Managing Pests in Your Grow Space

Farmers, hobby farmers, and gardeners all have to deal with different types of pests that seek to feed off different types of plants. Pests can have large economic consequences as they have the ability to destroy crops. Regardless of the scale of the grower, one must be prepared to mitigate pests to ensure that their plants can be successful.  

Over the years humans have developed different ways to reduce the adverse effects of pests on crops. Both natural pesticides and chemical pesticides have been refined to improve yield quantities.  

Chemical Pesticides 

Although effective, chemical pesticides have adverse effects on human life and the surrounding ecosystem. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there are more than 3 million cases of pesticide poisoning every year (2 million intentional and 1 million unintentional) and more than 200,000 deaths, the greatest percentage of which occur in developing countries.  

New research has also indicated that children are affected more negatively from pesticides compared to adults. Findings have concluded that exposure to pesticides can cause different types of cognitive and behavioural disorders.  

Lastly, pesticides have large environmental consequences. Bees, frogs and other insects all suffer from the use of chemical pesticides. Ecosystems are disrupted by the use of pesticides.  

Natural Pesticides

However, there are natural pesticides that we can use in place of harmful chemical pesticides.  

Sticky Tape can be a solution to trapping pests. By setting up stick tape it would be easier to identify what pests are being destructive to your crops. Once you have identified the type of pests that are eating your crops, you can tailor your mitigation strategy based on the identified pest.  

Ladybugs are another form of natural pest mitigation. Ladybugs will eat pest aphids and they can be a vital solution to decreasing pest destruction. It is possible to buy ladybugs to add to your growing area.  

Tomato spray is a known natural pesticide that can help kill aphids and other pests. To make tomato spray, combine chopped tomato leaves with water. Let the mix sit for one night and then strain the paste. After that you can spray the paste onto the affected area.  

Neem oil is a great pest prevention solution. Need oil can be bought commercially, making it a viable option for local gardeners or small scale farmers. To find out more about how to make your own neem oil, please visit How to Use Neem Oil as an Organic Insecticide  

Another pesticide prevention method is to ensure the area around your garden, farm, or indoor grow space is clean. Start by ensuring that there is no rotting debris or weeds around your grow area to limit any potential breeding grounds for new pests.

Additionally, it is important to regularly inspect your grow area to check for pests. Educate yourself on what specific pests your plant species attract. When detected early, pest infestations are easier to deal with. 

Hydroponic Pesticides 

Different mediums of growing allow for different pests to appear. Hydroponics, despite often being indoors, is still susceptible to pests. Common hydroponic pests are whiteflies, spider mites, thrips, aphids, and fungus gnats. For more information on how to control hydroponic pests please visit Safer, Home, Garden, and Lawn. They have provided in-depth solutions and prevention methods for dealing with pests.  

Wellington Greens 

At Wellington Greens, we do not use any form of chemical pesticides or herbicides. We are committed to delivering the healthiest product to you and that is why we refrain from using any chemical pesticides.