Natural control

We had some tent caterpillars on our trees last summer (it was a particularly bad year for them). Part of the problem is probably an ailing fruitless mulberry tree that should be removed soon. It just hasn't been a spending priority ;) We haven't had the tents in the past, so I thought that this year I would release some Trichogramma wasps. We have an all organic garden, so we use organic soil amendments, fertilizers, and pest control. Using beneficial insects is something I wanted to try. When you garden organically, you want to keep the beneficial insects around because that's a good way to control the bad insects. The little card in the picture contains about 5000 Trichogramma. These tiny, non-stinging wasps control moths and tent caterpillars by attacking the eggs of the pests and killing them before they emerge. So, we'll see if it makes a difference this year! I actually think that gardening with natural techniques is easier. After a transition period, you see less disease in your plants, you need to use less water, and your plants are healthier. It's more fun also, and healthier for our family. The kids can be right there in the yard while we fertilize or use orange oil solutions to kill ants, and it won't hurt the kids at all. We have been using these techniques since we bought our house 5 years ago. Interestingly enough, the family before us said that they had never used any chemicals either!