Pest Control for Garden Singapore

Whether you have a mini garden in your HDB flat or an elaborate setup in your yard, many Singaporeans have caught the gardening bug (no pun intended). To create a natural surrounding and intensify the general aesthetics of their homes, many people have populated their gardens with plants in all shapes and sizes. Others have even incorporated grass carpets and exquisite florals to brighten up their humble abodes.

Unfortunately, maintaining a beautiful, healthy garden outdoors isn't without challenges. Besides feeding, watering, nurturing, and landscaping your plants regularly, you may still find them withering, yellowing, and having ugly holes.

Well, there is also a high chance are that your garden might be threatened by a pest infestation. When it comes to destroying your beautiful greens, nothing beats garden bugs.

What Attracts Pests To Your Garden

While insects like caterpillars feed on the inner tissues of leaves, others like aphids and spider mites have sharp mouthparts that they use to suck sap. Some varieties of garden bugs can penetrate through the soil to eat roots and some will climb up and eat the flowers and buds.

On the other hand, slugs are attracted to the shady, cool and moist spots under your plants. Slugs vigorously feed on leaves and will create the worst holes on your plants in the shortest time. If they come across dead plants, they will feed on them as well! These unwanted creatures also tend to prefer gardens with rocks, weeds, and clutter.

Common Garden Pests in Singapore

Bugs will infest your garden because they are hungry, and sadly, your precious greens are their best source of food. Once these pesky pests invade, they literally feed on leaves while others suck the sap out of your plants. Hence the plants will yellow, curl up, lose their leaves and start drooping.

If you leave these plant-eating insects untreated, your greens may be dead within 7 days! Below are the destructive garden bugs that you should watch out for in Singapore:

Aphids

Aphids are tiny sap-sucking intruders that have a very distinct pale-green color. From a distance, you may not notice aphids as they closely resemble leaves. However, if you inspect closely, you will quickly notice their small size, a pear-shaped body and protruding antennae with two visible tubes facing backward from the abdomen.

Farmers dread this pests because, besides being common, they attack in overwhelming numbers and are happy to feed on everything from trees, vegetables, flowers, and any other greens in your garden. They destroy your plants by sucking sap. The plants will then droop, get sick and die.

Mealybugs

Mealybugs are small white insects that like to feed on plant juices. They especially prefer the well-nurtured greens planted indoors. They're often found on the joints where the leaves meet the stems, or on the stems and leaves themselves. They'll suck sap, resulting in your plants drooping and eventual death.

Spider mites

The legendary members of the Acari family. Spider mites can be pretty destructive when they infest your garden. They commonly harbor on the underside of plant leaves, and if you inspect lightly, you'll quickly notice them looking like small red dots. They suck fluids out of plants and leave behind tiny ugly dots.

Caterpillars

The bug that first comes to mind when you notice holes in your plant leaves. And you're right; they are probably the true culprits. Caterpillars are always in search of their next meal. Hence, they aren't picky! They feed on any greens from trees, flowers, and vegetables. When they attack, caterpillars chew at the edges of plant leaves. Most people can quickly identify caterpillars, and getting rid of them isn't rocket science either.

Slugs

This close cousin of snail is nothing but a sight of disgust for most people. But there's more to slugs than just being disgusting- they are extremely destructive! They love moist, shady and damp gardens. Slugs are pretty active at night, and when morning comes, you'll notice irregular-shaped holes in your plant's leaves. They don't chew along the edges. Instead, the holes will be distributed on the leaf surface.

How To Control Garden Bugs Naturally

The first step to successfully control an infestation in your garden is to identify the specific pest attacking. Why? Because garden pests have unique treatments, designed to eliminate them and keep them away.

In this guide, we will provide you effective solutions for any pests that might be giving you sleepless nights.

Natural Remedies for Aphids

The most crucial step to a successful aphid prevention is getting rid of factors that might be attracting them to your garden in the first place. Aphids tend to like damp soils. So, the best thing is to water your plants generously and infrequently instead of small amounts each day.

To get rid of an active aphid attack, prepare a solution using dish soap and water and spray both sides of the leaves. If the infestation is very big, try picking them off the plant and continue to treat with the soap solution.

Natural Remedies for Mealybugs

The best way to get rid of mealybugs from your plants is by applying some rubbing alcohol to the infested areas. Ensure each bug gets in contact with the alcohol for the best results. To prevent a re-infestation, you need to inspect your garden regularly and if you notice a bug, repeat the treatment.

Another way to naturally keep mealybugs away is to avoid overwatering or feeding your plants with excessive nutrients.

Natural Remedies for Spider Mites

One unique fact about spider mites is that they love dry environments. So if you don't water your plants for quite some time, you're highly likely to spot the unwanted guests.

You've guessed it right; the best way to keep spider mites away is by spraying your plants regularly to keep them moist. It's also a good idea if you dust the plant leaves often to ensure there are no bug eggs there.

To eliminate an active spider mites infestation, prepare a solution of water and neem oil and spray both sides of the leaves.

Natural Remedies for Caterpillars

The first step to effectively exterminate caterpillars is by picking the insects themselves off the leaves. Next, you'll apply an effective caterpillar treatment, such as mixing neem oil with water and spraying a good amount.

Conversely, you can prepare a chili spray against the pests by blending 3-4 ounces of dry chilies. Add the powder to 8 cups of boiling water and allow it to boil for up to 5-7 minutes. Next, add 8 cups cold water plus a few drops of dish soap. Spray this effective solution on both sides of the leaves until the pests disappear completely.

Natural Remedies for Slugs

When it comes to getting rid of slugs from your garden, you'll begin by attracting them out of their hiding first. Put a good amount of alcohol into a plate and place it close to the garden. Soon, the sluggish family will crawl out of hiding to the alcohol, drink it and die. Or, they'll drown in the alcohol and die.

Check Out: Pest Control for New House | What to Look Out For

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