The dandelion is an infamous backyard pest.
The home gardener must be proactive in managing the many different backyard pests that can destroy her hard work. Pests can adversely affect soil, vegetables, shrubs, trees, structures and the gardener herself if left unmanaged. Become familiar with the signs and problems that these pests present, so you can detect, prevent and treat for them accordingly. Finding the proper balance required to manage the pests in a backyard may take years, but the challenges pay off during the bountiful harvests. Does this Spark an idea?
Insects
Winged and crawling insects can wreak havoc on a backyard when left uncontrolled. If you're noticing a lot of holes in the leaves of your flowers, vegetable plants or trees, you probably have an insect problem. Large nonbiting and nonstinging insects can often be removed by hand, but smaller types may require the use of vacuum or chemical removal. Always wear gloves when handling unfamiliar insect pests to avoid injury. Insect bait traps are a convenient way to remove pests without investing a lot of time in the process. Never set these near the garden because they may invite more insects.
Diseases
Diseases are one of the hardest pests to remove from a backyard. They aren't usually noticed until vegetation begins to change color, wilt or die. The best control method is prevention. If you keep your backyard free of areas conducive to the growth or spread of disease, you should keep them at bay. Remove dead branches, stems and leaves from the yard to avoid spreading diseases form dying plants to healthy ones. Some insects may carry diseases that can affect plants. Remove breeding grounds, such as piles of decaying matter, garbage and stagnant water sources.
Weeds
Get out the hoe and start digging and pulling up those pesky weeds. Knowing the difference between the weeds and the desired plants in a yard may be difficult when they first grow, but practice makes perfect. Weeds are often more vigorous than planted species, and, if you keep track of your plantings, you won't have any problems identifying the weeds. Remove weeds when they're small. Landscape your yard so you know who stays and who gets the hoe. Mulches work well for keeping weeds at bay.
Wildlife
Wildlife in the backyard can sometimes be attractive and picturesque, but, when those same critters turn on your prize garden vegetables, attractive can turn ugly in a hurry. Fences may help keep out some of the larger wild animals in your neck of the woods, but burrowing pests can come in under those fences while winged pests can fly over them. Avoid setting up artificial feeders that local wildlife may come to depend on. Wrap the bases of your fruit trees to protect the bark from gnawing rodents. Use kill or humane traps to capture gnawing and burrowing rodents from your backyard.
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