It’s springtime. You’re ready to get outdoors and start your gardening. It’s also when termites and other pests begin to be lively. Here are some tips for successful pest control and keeping an environmentally friendly back yard.

Let’s start with termites! It’s relatively common, yet quite unnerving, for termites to live in one’s backyard, including the garden. Use Pyrethrum pesticide or other natural insecticides, such as a liquid soap and water mixture, for termite control in the garden. Then, turn your attention to the house.

It sounds simple, but the most natural termite control is prevention. Take away the invitation for termites to come into your home, and you should effectively keep them out.

First and foremost, keep stacked wood away from your house.

Secondly, build wooden decks, steps that lead to your house and raised gardens out of wood that is naturally resistant to termites, such as redwood, cypress and cedar. Use pressure treated wood for even more years of termite control. You can also use a non-toxic anti-termite coating on your wood.

The third thing you can do to ensure you are not inviting termites is to check regularly for excess moisture around and under your house. Leaky pipes or bad drainage can let water into crawl space, creating a haven for termites. Leaky downspouts can fail to take water far enough from the foundation of your house.

If you already have termites, you need an exterminator. Ask for the organic solution of nematodes, or roundworms, which act as parasites to termites, killing them within a few days. If that solution isn’t enough, ask for a pesticide. Be assured that modern pesticides are less harmful to people than the pesticides of the past.

Garden pest control is similar to home pest control, in that prevention is the best solution. Here are some prevention tips for garden pests in general:

1. Keep your garden clear of decaying plant life, debris and weeds, all of which attract pests.

2. Use healthy organic soil.

3. Don’t plant all your seed of any kind in just one area of your garden. This will help protect your garden from plant-specific pests. They are less likely to find the whole crop of anything that is dispersed.

Also, there are several non-toxic and homemade remedies for killing pests in the garden, such as those mentioned above.

By being diligent in prevention and using natural remedies for extermination, you can have a healthy garden while maintaining a safe back yard and home.

Happy Gardening!