Gardening Essentials - part 2
Protection from Biting and Stinging Pests
Insects and arthropods are an inevitable part of the garden environment. While many are beneficial, some pose risks of painful bites, stings, or disease transmission.
Insect Repellent and Protective Clothing
Effective barriers are the first line of defense against mosquitoes, ticks, and other pests.
Bug Repellent Clothing: Consider wearing clothing pre-treated with permethrin. These garments offer a long-lasting, invisible barrier against ticks and mosquitoes.
Use EPA-Registered Repellents: Apply insect repellents containing DEET, Picaridin, Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus (OLE), or IR3535 according to label instructions.
Tuck in Clothing: When working in overgrown areas, tuck your pants into your socks and your shirt into your pants. This helps prevent ticks and chiggers from getting underneath your clothing.
Wear Gloves: Sturdy gardening gloves protect your hands from blisters, thorns, and hidden insect nests (like ant hills or spider webs). They also reduce contact with soil-borne pathogens.
Garden-Friendly Pest Repellent Plants: Consider planting pet-safe flowers like marigolds or snapdragons to add color and help naturally repel certain pests in your garden.
Be Aware of Your Surroundings
Preventing bites and stings often comes down to vigilance.
Check for Nests: Before pruning shrubs or reaching into dense foliage, check for wasp or bee nests. Be cautious when moving pots, stepping stones, or pieces of wood, as they can conceal spider habitats or ant colonies.
Avoid Attracting Mosquitoes: Eliminate standing water in bird baths, wheelbarrows, and containers where mosquitoes breed.
Post-Gardening Tick Check: Ticks can carry Lyme disease and other serious illnesses. Immediately after gardening, perform a thorough check of your entire body, clothing, and gardening gear. Shower soon after coming indoors.
