, lacewings, tachinid flies, and dragonflies. 
• Stop using pesticides; they kill the good and the bad.

Beneficial insects take care of harmful pests like aphids naturally. If aphids are your most common garden pest, this guide walks you through when to ignore them and how to encourage beneficial insects to take over.

Want to learn more about creating a pollinator-friendly garden? Read Perennials for Pollinators in Your Desert Garden for tips on supporting local wildlife and promoting a healthy garden ecosystem.

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#5: Spend time in your garden each day

Notice small problems before they become big problems. Look for pests early in the morning, as pests are less active and easier to hand-pick. If you see an adult pest, look for its eggs on undersides of leaves.

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#6: Use crop placement to your advantage by utilizing different plant methods

• Crop rotation – Avoid planting the same plant in the same location two seasons in a row.
• Companion planting – Plants such as marigold, bee balm, dill, and nasturtium are common companion plants to help prevent pests.
• Polyculture – Interplanting different types of plants in beds makes it more difficult for pests to find preferred plants.

Read this post, “5 Tips for Successful Companion Planting,” for more detail about these topics.

Attracting the right insects can make companion planting and organic gardening even more effective. Read Planting for Pollinators: Create a Simple Insectary Border in Your Garden for ideas that work in any space.

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#7: Be patient and start with the least invasive methods

Demonstrate patience and use any method with a light hand. All products, even organic ones, may kill unintended insects. Follow the dilution and application instructions exactly. Organic controls used incorrectly or in too high concentrations can be as dangerous as chemicals.

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#8: Consider pulling heavily-infected plants

A plant completely overrun with squash bugs may have reached the end of its life cycle. Remove and dispose of the plant (and its residents) rather than waging a losing battle only to have the bugs spread throughout your garden.

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Common garden pests (see chart below for treatments)

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Common garden pests and their organic treatments

The chart below lists methods that work for organic pest control in the garden. Begin with the least invasive and be patient. You will probably need to treat more than once. (Directions for the various treatments are found at the bottom of this article.)

Pests	Treatments
Aphids	Do nothing; attract beneficials; water spray; garlic spray; prune severely infected leaves and plants; horticultural oil; insecticidal soap. Beneficial insects to look for: green lacewings, ladybugs, parasitic wasps, minute pirate bugs, Aphidius wasp. Learn how to get rid of aphids in this guide.
Cabbage Worms/ Cabbage Loopers	Row covers; attract beneficials (lacewings, lady bugs, wasps); handpick; Bt. Learn more about how to get rid of cabbage worms in this guide.
Corn Earworms	Attract beneficials (praying mantis); wasps; Bt; beneficial nematodes; horticultural oil; garlic spray.
Cutworms	Rigid collars; diatomaceous earth; Bt.
Flea Beetles	Row covers; plant radishes as a trap crop; insecticidal soap.
Leaf-footed Bugs	Handpick; check undersides of leaves for eggs. Read this guide to learn how to get rid of leaf-footed bugs.
Mites (Spider)	Attract beneficials; spray with water; cut off and dispose of infested leaves; insecticidal soap; horticultural oil. Heavily infected leaves are stippled with yellow. The mites thrive in dry, dusty conditions. Keep plants clean; spray with water every few days to keep numbers in check. Clean up fallen infected leaves. Quarantine new plants to prevent accidental infestation. Beneficials to look for: predatory mites.
Pill Bugs (harmful if found in large numbers)	Good garden sanitation; handpick; beer traps; citrus traps; board traps; diatomaceous earth.
Slugs, Snails	Encourage natural predators; handpick (easiest at night); chickens; ducks; beer traps; citrus traps; board traps; diatomaceous earth. Natural predators to look for: beetles, fireflies, toads.
Squash Bugs	Grow resistant varieties; pheromone traps to attract male moths (lets you know to be alert for females laying eggs); garlic spray (early and often); beneficial nematodes; crop rotation; row covers.
Squash Vine Borers	Attract beneficials (lacewings, lady bugs, praying mantis); water spray; yellow sticky traps; diatomaceous earth; garlic spray; insecticidal soap.
Thrips	Encourage beneficial (wasps); handpick; (use a UV flashlight to find them at night; row covers; Bt (must apply when they are small).
Tomato Hornworms	Encourage beneficials (wasps); handpick; (use a UV flashlight to find them at night; row covers; Bt (must apply when they are small).
Whiteflies	Attract beneficials (lacewings, ladybugs, praying mantis); water spray; yellow sticky trap; garlic spray; insecticidal soap; horticultural oil. Find my full approach on getting rid of whiteflies in this guide.

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Organic pest control methods

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How to use each organic pest control method (listed from least invasive to most invasive)

Organic Pest Control Methods	Directions for Use
Do nothing	Observe plants each day; healthy plants can often tolerate a little damage with no ill effects.
Row covers	Apply right after planting.  Remove covers each morning for 2-3 hours when blossoms appear to allow for pollination.  Leave on plants for the season or remove once the plant is large enough to tolerate a little damage, or pests are not an issue.
Rigid collars	Place around the stem of young seedlings to protect from cutworms and other pests.  Use an empty paper towel roll and cut desired length. Bury collar 2 inches below the soil, and stand up around the stem 3-4 inches above the soil.
Remove affected leaves	Cut off and dispose of the worst infected leaves.  Do not compost.
Beneficial nematodes	Biological control.  Sprayed into the soil. The nematodes feed on soft-bodied soil-borne pests, but do not affect earthworms.
Yellow sticky traps	Attach the trap near infected plants.  Replace often if needed.  This method is often enough to disrupt the life cycle of white flies without further methods.
Beer traps, citrus traps, board traps	Set a shallow container (such as a pie plate) with rim flush to ground; fill with beer.  Cut fruit/citrus in half and place on soil.  Place boards around the garden.  Check traps each day and collect the hiding pests.
Handpicking	Hunt early in the morning as pests are less active.  If an adult is spotted, check undersides of leaves for eggs and larvae, and remove.
Garlic spray	Foliar spray. Repels pests rather than killing.  Spray on plants before pests arrive for best effect.
Water spray	Spray off affected parts of the plant with a stream of water.  Do this early in the morning, so plant leaves have time to dry. Wet leaves encourage disease.
Diatomaceous Earth	Rough texture injures skin of soft-bodied insects.  Apply 2 inch barriers around plants or groups of plants.  Reapply after rain.
Horticultural oil	Foliar spray. Not toxic on its own; relies on suffocation to kill insects.  Often applied when trees and shrubs are dormant (without leaves).  Apply when temperatures are below 80℉.
Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt)	Foliar spray. Biological control.  When ingested by caterpillars, it paralyzes the stomach, causing death.  Does not discriminate between pests and other caterpillars.  Use only as needed on affected plants.
Insecticidal soap	Foliar spray. Biodegradable soap that damages cell membranes is most effective on soft-bodied pests.  Apply early in the morning.  Needs contact with insects to kill them.  Once soap dries, rinse off leaves to prevent sunburn in plants.  Not harmful to most beneficial insects.
Neem oil  (I have not found this to be an effective solution)	Foliar spray or soil drench.  Derived from seeds of neem trees. Cold pressed 100% neem oil will contain higher levels of azadirachtin (the component that is harmful to insects).  Blocks progression of life cycle of pest; loss of appetite.  It may harm bees; do not spray on flowers. Use only where need

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