You are much more likely to have to deal with certain pests in your garden or backyard than with others. But if you are proactive and have the right information, deterring them from your property is often much easier than you’d think. So here are some of the most efficient ways to repel these common pests.
Deer
Most city-dwellers would be glad to see a deer, and might even think it sounds like a romantic idea to have a small herd grazing in their yard. In reality however, deer can be a big problem. They can make quick work of your hard work in the garden as they enjoy eating both flowers and plant shoots. While it can be costly the most efficient option for keeping deer completely out of your yard is fencing.
However, not just any fencing will do, you’ll need to make sure it’s eight feet tall or higher since deer are superb jumpers. While definitely not as effective as a fence, planting flowers and plants that have strong scents such as marigolds, dill, and lavender can help deter deer from snacking in your garden as well since they don’t like the smell.
Herons
Herons are tall, sleek, and attractive birds. However, they are also notorious devourers of pond fish. In fact they often quickly wipe out entire ponds of their fish population. And for this reason they’re feared by most pond owners. While you can create areas in your pond for fish to hide, or use a net to cover the surface a more effective option for keeping them away is to use a decoy.
Despite being predators themselves, herons are not at the top of the food chain and therefore an alligator decoy is often a simple and easy solution. Once they spot what they think is a real gator floating in the water they almost never land. You can use an alligator decoy for pond guard duty from herons but also in the pool or pond to deter raccoons.
Aphids
Not all pests are large enough to easily be seen. One of the most common and destructive pests, aphids, are actually so small they can be hard to spot. These garden insects usually gather on the underside of leaves, but also on stems and fruits. They suck the sap out which can cause plants to wilt and even die.
You can help to keep aphids from getting a foothold in your garden by purchasing ladybugs at your local garden center and releasing them in your garden. Ladybugs prey on aphids and will quickly put their numbers in check and keep them from becoming a problem in the first place.
Moles
Moles have no interest in eating your plants instead they simply are looking for grubs and worms. However the tunnels they use to move around can destroy your expensive lawn. To help prevent moles from moving in there are several options that work well. Because they are very sensitive to sounds, one of the best are choices are ultrasonic repellents. These make a high-pitched sound which keeps them away. There are also several plants which are believed to repel moles such as Siberian squill, daffodils, and castor beans.
As you can see there are many ways to deal with these famously destructive pests and most don’t actually take much effort at all. So make sure to give these deterrents a try before taking more extreme or expensive measures. You’ll most likely be pleasantly surprised with the results.
