7 Organic Ways to Control Garden Pests

There are easy and effective organic ways to control garden pests that don't involve dangerous chemicals or methods. Gardener Scott discusses and explains seven common organic controls for garden insect pests. (Video #277)
Row Cover:
shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=130830...
Sticky Trap:
amzn.to/2Tz2Hy2
BT:
amzn.to/3q1KYLF
Neem Oil:
amzn.to/3q5OFjx
Diatomaceous Earth:
amzn.to/3zxa3md
Water wand:
amzn.to/30Q192w
Join the Gardener Scott channel to get access to perks. Click the "JOIN" button or link here:
/ @gardenerscott
You can also support the channel with Gardener Scott merchandise like T-shirts and mugs at the Gardener Scott Store: / @gardenerscott
Click this link to SUBSCRIBE: / @gardenerscott
To order a GreenStalk vertical garden system, click on this affiliate link:
lddy.no/kdvq
Use code"GARDENERSCOTT" for a $10 discount.
You can help support the Gardener Scott channel in five ways that won’t cost you anything extra:
1.) Be part of the community by liking videos, subscribing, clicking the bell, commenting, and sharing.
2.) Watch the ads whenever you can. It just takes a few seconds and helps me a lot.
3.) If you use Amazon and want to buy anything at all, click through with this link: www.amazon.com/?tag=gardenersc...
4) Check out Gardener Scott's Recommended Gardening Books at: bookshop.org/shop/gardenerscott
5) Click on this affiliate link to get Audible books that you can listen to in the garden: amzn.to/32bpgd7
Your support helps me pay for plants, gardening supplies, and all of the other costs associated with running a KZbin channel.
Thank you for your support!
#EnjoyGardening #GardenerScott
Links included in this description and referenced in videos might be affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. If you purchase a product or service with the links I provide, I may receive a small commission. There is no additional charge to you for those affiliate links and your support allows me to provide free content every week on the Gardener Scott channel. Thank you!

[@MrMikekenney120]

Wish I would make it this early to Mondays live streams! Thanks for being you "Gardener Scott", you're a great mentor and Teacher!

[@joshuasumrell5451]

I want to be like you when I grow up. You are the coolest

[@frankanselmo5479]

Row covers went on my brassica bed right when they were planted. Now, almost two months later, they are close to harvesting, and like you mentioned about your plants, there is not a single hole in any one the leaves. I feel another advantage when the sun starts getting to be too much, is the fabric blocks about 15% of the light. Thanks for another great video!

[@beccausewhynot]

You've done so much for me when it came to learning about how to maintain my garden! I appreciate every video you make! Thank you so much and I'm proud to say that my first harvest is successfully organic and abundant all due to your videos!

[@dannyhughes4889]

You are a great source for knowledge in my pursuit of growing Vegs...... always so thorough, well paced and no Hollywood hype delivery.

[@vincentdarius5763]

First off, thank you for being a positive and encouraging voice in the world! It means a lot to me and many others. I hear you keep repeating the idea that aphids are somehow "broken" by their fall to the soil. My understanding from my university bio/physics is that (by the square-cube law) they have so little mass that the fall to the ground doesn't bother them much as long as they can find their way back to another host. Experimentally, you can confirm that aphids probably aren't maimed by the fall by dropping an ant from several feet up. They don't tend to care about the fall because they have much less volume-per-area than larger creatures, meaning less mass and less force relative to their terminal velocity. Very young aphids tend to die before finding a new host plant, but some adults do eventually crawl onto new plants (scientific paper that references their ability to survive the drop: "Young Aphids Avoid Erroneous Dropping when Evading Mammalian Herbivores by Combining Input from Two Sensory Modalities"). I'm not arguing with the idea that aphids dropped from plants tend to die--they definitely do--but it seems it's not the fall that kills them. Instead, they probably starve or die of exposure before they can get back onto a plant.

[@GardenerScott]

Thanks. Good points. Some of the info I've seen suggests they can break legs when falling which limits their ability to crawl back.

[@drawingmomentum]

Interesting science. Have u ever read the book Patterns In Nature (Stevens)?

[@GardenerScott]

I haven't, but it looks interesting. Thanks.

[@garynorcal4269]

Always looking for aphid knowledge..it is one of my worst pests.

[@garyjr6851]

Always love the videos. Very knowledgeable. Keep em coming. Thanks Gardener Scott.

