Eco-Friendly Pest Control (Outdoor Insect Edition)

Here in NY, it’s hard to imagine that anything has survived the brutal winter we just experienced, but as soon as spring rolled in with warm temps, the bugs seemed to roll in to. Thankfully, it’s still too cold for mosquitoes but they will be here soon along with a bunch of other potentially annoying bugs. Here’s how to cope with them in an earth-friendly way:

A word about organic sprays: even organic, ‘eco-friendly’ pesticides can be toxic to bees, butterflies, and other beneficial garden bugs. Look up the main ingredient before you spray! And be aware that if your neighbors spray their property, the treatment can drift to nearby properties wreaking havoc on your own garden and exposing you and your family to chemical brews unnecessarily. Take note if it happens and report it promptly.

Mosquitoes:

TL;DR RECOMMENDATION: BTI DUNKS, REMOVING STANDING WATER, OUTDOOR FAN

The number one thing you can do right now to prevent mosquitoes on your property is to get rid of standing water as the temperatures warm up. Mosquitoes lay their eggs in wet places and those eggs then hatch into larvae (little worms- yikes!) which then mature into adults in the same wet places, so a good strategy is to keep the outside area of your home as dry as possible. That means not letting water accumulate in buckets, plant pots, tires, or unexpected places like lawn furniture and tarps/covers that accumulate water when it rains.

Other areas, like birdbaths and solar water fountains should be treated with BTI (bacillus thuringiensis israelensis), a biological control that kills mosquito larvae. “[BTI] contains spores that produce toxins that specifically target and only affect the larvae of the mosquito, black fly and fungus gnat” (epa.gov). Treating water with BTI is easy to do. Dry BTI cakes are sold online and in hardware stores. You simply break it and drop a piece in each place that accumulates water and that’s it. These can be placed anywhere you expect water to accumulate in the future like between stacked chairs. Replace the BTI in all locations in about a month. Buy BTI on Amazon.

If you’re already dealing with a mosquito explosion, wear repellent, run a fan outdoors to blow them away from an area, and grow some native plants to attract the lovely bugs that eat mosquitoes (hello dragonflies <3)

Ants:

TL;DR RECOMMENDATION: WATER AS A DETERRENT, ORANGE OIL, NEEM OIL, CHEMICAL BAITS FOR FIRE ANTS

Once the weather warms up, you may notice large numbers of ants in your backyard. They’re not there to stress you out, believe me, they have just emerged from their underground nests to search for food and new nesting sites. Eventually, if left alone, the ants will disperse and you won’t see huge groups of them anymore. However, if they are in an area that you really don’t want them in, like a patio, you can use plain water to deter them. Simply wet the area they are in (i.e. patio) with a hose and do this for a few days in a row; they will get the message that this is not a good potential nesting place because it is always flooded and they will set up elsewhere. Keep ants out of your home by sprinkling powdered cinnamon or peppermint oil near doors and windows.

Keep in mind that ants are usually harmless in the garden and actually function as pollinators. Ants also aerate the soil, decompose organic matter, and they eat pests. Large numbers of ants in the garden are a good thing except when you have fire ants.

Fire Ants can be a real nuisance and should be removed from areas where humans and pets spend a lot of time. There are several earth-friendly methods for eradication, like using orange oil or neem oil on the mounds, but traditional baits can be used near the mounds as well. By the way, one way to differentiate regular ants from fire ants is that regular ants create little mounds of dirt in the soil that have an opening in the middle whereas fire ants create mounds of dirt that have no visible opening (Texas A&M Extension). They also differ in their reaction to having the mound disturbed (with a stick, for example) – fire ants will emerge immediately and aggressively whereas regular ants may take a while to emerge (A-Z Animals.com)

Termites:

TL;DR RECOMMENDATION: BENEFICIAL NEMATODES, DIATOMACEOUS EARTH OR NEEM OIL NEAR STRUCTURES LIKE WOOD FENCES, ORGANIC OR TRADITIONAL FLYING INSECT PESTICIDE ONLY FOR TERMITES ON HOME, PORCH, GARAGE

The thought of termites living nearby strikes fear into every homeowner’s heart but the fact is that termites are very common outdoors; they are present in every U.S State except Alaska (NWF). You may see termites in the soil around your wooden raised beds or your wooden fences, and each spring in NY there are ‘termite swarms’ of winged termites flying around, which is jarring to say the least! Termites, like cockroaches and other indoor nuisances, are part of the food chain outdoors. Ants, reptiles, birds, and other animals eat termites, so they serve a purpose even if they are terrifying to us. That said, you may still want to take steps to protect your property from potential termite infestations, some of these include:

