#worms and slugs not included they are friends and i rarely see them

[lovphobic]

I've recently developed a fear of bats so I understand what it's like to be afraid of creepy animals!

genuinely i didnt even used to be afraid of bugs to this degree. like sure i used to be afraid of crickets and wasps but that was really it. and then i moved and our house kept (see: keeps) getting infested w Some Kind Of Bug (namely japanese lady beetles and stink bugs) and now i just dont want anything to do with any bug ever

only bugs ill tolerate now are butterflies pillbugs and fireflies 🤡

[livingcorner]

6 Natural Ways to Deter Insects From Your Herbs

Herbs tend to be relatively low-maintenance plants, which is one reason they are so popular to grow. They also add to our lives in more concrete ways like providing delicious additions to family meals, preventing infections for minor cuts or scrapes, and many other health benefits.

So it stands to reason that these wonderful plants haven’t gone unnoticed by other critters as well. A bug infestation is rare with herbs, but if it happens, it’s best to already have natural solutions on hand to deter insects from ruining your herb garden.

You're reading: 6 Natural Ways to Deter Insects From Your Herbs

6 Methods to Deter Insects from your Herbs

Encourage Biological Predators

The circle of life is naturally occurring. Therefore, if you do have a pest infestation, eventually you’ll start to see the bugs’ natural enemies coming in. Some of these predators are all around good, like the praying mantis. They eat just about any insect they come across, so if you have pests, the mantis can have a meal.

Other beneficial bugs include ladybugs, which are partial to aphids. Birds will eat slugs, snails, earwigs, and a variety of other insects. Wasps help pollinate and will eat other bugs. Most varieties of wasps also aren’t aggressive if you leave them alone. Remember, if you have enough of a food supply, the predators will come.

Read more: How to create a native cottage garden

Soap Spray—Your Number One Defense

If you have some bugs that just won’t leave, soap spray can be very helpful. Japanese beetles, for example, are terribly destructive to plants. However, in order to eat the plants, the beetles have to be able to hang on. Spraying insecticidal soap on your herbs prevents them from being able to do that.

For this particular soap spray mixture, you may also want to add a teaspoon of cayenne pepper and a little neem oil to give it a punch to munching bugs. Add 1 tablespoon dish soap to every quart of water. Be sure to spray from the top down.

You may want to make an effort to rinse off the leaves after harvesting if you’ve recently used this spray. However, the amount of soap used should be small enough that it won’t cause anyone harm, not even the smallest of humans! Just remember that if you bite a fresh leaf and it tastes a bit off, it could be the spray.

Neem Oil

Neem oil is so versatile you should never be without a bottle of it. At the first sign of harmful insects on my plants, I spray a diluted solution of half neem oil and half water. The mixture should be shaken before every time you use it since it will naturally separate and sprayed on both sides of a leaf. It’s not advisable to consumer neem oil so make sure you do not spray it on the produce part of the plant that you plan to consume. Don’t make a lot because you’ll need to use the mixture within a week.

Use Essential Oils

Herbs are often fragrant enough on their own, but it might not always be enough. The prevention of pests in your herbs may need the occasional boost, and essential oils can provide that. Cedar oil has a strong scent, reminiscent of juniper. The powerful smell can help to ward off slugs, snails, aphids, and thrips, but don’t be surprised if you notice a decrease in other annoyances as well. If you have a furry friend, they may also appreciate the juniper smell, since it can help to deter insects such as fleas and ticks! Other oils that can help deter pests include citronella, lemon, orange, peppermint, garlic, tea tree, and lavender, just to name a few.

One of the easiest and most effective ways to apply the oils is to add a few drops to an 8 ounce glass spray bottle, shake and then spray on the leaves or surrounding areas around your plants. Essential oils can be harmful if ingested, so please do not use them when the produce part of the plant appears.

Companion Planting With Edible Plants

Companion planting is when you arrange your plants so they can help each other out. This is highly beneficial in all types of gardens and will help prevent the spread of disease or insect infestations. You can plant just herbs with each other, or you can turn it up a notch and mix your herbs and vegetables!

Read more: 30 Geek in the Garden ideas | geeky, geek stuff, garden

However, we’ll try and stay focused on using companion planting in your herb garden as a way to deter insects from reaching your edibles. Cilantro and dill will discourage spider mites and aphids, and chamomile will work to attract the right kinds of insects to your garden. Garlic planted nearby will help disguise the smell of rotting leaves that attracts Japanese beetles, and mint can help drive off ants.

Nematodes For Soil

Nematodes are a type of round worm that lives in the soil. For most of the world, nematodes are a naturally occurring species, and they are a wonderful preventative measure against pests in herb and other edible gardens. These microscopic insects are often considered a biological insecticide because they actively seek out and infect a broad range of insects — many of which are the larval form of garden pests.

The use of nematodes as an insecticide has not been shown to damage the soil in any way or wreak havoc on larger animals or insects that don’t bury eggs underground, such as bees.

