Seeing pests lurking on your property and attacking your lawn and garden is a dreadful moment all homeowners fear. Your first instinct is probably to run inside the house and come out ready for war, armed with substances, chemicals, liquids, powders and sprays – anything to stop the creepers from feeding with your beautiful flowers, shrubs or veggies. But our pest control Midlothian, TX experts advise you to pause and take stock before you start pouring all sorts of substances onto the plants and soil. Today, we will talk about the 6 golden rules of using garden pesticides so you can make an educated decision next time you feel that pesticides are your only solution.
- Try the organic approach first – it may be slower than regular chemical pesticides, but home-made insect repellents are healthier to the plants, the environment and you than over the counter substances. If you don’t know how to manage a pest crisis situation with organic pest control solutions, ask your local pest control Midlothian, TX experts to give you a hand.
- Call the experts – you don’t probably self-medicate or perform surgery on yourself, so you should transfer these healthy habits to your garden as well. A reliable pest control Midlothian, TX team can rapidly identify the pests you deal with, the seriousness of the infestation and the proper means to get rid of the problem without harming the environment. They can also custom-mix and tailor a pest control pesticide application program on the long term with positive effects.
- Read the label and the instructions of the pesticide you use – that substance should be the least-toxic and should be plant-specific or pest-specific. Always spray only the plants mentioned on the label. Some formulas are designed for specific plants or pests and one pesticide can harm a nearby plant while saving the one it is meant for. Also, keep in mind the specific directions of mixing pesticides and always follow the exact proportions and applying dosages.
- Never use broad-spectrum pesticides – no matter how serious the infection is, broad-spectrum pesticides should be avoided. They can kill all insects, not only pests, and if the pests return (and they usually do) you won’t have beneficial insects to defend your flowers, trees, or vegetables anymore.
- Never use systemic pesticides on edible plants, fruits, vegetables or herbs – this is a global issue we all need to pay attention to: systemic pesticides do indeed kill pests, but they are also absorbed by the edibles as well, making them dangerous for human consumption.
- As a solution, try using non-systemic pesticides – they should get in direct contact with the pests to produce their effects, but they don’t affect the plants per se. Non-systemic pesticides can be applied to all plants’ surfaces to fend off the pests. While non-systemic pesticides are not taken up by the plants, you still should wash vegetables and fruits with care if you sprayed them.
Our pest control Midlothian, TX specialists can help you with pest identification, prevention and control. Before doing anything rash, call your lawn care Midlothian, TX team to offer you guidance on organic pest control approaches.