Garlic instead of chemicals Stink bugs in the garden? Get rid of them naturally with this home remedy
Brown spots on the leaves, eaten plants or misshapen fruit: Bugs can cause a lot of damage in the vegetable garden. However, if you want to get rid of the pests, you don't have to resort to chemicals straight away.
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- Bugs are sensitive to strong odors and can be repelled by natural means.
- A homemade spray made from garlic and chili is an effective household remedy.
- Plants such as peppermint or rosemary can also help to keep the pests away from the vegetable patch.
It is precisely their greatest strength that is the bugs' downfall. The animals use strong odors as a defense mechanism. At the same time, they themselves react very sensitively to strong scents.
This is why gardening experts recommend a natural spray made from garlic and chili. Four cloves of garlic and a chili pepper are chopped up and poured over with half a liter of hot water. After resting for several hours, the mixture is filtered and diluted to one liter with more water.
The finished spray can be sprayed directly onto the plants every few days. The strong scents of garlic and the pungency of chili make life difficult for the bugs and often cause them to look for another habitat.
Bugs don't like these plants
You can also take precautions when planting. Some herbs and ornamental plants give off odors that bugs avoid. These include peppermint, rosemary, nasturtium and wormwood.
Preparation of nettle slurry
- Pick about 1 kg of nettles (with gloves, otherwise it will burn!).
- Cut them into small pieces.
- Mix with 10 liters of water (preferably rainwater).
- Leave to infuse for about 10 days in a canister covered with a cloth so that the air can get through and fermentation can take place.
- Stir the mixture every day.
- The nettle liquid is ready when it no longer bubbles.
Placing such plants between vegetables and lettuce can make it even more difficult for pests to colonize. However, caution is advised with mint: It spreads quickly and should therefore be controlled.
An old gardening trick is making a comeback
Many hobby gardeners also swear by nettle slurry. This traditional mixture is made by fermenting nettles in water and has been used for generations as a natural plant tonic.
The advantage: the liquid manure not only has a deterrent effect on bugs, but also provides the plants with additional nutrients. It therefore fulfills two tasks in the vegetable garden.
If you use natural methods, you can often combat bugs effectively without harming beneficial insects such as bees or butterflies.