[@jean-pierreposman7282]

This was just the video i needed. Remember my aphyds on my paecjtree in the Q&a ? Well i did it a spray of water and then i had the sick laeves pull off ... now i have a quarter of the laeves still on the tree . I hope he survive it ... bit i dont want sur chrmicals . Thank You for video and information Scott ! See you monday ver ( i live on the otther side pf the planet . Middle europe is 17.00 h at evening when you on -line have a Nice gardening time . Jp

[@amyrios5548]

My favorite garden channel😊

[@heidiclark6612]

Great information! I love ladybugs, and lacewings, and beneficial wasps. Well you get the idea! Let nature work for you!

[@Ok-Mardy]

Good video Scott! Always looking for organic ideas to deal with pests!

[@jessyorchid5722]

You’re so awesome sir ....love all your KZbin channel. So many info for the best for organic garden .... and very good knowledge you give it. Love it 😍

[@lisalewis5664]

This was a great and informative video (as they all are!). Thank you for the info!

[@He4vyD]

Dilluted nettle tea mixed with some dish soap works great on aphids too. I use a spray bottle and apply once in the morning and once in the evening.

[@matthewcunningham8691]

Gardner Scott you are the best 👌

[@ejfishes7610]

Great video Gardener Scott. I ordered some sticky traps from the link below!

[@NewMindGarden]

Wow.. Absolutely amazing video.. 👍👍

[@beesandseeds]

Excellent information

[@Yankeesista203]

After so many years of trying to control the white cabbage moth, I always use the row covers now! That works the best! The only thing I don't have in my arsenal is BT! That's next!😊 Thanks for all you do! Take care 🤗

[@yessicaperez3407]

Great video!! 👏👏👏

[@smhollanshead]

The seven pest control measures: barriers, yellow sticky traps, diametric earth, BT, neem oil, lady bugs, other beneficial insects, wash them off.

[@ATAPORGANIK1502DKS]

I always use that ways (ORGANIC Gardening) to get healthy vegetables and fruits

[@midsouthhomestead7527]

Here in South West Tennessee, we have a ton of Japanese Beetles everywhere! We have Milky Spores ready for fall treatment. They eat blooms.

[@tiffystrangebirdbrown6844]

If the bugs don't wanna eat it, I don't wanna eat it. I use nothing but neem oil and DE, and both of those very very sparingly. I live on the Gulf Coast where the Colorado and Brazos Rivers dump all the chemicals washed from inland, btwn that, the many chemical plants/refineries and the recent BP oil spill, they have killed our animal populations to almost nil. It matters, every little bit matters. Thank you so much because people listen to you.

[@vickymyers3804]

I make my own sticky traps out of poster paper slipped in a snack zip lock bag and smear Tanglefoot on it hold them with 3 prong pickle forks or staple to popcicle sticks or sticks. Other traps are margerine or cottage cheese tubs, paper punch holes round the top, put in soy sauce and veg oil, put lid on bury up to the holes. Dogs will eat the trap too.

[@salwa4ever818]

Really great video. This year I noticed my plum tree leaves was covered with sticky substance and was wondering if it was due to aphids infestation, please guide me what to do next year to prevent it from being damaged. Thanks again and look forward to hearing from you.

[@GardenerScott]

Thanks. It could be aphids or scale. Encouraging beneficial predators with more plant diversity can help. Try to identify the specific pest and be ready to spray them off.

[@vickysgardenetc.2188]

Thank you for sharing 😊

[@amyrios5548]

He has lots of information😊

[@garynorcal4269]

Thank you for demonstrating how you wash aphids off plants. I keep hearing how this is supposed to help. But, my aphid population seems to be better at clinging to the leaves than that. I need to find a better technique .. if it exists😢.

[@StreamDeerTracker]

Thanks for the great information. I built 3 raised bed this year. My wife loves them until white powdery mildew show up. Any idea how to deal with it? Given it is fall now, anything I can do so that I have less issue next year? Thanks in advance.

[@GardenerScott]

Good air circulation is one of the best ways to prevent or reduce it. Avoiding grouping plants too closely and prune to increase air flow.

[@jennyd9543]

I have used Safers slug bait with really good success but some people have issues with its safety. Any ideas about that? I would be concerned with the sticky traps catching lots of little bees and wasps as well as beetles. Is this a problem? This year I have bean leaf beetles and I'm just routinely picking them off my small bean patch. I got rid of red lily beetles that way.

[@tomsfishhatcherydemo6778]

What about the white butterfly

[@amysnipes4245]

Will the yellow stikies also catch beneficials?

[@GardenerScott]

They can, so I stop using them after the target pest is under control.

[@MsMegil]

Do you have any recommendations for leaf miner? So far I've been picking off leaves at first sign but every day there are more to be removed.

