Frustrated by pests ruining the garden you worked so hard to create? Fearful that you’ll encounter pests in the future? 

If you can relate to any of these things, you’re going to want to know how you can protect your garden from pests, and therefore you’ll want to keep on reading this post since we are covering just that.

Common types of pests

The North American garden can be a haven for:

• Aphids

• Cabbage Maggot

• Caterpillars

• Cutworms

• Colorado Potato Beetle

• Mexican Bean Beetle

• Flea Beetle

• Tarnished Plant Bug

• Bees

• Wasps

• Rats

• Raccoons

• Coyotes

• Foxes

These pests are attracted to your garden because they are looking for food, shelter, or both. 

Use pesticides and herbicides 

If you’re growing fruit and veggies in your garden, you’ll want to spray pesticides and herbicides on the crops to keep pests at bay. You can use organic ones too! Ensure you choose the right chemical and know how to use it.

Invest in a greenhouse 

You can grow plants in a greenhouse to keep pests out. Just ensure you leave the doors closed. Read more on the benefits of greenhouses

Don’t leave garbage lying around

If you've had a  barbecue, make sure all the mess is cleaned, otherwise you are basically inviting pests to come and visit your garden. 

Speaking of garbage, protect your trash cans since they are loved by pests. 

A tip to deter pests is to sprinkle ammonia on top of the trash can or to wrap Christmas lights around the cans.

Get spiders to come to your garden

Okay, just here us out on this one, spiders are actually beneficial for your garden. Because they eat all kinds of insects, they prevent the pests getting to your plants. 

To attract spiders to your garden, get things like St. John's wort, petunias, asters, and sweet alyssum in your garden. 

Plant herbs

Herbs like cilantro, parsley and dill are the most attractive vegetation for pests. By planting these herbs, you’ll make the pests attracted to these herbs, and they’ll leave your other plants alone as a result. 

When to call in the professionals

Even if you implement these preventative measures - pests still can come (there's just a lower chance). If you’ve already got pests, say a racoon under a deck, you’ll want to find out what your options from animal control specialists are. Don’t try and tackle the problem yourself either since it’s best to let people with experience handle it. 

In summary

Pests are a common problem for your garden. You can effectively prevent them by using pesticides and herbicides, investing in a greenhouse, not leaving garbage lying around, protecting your garbage cans, attracting spiders to your home, and planting herbs like parsley and cilantro.