It's a Bug's Life

Fall is a great time to watch bugs in the garden. The crickets are chirping, the caterpillars are crawling, and the spiders have spun glorious webs.  We like to think of gardens as habitats for people and wildlife, so here are a few tips for the birds and the bees in your backyard:

Don’t tidy up too much.  Let flowers go to seed ---the seeds can provide a food source for migrating birds during the winter.

Resist the temptation to remove spider webs.  Spiders do a world of good in the garden, catching flies and devouring other garden pests.  Many species lay eggs in the fall, so try to leave their webs intact during this important part of their life cycle. 

Avoid toxic pesticides. Our Don’t Bug Me is an environmentally friendly spray that is effective on soft bodied insects, but make sure you only target pests that you can see, and give their natural predators a chance to munch on them first.

Use a high-quality mulch like our Happy Frog Soil Conditioner to help earthworms and other beneficial underground creatures flourish.