[@GardenerScott]

Promoting a healthy plant and removing infested leaves are important. Neem oil, BT, and sticky traps can help.

[@b.bailey8244]

do the sticky traps hurt the pollenator and small beneficial insects?

[@GardenerScott]

They can, so removing them after the main pest is under control is a good idea.

[@joshuavazquez5534]

Will those row covers you shown keep my chickens out of my young seedlings?

[@GardenerScott]

They should but aggressive chickens can dig under them or jump on top.

[@norseknowhow]

Thank you for another educational video! Could you please make a video on “drip irrigation “? Is it true that plants like tomatoes should be drip watered?

[@melissasullivan1658]

You can certainly use drip on tomatoes, but no - they’ve survived the last millennia without drip just fine. It’s the fact that it’s a regular watering schedule that helps the tomatoes. I don’t have the option to use drip, so I just make sure their water is always moist, and my tomatoes are doing just fine. :)

[@norseknowhow]

@@melissasullivan1658 thanks a lot for your advice!

[@GardenerScott]

I do have a video in the works where I'll discuss drip irrigation. I don't do it much. I prefer to hand water and provide the tomatoes the amount of water the soil needs rather than setting a drip schedule.

[@norseknowhow]

@@GardenerScott thank you!

[@JBra1382]

In a raised bed. If you use galvanized steel containers. Does the steel get too hot for plants? How do you control drainage?

[@GardenerScott]

I have another video where I measured the temperature and found the steel beds were not much hotter. And in another video I show how I drilled holes in the galvanized beds.

[@desiraemonique]

Great video! Right now I'm having the worst time with grasshoppers. They really only target the corn, and last year they ate the entire crop. This year they're just starting to show up and they've went straight to eating all the silks off the corn and chewing away the leaves. I've tried neem oil, garlic oil, soap, but there's so many it doesn't do much. Anyone have any tips?

[@GardenerScott]

Thanks! Attracting birds is my first line of defense against grasshoppers.

[@hugelpook]

Will BT affect the birds that eat the caterpillars?

[@GardenerScott]

BT is non-toxic to animals.

[@Jack-gt4os]

Just started gardening. My question is about sticky traps. Don’t they grab the beneficiary bugs along w the bad ones?

[@GardenerScott]

They can. The color tends to attract the bad ones more.

[@ivan55599]

Ash? Ducks? Waterspray and phytoseiulus against spider mites?

[@sejalpatel2422]

Very good information. I have 1 question related to slugs and snails. You covered your beds with straw as a munch,, and it get moist during rain and when you water your plants. It want attract slugs and snails? How do u manage? Last year I had that problem although I didn’t use any munch.

[@GardenerScott]

I do not have a slug problem in my area, but a trap made with wet newspaper or carboard can attract the slugs and then they can be disposed.

[@sejalpatel2422]

@@GardenerScott Thank 🙏🙏

[@sejalpatel2422]

@@GardenerScott 1 more question about comfrey plant. Last Monday in your question and answer Video I ask about it. And 3 people told me about where I can find it. But I got confused because it says common comfrey plant and bocking 14. Which one to buy??

[@benverow6548]

@@sejalpatel2422 natural comfrey will drop seeds and spread very quickly. Bocking 14 was developed to have sterile seeds. It can be propagated through root cuttings, but will not spread on its own. Bocking 14 seems to be the preferred variety.

[@sejalpatel2422]

@@benverow6548 Thank you so much for this information. I was so confuse.

[@shadyfieldhomestead1974]

I noticed you have straw. I also put EZ straw down and others on some pages freaked out saying get the straw away from my plants. Is there any truth to that? Or is that just people are freaking out because they heard it from a friend who heard it from a friend who and have no idea what they are talking about.

[@GardenerScott]

I've used straw for years with no issues other than a few sprouts if there are seeds in it, but are easy to pull out. There are some valid concerns about possible herbicide contamination in some areas of the U.S. and I address that in a recent video. I don't think it's a reason to freak out.

[@drawingmomentum]

I am one of those who take Diatomaceous Earth (food grade) internally for health. I also use it for pests like ants. So glad u did a video on these organic methods of pest control. My main worry is always to keep the bees and ladybugs etc safe. And to not eat chemicals 🤮 Where did u get ur neem oil??

[@GardenerScott]

I got mine online: amzn.to/2THRHOW

[@TJtheHAWK]

Awesome tips Scott! Have you found diatomaceous earth to be harmful on earthworm populations? Seems like there are many different opinions on the subject.

[@GardenerScott]

Thanks! From what I've read DE does not harm earthworms and I haven't personally seen a decrease in their population when I use it.

