Farms are often at risk of being invaded by bugs or pests. Apart from your crops suffering from pests, your animals can suffer as well, and your property. However, there are some proven ways to protect your farm from pests without resorting to extreme measures, and without breaking the bank!
Protecting Your Crops From Birds
Birds love to peck on your crops. They also eat them and cause them to spoil. In addition, there is a risk of avian diseases being spread from birds. One proven way to protect your crops from birds is the installation of bird netting over fruit trees or vegetable patches that require protection. This netting can be easily removed when the crops are ready for harvest. Another even better way is to use bird repellent to keep them away. You can also plant decoy plants or flowers around your crops. This way, birds will prefer to eat from these and leave your crops alone. Some people like to use scarecrows to get rid of crows attacking their corn but it’s ultimately up to you.
Measures Against Rodents
Mice and other rodents love to live in your farm buildings. They often chew on woodwork or cables, causing so much damage that you might not be able to contain it. A proven way to protect your farm buildings is the installation of rat traps around your farm. Rats are nocturnal animals, so placing the traps at night will ensure that you can get rid of the rats before they cause any damage. You might want to consider poison if you don’t want to kill them yourself. In addition, many farmers prefer to put up an electric fence around their property. This keeps mice and other rodents away from getting into your buildings or coming too close to your farm animals. Another measure you can take is to buy a cat. Cats naturally love to hunt and kill mice and rats, so you don’t have to do any of the dirty work!
Preventing Attacks By Insects
Stink bugs are one of the worst pests that you need to worry about. They are not just annoying, they are also hard to get rid of once they have invaded your farm. The best way to prevent them from attacking is by spraying pesticides on all infested trees before winter sets in. This will ensure that they die before they lay eggs. However, if the infestation is too bad and there are already stink bug eggs, this will mean war. You’ll need to spray pesticides regularly and hire a pest control company if necessary.
Popular Pesticides and How To Use Them
A large number of farmers prefer to use pesticides for pest control. However, it’s important to know the right thing to do with them or you might end up poisoning your animals or harming yourself in the long run. The first thing that you need to do is read all instructions on the product label before you begin spraying anything. In addition, keep your children and pets away from the area, don’t use it in strong winds, store them in a well-ventilated place when not in use. Another measure you can take is to wear disposable gloves and goggles before handling pesticides.
Natural Pest Control
A popular natural pest control product is the use of nematodes against slugs. The nematodes are safe for you, your children, your pets, and your farm animals. However, they should be handled with precaution just like other pesticides to avoid harming humans or any other pests that are beneficial to your farm. Another popular natural pest control measure is crop rotation. If you grow your crops in the same area year after year, they become more and more vulnerable to diseases and pests because of a lack of diversity and nutrients in the soil.
When You Should Call Pest Control
If you’re starting to see more snakes, rats or insects around the farm rather than less after doing your measures against them, it’s time to call pest control immediately. You can also call pest control if your animals are showing signs of poisoning or ill health due to the pesticides you’ve been using. This way, they will be able to identify where you went wrong and advise you on the next steps you need to take.
Weeds Control
Weeds are another type of pest that you have to control. They take up space, nutrients and water in your farm which can be detrimental to your crops’ growth. Most common weeds include garlic mustard, nightshade, mullein, and Queen Anne’s lace. A hack to take care of them by yourself is to buy a lawnmower and cut the flowers off at ground level before they have a chance to drop seeds. To manage weeds, you can also use weed killers, but be sure to read the instructions on the bottle first. If a weed infestation is too much for you to handle, hiring a professional team offering weed control services is the best solution.
Using The Right Sprayer
Many types of sprayers can be used to control pests. You should always aim for a hand-held aerosol type of pesticide sprayer if you need to do spot treatments. For larger areas, it is recommended that you use a knapsack sprayer. It should have a 16-inch wide opening so it can cover large areas quickly. An aerosol type of sprayer consists of a container or bottle that holds the liquid, a propellant to shoot out the liquid as a mist and an actuator or trigger to operate the sprayer. A good aerosol sprayer should enable you to control the amount of pesticide it dispenses. You can choose one that has a dial or button on it to adjust how much liquid comes out depending on your preference. While some are designed to be used only with pesticides, others can be used for herbicides as well.
To keep your farm protected from pests, you must never underestimate their ability to cause damage in any way. If you’re vigilant enough and follow instructions carefully when using pesticides, then your crops will be safe from harm all the time. And, if all else fails, you can always call the professionals to take care of your pest infestation. With these tips in mind, best of luck!