If you’re starting an herb garden, prevention and proper maintenance are keys to keeping it happy and thriving. Knowing all about your plants, including what conditions they like, what they can be used for and even their histories from a cultural context are all important to helping your garden thrive. Learn more by looking into the courses offered here, and get started on a path of wonder, nature, and healing!

Ali Lawrence is a kombucha-sipping writer who focuses on healthy and sustainable living via her family blog Homey Improvements. She was born and raised in Alaska and dabbles in Pilates and is a princess for hire for kids’ parties.

Source: https://livingcorner.com.au Category: Garden

source https://livingcorner.com.au/6-natural-ways-to-deter-insects-from-your-herbs/

[allthatandabakingpan]

Okay but imagine being an evil magic person on accident

• I spent my whole life running from a dark something that killed my family

• My little sister didn't love me and tried to shove me out

• My older sister was kinda neutral. She didn't care about much

• My mother was sugary sweet, and I think she may have been expecting another baby

• My father was our protector. He was extremely strong

• We seemed to live in this very strange hotel where there was an old train trolley stuck on the second floor. Dad was tinkering with it and running maintenance throughout the place (we may have been sqatters)

• At night, we would all run around the building to look around, but always staying on the same floor as father

• One night, I suddenly hear an outburst from my sister. She screams, running towards us and wiggling through the trolley to reach dad

• She cries out that mom was dead. Father paled, and told us all to run, to get outside

• Reluctantly, we obeyed. We went for the hole in the side of the building that had a soft landing and let out towards the street

• I lose sight of my little sister (dead or ran away), and my older sister keeps running with me for a time, then disappears as well

• I meet up with some friends while I lie low, and they bring me along to the zoo. I tell them what happened, when suddenly, I start floating!

• The zoo- or maybe it was just the aquarium- has a small, glass covered hall for visitors to walk through in order to see the animals.

• I freak out, feeling like I was in zero G, and end up having my friends push me by the feet while I layed on my back three feet in the air

• Later, I head to school, where a dance is happening later. While there, I see a girl that feels familiar to me. At the dance, she dances with me in a very strange, but fun style

• The bully from our school bursts in the doors and examines the situation

• He immediately goes around trashing people, including me and the girl

• He talks down to us, and she slugs him in the nose. Even as it keeps bleeding, he continues to antagonize us.

• I let out an earth splitting shriek, and to my horror, his face, and the other's around me, all seem to have vapor come from their faces, and it's sucking towards me

• No one is safe. Even the girl falls dead.

• This whole time everyone knew about the soul sucking death- but everyone thought it was a man like a dark lord using evil powers

• Evidently, I had magic, which must've been rare in my case. But suddenly with me being the only survivor of these attacks, people who didn't know were thinking I was some sort of savior to oppose him

• I fled. Eventually, I found a nice large shed, and laid down to sleep in the pool noodles

• This place was overseen by an organization of magic users (witches, wizards, warlocks, sorcerers, ect) and they found me already

• A man went over to this sort of flat, think chair-bed thing. It tilted down, revealing a hidden floor beneath the outbuilding

• He spoke with the witch downstairs, and requested she teach me how to use magic and train me against their dark lord

• She begrudgingly agrees. I didn't see how the man left, but he did

• When I wake up, I'm in a strange new place. I still have my pool noodles, but I'm surrounded by this practical cave of stuffed animals

• Thinking it's a dream, I laugh about it and stagger out through a gap in the stuffed animal wall

• I am greeted by the same version of the shed I had fallen asleep in, but cleaner. There was less clutter, but there were the same carpets on the floor and insulated walls. And a woman staring at me

• I seem to wake myself up. It ends up being real

• The woman introduces herself, and tells me about how she's going to train me to use my magic and defeat the dark something

• I don't tell her about the fact that I am it, but agree to let her train me

• First, she tells me about life essence. She goes over to this vase of strange little rocks. When she dips her wand in and stirs them around, they elongate into strange plasma colored worm things

• My job is to move them from one bowl to another without using my hands. I accept the task. I asked her how to use that magic sucking spell the way she did, but I don't think she told me. Instead, I find some chopsticks, and use them to move the life essence to the other bowl (and with the sticks, I actually move considerably more than she did with the wand

• The process is slow going, but it works. The only problem is that I'm a starving orphan child. And those life essence worms smell a lot like yakisoba.

• Some part of me accidentally puts them in my mouth instead of the bowl, and next thing you know, I'm shoveling it in my mouth.

• I ask the woman if they're okay to eat. She grimaces. I mean, they aren't inedible, it's just that many don't eat them when they are present. It's like how people don't just pick up snails and eat them, sort of similar idea

• I turn, feeling too full and my insides wiggling. I put pressure on my stomach, and throw a few of them up

• They are no longer life essence worms, but fall to the floor as curly noodles (probably from a yakisoba dish)