# Planting essentials as pest control



## brooksbeefarm (Apr 13, 2008)

*pest control*

Yea, a 22 rifle.


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## summer1052 (Oct 21, 2007)

Nasturtums
Marigolds
Pennyroyal
Rue
Garlic Chives


Summer


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## dragonfly (Jun 18, 2002)

I would go heavy on the thyme, and I would plant lots of rosemary (I don't know if rosemary has any pest control properties, but the bees love it). I also don't know of lemon balm has anything that is beneficial, but will try to find out. Bees love it as well, and it's really hardy. Any of the mints are probably a good choice.


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## Zane (Mar 28, 2008)

brooksbeefarm pest control "yeah a 22 rifle".:lpf:
LOL thats where the 2 rottweilers to take care if anything biger that a tick.They even chase flies but them bee pests are the idea here.

Jack, they havent taken my guns away yet so the 22, 223 and 3 1/2" 12 guage are ready at a moments notice for anything they cant bring down! 

I'll plant lemon, and bee balm also and will look into these others thanks


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## dragonfly (Jun 18, 2002)

Zane, I found some information on lemon balm and will link it for you.

http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/med-aro/factsheets/LEMON_BALM.html



> Horticulturally, lemon balm is grown as an annual or perennial, harvested only once at flowering during the first year and twice in subsequent years. Significant loss of aroma sometimes occurs during drying. Both the white and pink flowers, which blossom from middle to late summer, and the vegetative portion of the plant are known to attract honeybees (1.8-38). The name of the genus, _Melissa_, comes from the Greek word meaning "bee," attesting to the early recognition of this characteristic (14.1-3). Irrigation does not appear to alter the essential oil in balm (4.5-167).
> The volatile oil, obtained by steam distillation of plant material immediately after harvest, is used only limitedly in perfumery because of perfumers are able to simulate the odor of lemon balm with less expensive extracts of other aromatic plants. The oil content of fresh leaves averages 0.1 percent or less with a large range between 0.01 and 0.13% (14.1-8). Multiple harvests and optimum horticultural practices have been reported to increase the percent of extractable essential oil (4.3-15). The highest levels of essential oil have been extracted in late summer from the lower parts of the plants (4.3-15). *The essential oil contains geraniol, citronellol, cintronellal, linalool, eugenol acetate, and nerol. The essential oil is often adulterated with mixtures of lemongrass, citronella, or lemon oil* (14.1-8).
> 
> 
> Oil of balm has also been shown to have antiviral, antibacterial, and antispasmodic activity. *Lemon balm has been reported to be an insect repellent *(11.1-96).


I haven't looked up the chemical properties of the geraniol, citronellol, etc, but will do so when I have the chance.


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## dave28210 (Nov 10, 2008)

what pests are we talking about here? (besides all of them). Marigolds keep the numbers down on bugs getting to my other plants some, mainly vegetables.

If you have deer, *****, possums and the like that are trampling things, go for borders that have thorns. It won't stop them completely, but hey, you can't stop an animal that wants to do something. However, it will deter them, and make them think about going around instead of through. Depending on where you live, a pellet gun or a .22 can go a long way with thinning the numbers out. Squirells run at the sight of me for this reason. When I walk out the door, they know what's coming next. 

For rodent problems, the snakes do a pretty good job around here. For the snake problem, our cats do an even better job. My wife has three cats that hunt snakes, bring them to my feet still alive, and drop them so I can cut their heads off. How's that for service!! If I'm not around to dispatch the snakes, the cats can do that too. In the summers I get at least one dead copperhead (the best kind) at my door every couple of days. Ever see a snake run from a cat? It's pretty darn amusing.

For bee specific pests, I read somewhere on the NC beek's website that having lavendar, spearmint, and cilantro planted is good, because varroa can't stand the smell. However, if you want to know the numbers of plants, proximity, etc for this to be effective, I have no idea. These are things we plant normally, I am just inclined to step up the number of these plants in my garden after reading this. If I get good results, I will be sure to let you know!! :thumbsup:

Overall, these are the things I am mindful of when it comes to general pest control. I ask these questions to myself:

Do you have standing water, in puddles, buckets, etc? If you do, then you have created a breeding habitat for all sorts of bugs. I am guilty of letting this happen.

Do you have overgrown areas that can be thinned out? This can eliminate a habitat for some other pests. 

What pest "attractants" do you have outside your home? Is there food waste, feed and seed? Is there any part of the yard that is neglected, overrun, or stacked with yard waste? Do you have pet food outside? 

Is there one pest that attracts another? Such as if you leave feed out, the rodents come, which brings the snakes, which brings natural predators for these two pests. The more food sources you have, the more activity you have, your feed or food product left out can bring rodents and raccoons, then snakes, then coyotes/wild dogs....not good. 

Think about preventative maintenance. I was scratching my head until I started at the source. Good luck to ya.

Sorry if I got t:


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## Zane (Mar 28, 2008)

I dont worry much about the big honery pests. I have 2 rottwillers, 20 chickens, turkeys, and cats that keep most stuff away. My thought was the mite etc and controlling it w/ the plants that we use the oil for as a natural repellant or distraction. If it was planted around the hives, I think it would work. I have the tyme, citronella geraniums, lemon balm, spearmint, and others. I always plant marigolds aound the entire border of my gardens and usually onions and garlic too. I'm not sure if it keeps things at bay or if my darn honery dogs do most of it but it seems to work. Gramps always did it so it must work! I've never really had a deer problem yet kill 2-3 out of the yard every year. Now I wait until the darn ground dries up enough to till it up and plant. thx for any input,Zane


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## mariongoose (Oct 3, 2008)

*rumor has it that hops are effective against varroa*

An off the wall comment made at our last beekeeping meeting was that hops grown here in Wa and Oregon might be effective in decreasing varroa. There was not yet any scientific work puplished yet. I don't know which variety they were talking about. Well I had a giant pot of Hops sitting in my yard, I was trying to figure out what I was going to do with it. I also had a lonely timber bamboo, sitting in a tub. 
Well pleased to say they are now happy companions near my hives.
Can't hurt, those hops won't be going to waste. After those bees get them little selves covered with hops pollen, they can provide some bacteriacidal action against those little troublemakers. I love the fast, lush. growth the vines make and my husband gets fresh hops for his brew making.


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## Zane (Mar 28, 2008)

I'd love to get some hops going. They can grow real tall(12')and I like the way they smell and taste in my homebrew. Just havent taken the time to order some. I would like to trellis them. 
I did get some creaping thyme, lavender, marigolds, peppermint planted and still adding more once it dries out enough to work the dirt.


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