Eco-Friendly Beetle Solutions For Pest Control

Eco-Friendly Beetle Solutions for the Outside

Here are some strategies you can employ for a beetle free garden.

1. Keep a Watchful Eye

One of the most important things you can do for your garden and home is to monitor it regularly. When it comes to insects and bugs, quick action is always the best way to manage things. Even though beetles aren’t as problematic inside as roaches or termites, they can be disastrous to your plants outside.

When you properly monitor things, you can see the level of infestation and then decide on the proper action. Just because you see one beetle in your garden area doesn’t mean you should sound the alarm. Remember, bugs and insects are naturally going to be in your area. The key is to act when the population has reached a level that has threatened your plants, or you already see damage due to their presence.

2. Get Your Neighbors Involved

If you’re having a problem with beetles, it’s highly likely that your neighbors might also have similar issues. When you work together with those around you for beetle control measures, you can manage beetle populations while protecting the ecosystem. Keep in mind that coordinated efforts are often more effective than isolated actions.

3. Keep Plants Healthy

One of the best things you can do for your plants to keep them healthy is to make sure they get adequate water and nutrients. A plant that’s under duress is more apt to be vulnerable to beetles, so by keeping them in good health, you’re preventing issues.

4. Plant Repelling Vegetation

Another thing you can do is to rotate your plants/crops each year to help disrupt the life cycle of pests. One of the easiest ways to prevent issues is one that’s often overlooked.

Beetles tend to target some plants more than others, so it’s best to put vegetation that’s repellent next to them. When you plant things like garlic, onions, and marigolds near susceptible crops, you’re naturally helping to repel beetles and other bugs.

5. Integrate a Hands-On Approach

If you’re having an issue with larger beetles, it’s best to pick up any you see around your plants. While it seems like a mundane chore, often your hands can be quicker than any biological agents. Sadly, this won’t work for all beetles as the smaller ones are hard to grasp, but it can help on those larger brown beetles.

Another thing to consider is using barriers of fine mesh netting. These nets will physically block beetles and keep them from having any access to your plants. Row covers are inexpensive and work wonders.

Finally, you can set up pheromone traps that are made to capture any beetles and eradicate them on contact. You can make these traps or buy similar ones at your local hardware store.

6. Biological Control With Natural Predators

Nature has a way of eradicating pesky critters like beetles through predators. By encouraging the presence of these animals and insects in your yard, you can help to keep the populations at a minimum. What animals, amphibians, and other insects eat beetles? Here’s a list of a few:

• Ladybugs
• Predatory beetles
• Parasitic wasps
• Nematodes – worms
• Birds
• Frogs

Remember that other animals, such as raccoons, mice, and skunks, also like to feast on beetles, but you certainly don’t want to encourage them into your yard. However, ladybugs, frogs, and birds are all beneficial to the health of your garden.

Nematodes are in a category of their own. These small, microscopic worms will attack beetle larvae and infect them. Once they become infected, they perish. While this won’t help with adult beetles, it will help to reduce future problems by killing off the offspring.

7. Using Clean Garden Practices

Over the winter months, debris and residue lies near the plants, making them attractive places for beetles and other insects to hide. By removing this debris and residue, you’re taking away the shelter and the open invitation to an insect looking for a home.

8. Add Organic Mulches to Your Landscaping

While everyone wants the nice look of black, brown, or red mulch in the spring, you should try adding some extras to these mulches. One of the most beneficial products safe for humans and pets is diatomaceous earth or DE. By sprinkling diatomaceous earth around the plants, any pest in the bug or insect family that comes near it is in jeopardy.

This natural powder damages the exoskeletons of beetles, causing them to dehydrate and perish. Wood ash is another good repellent that can be added too. Not only will it repel beetles, but it will also increase soil quality by raising the PH levels.

9. Turn to Botanical Insecticides

Turning to botanical products can be beneficial if you’re struggling with beetles. Neem is often used to fight all sorts of bugs as it’s a natural insecticide. This powerful plant can detour the beetles from feeding, disrupting their lifecycle.

Another popular product used for beetle control is made from chrysanthemum flowers. It’s called pyrethrin, and it specifically targets these insects. A word of caution when using this product: You want to use it sparingly as it can harm species you don’t want to target as well as those you do.

10. Biopesticides and Microbial Insecticides

Biopesticides come in three classes: plant-combined-protectants, biochemicals, and microbials. These natural materials are often used to control insects like the beetle by those who prefer a non-chemical route to pest control.

There are many advantages to using these protectants, as they specifically target beetle larvae when the bug ingests them. When the larvae eat these products, the poisons go into their system, preventing them from feeding, and they perish.