[@KatBurnsKASHKA]

it hurts animals with exoskeletons, not soft bodied

[@jenpaige3110]

Is neem oiled bugs/bugs infected with BT safe for birds to eat?

[@GardenerScott]

Both are non-toxic to animals.

[@harryarroyo6779]

What about stink bugs ?

[@GardenerScott]

The row cover and diatomaceous earth are best.

[@stephanripianzi4004]

Thanks, every year I get caterpillars

[@awsfefgaedfedfg7479]

What can be done for birds

[@frankanselmo5479]

Birds started eating my pea shoots and beet greens. Threw some row covers over them and problem solved. There is also bird netting but I find it can turn into a tangled mess.

[@anniecochrane3359]

Yep, I agree with Frank, I net the plants. Hanging cds, or strips of metallic ribbon etc etc work for a day, and then back go the birds for their lunch.

[@awsfefgaedfedfg7479]

@@frankanselmo5479 Alright thank you both

[@lilal3753]

What happens if a bird eats the insects that have eaten the products? Do the birds die?

[@GardenerScott]

BT, DE, and neem oil are non-toxic to animals.

[@nihilozero]

TY for the tips. Can you please, please (I'm begging) do a video on controlling rabbits? I've tried to grow things they don't like... and they eat those things. Fencing is impractical due to the shape/nature of my garden. I'm not violent enough to strangle or shoot them. How can I keep rabbits out of my garden?! They started this year by picking off the buds of all my tulips the day before or after they opened. And that was just the start! These monsters are a menace!

[@GardenerScott]

I've mentioned some of my rabbit control in previous videos. High beds is one deterrent and allowing native plants (weeds) to grow outside the garden gives them an alternative food source.

[@Thorny_Misanthrope]

Hi, I’m Jonathan. I’m an organic gardener. It takes 20-gallons of water to rinse the aphids off my second harvest of kale every year just enough for my wife to be willing to cook it.

[@bestgreenpest]

Think of how much better that 20 gallons could be used at Lake Mead

[@Thorny_Misanthrope]

@@bestgreenpest think about the water being used to water plants in my front garden. Nothing was wasted, and it was an exaggeration for a comic purpose. Don’t take yourself too seriously. You’re a joke, but I’m not laughing.

[@hugelpook]

Won't your sticky paper also trap beneficial insects?

[@prosebender]

yes, in my experience within 10 minutes of placing one out in the garden I found a bee stuck in the sticky trap

[@GardenerScott]

It can. Once the target insect is under control they can be removed.

[@wathah323]

Cucumber beetles please, help meeeeeeeeeeeeeee...

[@GardenerScott]

Row covers are very effective. I pick off and squish everyone I see. Mulching with straw can deter them from laying eggs in soil near the plants. Sowing seeds three or four weeks later than normal can break their lifecycle.

[@jackie9068]

You are being mean the animals do everything for you, you stop them from eating a little

[@dennismcleod4490]

I love your channel but you've never used row covers before here. In fact you advised against them lol

[@GardenerScott]

I have other videos showing the row cover, so I'm not sure what you're referring to.

[@eSheeep]

I've seen the covers before and I doubt Scott advises against them. They're pretty much essential for kales.

[@RebeccaTaylorTillery]

You can't use row covers for flowering plants like tomatoes and squash, where the flowers need to be fertilized in order to get the fruit. For things like greens and root vegetables, where you are not eating the fruit or vegetable from a fertilized flower, row covers are just fine.

[@eSheeep]

@@RebeccaTaylorTillery That is only partially true. Some plants do pollinate by wind or selfpollination. You can put tomato flowers in bags to prevent bees and other insects from cross pollinating, so you can win seeds that will be true to type. Most nightshades (chili/pepper/tomato/eggplant/ground cherries) are self fertile, beans and peas are very strict self pollinators, as they are pollinated before the flower even opens (unless a bee bites the flower open). Netting for squash works too, if you pick off a Male flower to pollinate the female ones. That way you can also prevent crosspolination and get seeds true to type, so you don't end up with a bitter, poisonous cross. That would be true for all cucurbits. Some brushes and trees do also benefit from netting AFTER fruit set, so the fruits don't get stung by insects or eaten by birds. Using bags for netting the fruits works like a charm instead of pulling a full cover over them Brushes and trees often also need another relative close by, because the tend to be self infertile and wont set fruit without cross pollination. In those cases a netting while flowering would be counter productive.

[@RebeccaTaylorTillery]

@@eSheeep true, but I was just going for a short and sweet explanation. I generally just let the bees pollinate my plants because I have the only garden in the neighborhood, so the risk of cross pollination is fairly low.