As we head into the fall, pollinators might be on your mind. Starting in late September, monarch butterflies will make their way through North Texas on their journey to Mexico. And if you want to help them along, think hard before you pull the trigger on any product that claims to be both good for your yard and bad for bugs or weeds. “If there’s an organic product that’s killing a bug, it’s a poison, right?” says Dione Lineberry, owner and founder of Blue Ribbon Lady Landscaping of Dallas. “It’s not just killing ‘a’ bug, it’s killing all the bugs.”
This garden, planted by Dione Lineberry of Blue Ribbon Lady Landscaping, is designed to attract butterflies. Of course, other bugs won’t stay away.
Courtesy Blue Ribbon Lady Landscaping
In pursuit of organic living, North Texas homeowners and gardeners may be drawn to products pitched as both natural and deadly. But local experts question whether you can really have it both ways if you want to foster a thriving ecosystem around your home. The same products that will eliminate everything you don’t want will also kill the pollinators you need, they say.
“It’s said that pollinators are responsible for one of every three bites of food that we eat,” shares Roseann Ferguson, a Dallas County Master Gardener. She notes that bees may be the best-known pollinators, but the work doesn’t rest solely on their microscopic legs. Bats and some birds help with the job, as do other insects such as beetles, moths and, of course, butterflies. “Even down to — although we don’t like to admit it — flies,” Ferguson says.
A diverse garden is important to help the good bugs take care of those that are less desirable, says Lineberry. She landscaped this bed.
Courtesy Blue Ribbon Lady Landscaping
Lineberry classifies 89% of insects as “good bugs,” the kinds that are beneficial to your yard or garden. The ultimate defense against pesky insects is a complex ecosystem in which bad bugs are consumed by their own natural predators. “Biodiversity’s what you want to create in your yard,” Lineberry says. “If you create an environment for those bugs to thrive, they will take care of the bad bugs.”
A limited plant population can artificially escalate a pest problem. “Monocultures lead specifically to pests that go to that particular plant,” Ferguson says. But variety will both fuel the pollinators and help foster the natural balance you’re looking for in your insect population. “You need to work to have blooms available … year-round,” Ferguson says. “It’s hard sometimes to reach that, I’ll admit. But it really is necessary, because if you start spraying, you’re going to kill everything.”
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That goes for weed control, too. The best way to conquer weeds is the original way: Pull them. “Just pick weeds,” Lineberry says. “Hire some kids. Hire me,” she adds, laughing.
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Keep a generous, 3-inch layer of mulch in all your beds, and Ferguson also suggests smothering weeds in trouble spots with a layer of cardboard or plastic under the mulch. Once you’re wrestled your way to control, the weeds that do manage to break through will be weaker and less prevalent. Lineberry says monthly weeding usually is sufficient for maintenance.
Milkweed is essential for monarchs; it’s the only plant where they lay their eggs and the only food their caterpillars eat. Milkweed also attracts aphids, which can weaken plants’ growth, among other problems.
Dana Duffield/Getty Images
And your fingers work for insects, too. Ferguson is aggressive about removing by hand when aphids show up on her milkweed. Lineberry acknowledges that, for some people, bugs come with a yuck factor that can make gardeners either squeamish about grabbing them or hesitant to leave them. But she encourages you to remember that not everything is what it seems in the world of creepy crawlies. “Butterflies are ugly worms before they become butterflies,” she points out.
Horticultural balance in your yard isn’t going to eliminate every insect that likes to munch on the leaves of your tomato plants. “As a gardener, you’re going to have to accept some damage to some of your plants,” Ferguson says.
Lineberry agrees. “If you want to be organic and let the biodiversity do its thing, you have to share,” she says. Both pros argue it’s worth it to avoid the damage that herbicides and pesticides can cause in your own garden and beyond. “I don’t think people realize that what they’re doing in their yard affects everything,” Lineberry says.
Safe solutions for tackling garden pests
If Ferguson notices a particular plant has become infested, her first step is trimming the problem area. But she concedes you could find yourself dealing with an infestation that seems to demand pesticide intervention. In that case, “spray the least amount you can in the smallest areas necessary,” she says. She’ll occasionally use a homemade solution of mild dish soap and water to spray directly onto a harmful insect. “And I’m not above getting rid of wasp nests,” Ferguson admits.
To keep your bug population balanced in the right direction, introduce beneficial insects. Lineberry suggests releasing ladybugs in affected areas (at night, to discourage them from immediately flying away). Ferguson adds that you can encourage the local ladybug population by learning to identify the larval stage so you don’t kill them, thinking they’re pests. Praying mantis eggs are available to buy and can be placed in a dry, protected area.
To combat snails and slugs, Ferguson suggests diatomaceous earth — silica formed from the fossilized remains of tiny aquatic creatures — or, for a heavy infestation, a commercial product such as Sluggo (not Sluggo Plus). Lineberry comes at them from another direction: plastic cups filled halfway with beer that she changes out every few days. “They love beer and drown in it,” she says.
Beneficial nematodes, which are microscopic parasitic round worms, can be mixed with water and sprayed onto soil to kill pests such as grubs and weevils. To help control aphids and mites, spray neem oil on plant surfaces.
Fountains and other water features will benefit pollinators and other species alike. Keep them running so you don’t end up with standing water, suggests Lineberry.
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Keep the mosquito population at bay by clearing any standing water and using mosquito dunks in bird baths and garden fountains. Lineberry encourages her clients to keep their fountains running 24 hours a day, all year long.
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