11. Use a Solar Powered Ultrasonic Repeller

Ultrasonic waves have become the new way to repel beetles easily. These affordable devices occupy about as much space as an outdoor garden light. The infrared motion sensor turns the unit on when a beetle or other bug comes near your plants.

The bright light that these devices illuminate is said to scare away beetles, mice, and other vermin who might come to destroy your vegetation. Many of these products are guaranteed to work within 48 hours, and they’re better than using pesticides or traps.

Eco-Friendly Beetle Solutions Inside Your Home

If you have a beetle problem outside, you won’t necessarily use the same products inside to take care of the problem. Since inside is a whole different ballgame, you want to target the type of beetle specifically. Some products work better for some insects than others. Here is a list of some of the most popular indoor methods for environmentally friendly beetle control.

1. Be Generous With Spicy Peppermint Oil

Discover the power of sweet peppermint, a scent beloved by humans but loathed by bugs and insects. Harness this natural repellent by purchasing pure essential oil extracts from your local store. Add about 5-10 drops to one-fourth of a cup of water, and you’ve got a potent bug deterrent.

Applying this natural bug repellent is a breeze. Either soak cotton balls in the mixture and place them in troubled areas or spray the mixture around your home. Not only will your home be bug-free, but it will also have a pleasant, fragrant aroma.

2. Citronella Oil Can Be Used Inside Too

You’ve seen citronella candles for the outdoors, but did you know you can use the oil inside your home, too? Citronella has a pleasant smell, but it’s spicy to pests. Mix equal parts of citronella oil with witch hazel to create a spray.

Place this around your home in the troubled areas. If you have carpet beetles, it’s okay to put this on your carpet, if you try a small area first to ensure there are no color disturbances.

3. Employ an Indoor Bug Zapper

While you wouldn’t want a bug zapper hooked up inside your home constantly, you can certainly use one if you have insects flying around. Bug zappers are old-school technology that is so straightforward but still works well. Simply plug one in when you have beetles zooming about overhead, and it should take care of your problem.

While this won’t be helpful for the crawling variety like carpet beetles, it will undoubtedly help when someone leaves the door open too long and lets critters inside.

4. Vacuum Regularly

When dealing with carpet beetles, the vacuum cleaner is your best friend. Simply vacuuming a couple of times each day can help capture the beetles. The best part is that your cup will collect them, and all you have to do is get rid of them outside. Make sure to put them in a sealed bag where they can’t escape and find their way back into your home.

5. Routinely Check and Clean Your Pantry

Many people carry beetles into their homes through grains. Beetles hide in the flour or other grocery items and make their way into your home. Once inside, they will move about and infect foods like cereal, rice, oats, and flour.

Checking your stock frequently and keeping it in an airtight container can help prevent issues. If you find that you have these pests, simply eliminate any stock that’s contaminated, and put some essential oils like lavender, clove, or peppermint around the storage area.

6. Create Diatomaceous Earth and Neem Carpet Powders

While both neem and diatomaceous earth were mentioned for use outside, they can also be beneficial inside. Making a 50/50 powder can help you eradicate specific types of beetles. Just create the mix, place it in a saltshaker, and sprinkle it around your troubled areas. Neem is a potent repellent and killer; adding this plant to DE will help or completely eradicate the problem.

7. Use a White Vinegar Spray

Vinegar is potent, but its smell is only pungent for a few moments to humans. However, the acidic aroma is overwhelming to a bug or insect. Spraying a vinegar and water mixture on or around troubled areas can send those beetles packing. Another benefit is that vinegar is so inexpensive that it won’t break the bank to help with your issue.

Getting a Head Start on Eco-Friendly Beetle Solutions This Season

The warmer weather has brought beetles by the droves into the Garden State. Some eco-friendly ways exist to control the population, whether you’re planting things outdoors or wanting to keep your home safe indoors. How do you know when your small battle has turned into a war?

If you’ve employed the remedies mentioned above and are still fighting these pests, it’s time to call in professional reinforcements. Your local pest control professional can help you with a beetle problem, as well as bees, roaches, wasps, and anything else that threatens the peace and safety of your home. The key is to take care of the problem sooner rather than later, as it’s always easier to catch an infestation in its infancy.

More comparison articles:

Boxelder bugs VS Stink bugs
Mice and rats: What’s the difference?
House Mice and Deer Mice: What’s the difference?
Termites and flying ants: What’s the difference?
Carpenter bees and bumble bees: What’s the difference?

To learn more:

Our service area
Our carpenter bee control services
Our wasp control services
Our hornet control services
Our yellow jacket control services
Six Common Ticks Found in And Around New Jersey