April Garden Solutions
Protect Your Garden: Earwigs, Mosquitoes, and Aphids
April brings higher temperatures with just the right amount of humidity, and earwigs, mosquitoes and aphids start showing up in the garden. Our garden gurus have been getting a lot of questions about these pesky visitors, and we have answers about the best way to take care of them.
Earwigs
Earwigs hide in damp, dark places during the day, and they thrive in the top one inch of soil. A light tilling of the soil will destroy eggs and expose the young, while making that cultivated area unwelcoming to earwigs.
Sluggo Plus® is an excellent control for earwigs, as well as snails and slugs. It is safe for us and our pets. A reminder: Except for tender new plants, place baits at the edge of the garden. Bait at the perimeter draws pests away from your plants, rather than directing them to the plants.
Garden Tip: Using drip irrigation provides an advantage to exclude earwigs and mosquitoes from your garden. Sprinklers put water everywhere, creating ideal earwig and mosquito places everywhere. Stick to drip and add water only where the plant needs it.
Sluggo Plus® is an excellent control for earwigs, as well as snails and slugs. It is safe for us and our pets. A reminder: Except for tender new plants, place baits at the edge of the garden. Bait at the perimeter draws pests away from your plants, rather than directing them to the plants.
Garden Tip: Using drip irrigation provides an advantage to exclude earwigs and mosquitoes from your garden. Sprinklers put water everywhere, creating ideal earwig and mosquito places everywhere. Stick to drip and add water only where the plant needs it.
Mosquitoes
April’s warming temperatures and high moisture are ideal mosquito hatching conditions. Check for any leaking irrigation or hose bibs and make repairs. Mosquitoes thrive in as little as one teaspoon of water, and even soggy soil.
Summit® Mosquito Bits® contains an active ingredient that kills the larval stage of mosquitoes, and continues to work for up to a month. Sprinkle it around the yard, in flower beds, and gardens. Mosquito Bits® also control fungus gnats, making them an ideal solution for your houseplants.
Need relief from mosquitoes immediately? Try Bonide® Mosquito Beater® for instant control that is safe for you and your pets, and will not harm beneficial insects.
For water features, we recommend Summit® Mosquito Dunks®. Dunks biodegrade completely and won’t clog pumps or water lines.
Garden Tip: Plants are here to help too—lemon thyme, marigold, catnip and citronella geraniums are a beautiful, aromatic way to deter mosquitoes.
Summit® Mosquito Bits® contains an active ingredient that kills the larval stage of mosquitoes, and continues to work for up to a month. Sprinkle it around the yard, in flower beds, and gardens. Mosquito Bits® also control fungus gnats, making them an ideal solution for your houseplants.
Need relief from mosquitoes immediately? Try Bonide® Mosquito Beater® for instant control that is safe for you and your pets, and will not harm beneficial insects.
For water features, we recommend Summit® Mosquito Dunks®. Dunks biodegrade completely and won’t clog pumps or water lines.
Garden Tip: Plants are here to help too—lemon thyme, marigold, catnip and citronella geraniums are a beautiful, aromatic way to deter mosquitoes.
Aphids
Aphids are everywhere this month, and you might see curling damage to new leaves and distortion to new flowers. Please choose organic fertilizers to fight aphids. Aphids adore fresh, tender new growth, and synthetic fertilizers push a whole lot of that growth, encouraging aphids and other pests. Limit pruning to small amounts, as pruning brings on new growth, and welcomes even more aphids.
Neem Oil and Monterey Horticultural Oil work very well against aphids, as well as white flies and spider mites. Completely spray the plant for excellent control.
Garden Tip: To reduce the threat of aphids, consider introducing natural predators to your garden in the form of ladybugs, lacewings, and birds.
Neem Oil and Monterey Horticultural Oil work very well against aphids, as well as white flies and spider mites. Completely spray the plant for excellent control.
Garden Tip: To reduce the threat of aphids, consider introducing natural predators to your garden in the form of ladybugs, lacewings, and birds.
