Managing Common Garden Pests: What Works, What Doesn’t

A nationwide reader survey reveals the best methods for managing common garden pests.

By Barbara Pleasant
July/August 2012
Cabbageworms
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Larvae, also known as cabbageworms, of the large cabbage white butterfly (Pieris brassicae) dig into a cabbage leaf.
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Managing common garden pests can be both daunting and overwhelming. For organic gardeners, sometimes it’s a struggle to resolve the problem without artificial or chemical means. Luckily, 1,300 gardeners from around the country shared their solutions to controlling these nuisances. Surprisingly, some of the most popular methods turn out to be less effective than others. For example, row covers and crop rotation are solutions to some of the worst garden bugs. Don’t forget that chickens and ducks are two of the most effective ways to eradicate bugs. The twelve most common garden pests are as follows, and we have the answers to controlling them:

RELATED CONTENT

1. Slugs
2. Squash bugs
3. Aphids
4. Imported cabbageworms
5. Squash vine borers
6. Japanese beetles
7. Tomato hornworms
8. Cutworms
9. Grasshoppers
10. Cucumber beetles
11. Corn earworms
12. Whitefly

Read the full article: Organic Pest Control: What Works, What Doesn't 

Other resources for keeping pests at bay:

• Raising Chickens and Poultry for Home Pest Control
• Raising Ducks Helps Your Garden Patch
• Balancing the Bugs
• Companion Planting in the Vegetable Garden 

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