The Bizz About Bugs 

Are you having problems with pesky insects on your plants? There are several ways to manage pests using mechanical, chemical, cultural, and biological methods.  It’s a good idea to use a variety of these methods.  Here are a few examples!

First, it’s always a good idea to start with preventive measures by inspecting your indoor and outdoor plants closely for pests, so you can take action right away to prevent further damage from happening.  This includes scouting out and observing your plants on a daily basis.  My mom goes out every day and checks her asiatic lilies for the lily leaf beetle.  This is a way for her to get out and enjoy her garden, and helps her mechanically control the pest.  

You can use insecticide spray to chemically control pests.  There are non-toxic sprays available, such as We The Wild Neem Oil spray and Natria that we sell at Mill Creek.  These are safe to use on edible plants, just wash before eating. 

Rotating your crops in your garden each year helps to culturally manage pests.  Intercropping, planting a variety of crops close together in your vegetable garden, helps to increase beneficial bugs, like pollinators to your garden. 

You can also use certain plants to biologically manage pests.  A few examples are: geraniums, mint, catmint, sage, marigold, lavender, and rosemary.  

At Mill Creek, we recognize that it’s natural + pretty normal to have bugs when you have plants.  Rather than wipe out an insect population (good and bad bugs), we believe in managing the population in a sustainable way; like using the least toxic chemicals in each situation.  We also release beneficial insects in our greenhouses to help control populations of plant harming insects. 

Stop by Mill Creek if you have questions about pesky insects on your indoor or outdoor plants, we are more than happy to help!