Are you curious as to how does natural pest control help in biodiversity? Perhaps you are considering alternative options that are safe for usage, work long-lasting, and are effective.
You are in the right place, for this article would help you realize how natural pest control is your best option for managing pests. Continue reading to know more.
Pest Control
According to National Geographic, biodiversity pertains to all living things on the whole planet. Human beings, plants, animals, and microorganisms are a part of it, and they can bring benefits to each other.
Of course, if there is a beneficial organism, some are harmful too. These dangerous creatures are more often called pests or vermin.
Pests have been a long-time opponent of other living beings; they invade personal space and bring diseases or cause damage to properties. This is where pest control’s importance was shown.
You may see this article concerning how to determine the damage caused by pests for additional information.
A good pest control plan can eradicate existing pests and even eliminate the possibility of them coming back. Chemical pest control is the most commonly used method against existing problems, but this certainly has drawbacks.
Some pesticides were proven to have negative impacts on its surroundings. Though it is cheap, easy to use, and practical, it is not the best method you’ll find out there.
Thankfully, there are other methods that one can utilize other than pesticides. It is natural pest control; biological, physical, cultural, or behavioral pest control are some of the ways that are somehow related to natural pest control.
Natural Pest Control
Here are some natural pest control examples used against pests:
Method #1. Cultural
- Alternately growing different plants.
- Choosing plants that are resistant to pests.
- Implementing crop rotation
- Pruning and weeding
- Usage of physical barriers such as row covers and sticky bands.
Method #2. Biological
- The use of pests’ natural enemies that are not harmful to others.
Method #3. Physical
- Hand-picking larger pests.
- Pitching barriers such as nets or covers.
- Use of traps.
Method #4. Behavioral
- Specific pheromones are used as a trap.
- Utilizing vibrational signals to disrupt pest matings.
- Pest trapping using food baits.
- Usage of mass trapping kits.
Method #5. Natural remedies
- You can use leftover coffee grounds to deter critters who don’t like strong smells.
- Place banana peel near your plants for added nutrients.
- Use white vinegar to wash away the trails of ants.
- Include some rosemary or sage on your bonfire to repel mosquitoes.
- You can use essential oils to repel dust mites.
- Plant sweet basil next to a door to repel flies.
- You can use a bowl of water with a sliced onion against spiders.
Learn more through this article regarding natural insect pest control.
What are its benefits to biodiversity?
There are several ways to manage pests, some are cheaper but still work effectively, but some may affect your health and the environment. Many were already considering effective choices but wouldn’t bring adverse effects, and natural pest control is one of these.
To convince you, here are some of the benefits of natural pest control to biodiversity:
1. Environment-friendly
You could already guess just by how the method is named; it promotes natural ways for managing pests. It can reduce carbon footprint as much as possible, and it also eliminates the usage of toxic chemicals to ensure that the surroundings wouldn’t be affected.
It also wouldn’t affect plants, trees, flowers, and beneficial creatures inside an ecosystem.
2. Health safety assurance
Pest control chemicals may have some toxic substances that aren’t good for a person’s health. Some work quickly upon inhaling or contact, while some are triggered after accumulation.
Since one eliminated the usage of chemicals, the toxic residues also receded, reducing the possibility of health being affected.
3. Long-lasting results
Natural pest control is more of a slow-acting agent, but the effects indeed last long. A speedy recovery offered by pesticides may attract more people, but once they face its negative impacts, they will realize the benefits of natural pest control.
4. Better air quality
This is more prevalent in indoor usage. Often, pesticides that you spray emit strong scents that aren’t safe to be inhaled, which leads to respiratory issues.
The use of natural pest control is better for air quality, even if you use it indoors.
5. Prevents the cause of diseases
Like any other method, natural pest control helps prevent pests that are carriers of diseases.
6. Property protection
Chemicals can damage woods and other surfaces based on how toxic it is. Too much usage of it can damage your belongings and create a resistance factor towards pests.
You can rest assured regarding all those mentioned above with natural pest control. For additional knowledge, you may see this article what are the risks of using pesticides.
Conclusion
Keep in mind your health when deciding what you want to use to interfere with pest infestations. You can use many options, but many are unsafe, so choose wisely.
Hopefully, this article concerning how does natural pest control help in biodiversity was able to enlighten you.