• adding beneficial nematodes to the soil, especially in areas where you have observed the termites in large numbers.
• Sprinkling diatomaceous earth on termites found near wood fences to dry them out or spraying them with neem oil- these treatments will kill beneficial insects like ants and spiders so use sparingly and in a targeted manner!
• Spraying an organic or regular, off-the-shelf flying insect pesticide on flying termites that are conglomerated on your home, porch, or garage. Again, spray them in a targeted manner and sweep up the dead termites to prevent them from being eaten by wildlife. Avoid spraying near pollinator gardens because this spray will kill all!

The idea is to keep termites away from your home, porch, garage, etc- NOT to eradicate termites from the land; such an undertaking would be impossible and extremely destructive to other wildlife.

Ticks:

TL;DR RECOMMENDATION: KEEP LAWN EDGES FREE OF LEAF LITTER; REDUCE SHADY, MOIST AREAS; DETER ANIMALS THAT CARRY TICKS; TICK TUBES; REMOVE INVASIVE PLANTS; ADD NATIVE PLANTS

Ticks are concerning because their bite can cause serious health issues, like Lyme disease, Babesiosis, and Alpha Gal syndrome (red meat allergy). Preventing and controlling ticks requires a multi-pronged approach.

First, conventional advice dictates that all grass should be kept short to prevent ticks but that is not a complete solution. According to BioDiversityWorks, “[tick] nymphs thrive in areas where the habitat is in transition, where the lawn meets shady edges, in leaves and log piles, and around rock walls.” So it’s not so much tall brush as it is these transition zones between lawn and woods. For this reason, it’s a good idea to:

• Remove leaf litter and brush from the immediate edge of the lawn and areas of high human activity.
• Create a 3-foot or wider wood chip, mulch, or gravel border between the lawn
  and any adjacent wooded areas or stonewalls. This dry barrier deters ticks fro
  crossing into the main yard.
  

Second, ticks thrive in shady, moist environments, so increasing sun exposure makes the area less hospitable to them. Trim tree branches and shrubs around the lawn edge to let in more sunlight.

Third, the presence of overpopulated animals like deer, wild turkey, and mice create more opportunities for ticks to end up on your property, so take steps to make your yard less hospitable/accessible to these animals. If you do notice mouse activity in your garden/yard, tick tubes are an easy, inexpensive option to help reduce tick numbers. Tick tubes are cardboard toilet paper tubes stuffed with pesticide-infused cottonballs or other soft bedding materials that mice carry back to their nests; this works to kill ticks because ticks frequently live in and around mouse nests. This Ohio State University Extension guide shows you how to make a tick tube here. If you have a pet that goes outdoors at all, ask your vet what preventative would be best.

Fourth, create a functioning ecosystem in your garden by removing invasive species (Japanese barberry and invasive grasses in particular) and by planting many native plants. These plants will attract natural tick predators like spiders, ants, birds, frogs, lizards, and opossums, which provides yet another front of protection. You may worry that native plants, particularly grasses, are tall and will attract more ticks, but this is not so- research has shown that less plant biodiversity in a garden increases tick activity. “Ecologists have identified the “Dilution Effect” (Ostfeld & Keesing, 2000) – as biodiversity declines, disease-carrying organisms increase. When landscapes lack diversity, fast-reproducing species like mice dominate – they are excellent hosts for ticks and their diseases. Connected areas with diverse native plantings help limit disease hosts in our gardens” (Town of New Castle Conservation Corner).

Lastly, take steps to protect yourself by spraying at least your shoes with a permethrin repellent whenever you are working in the garden. There is also permethrin infused ankle and arm protection for working outside in green areas.

Wasps, Hornet & Yellowjackets:

TL;DR RECOMMENDATION: DECOY NEST, REMOVE OLD NESTS, PEPPERMINT OIL, PEST CONTROL PROFESSIONAL

Wasps are beneficial insects in the garden. You might be surprised to learn that wasps are mostly carnivores in the garden and they control pests like caterpillars, aphids, flies, and beetles. Some wasps lay eggs on their prey to be consumed by the wasp’s hatched larvae and other wasps simply carry their victims away which is great when you have chunky caterpillars eating all your plants. Sometimes, though, you may have issues with wasp nests that are too close to home. Don’t panic! The first thing to do is to evaluate the location of the nest- is it right next to your front door or at the top of a 2nd story window that is never opened? Because in the former scenario removal would be necessary whereas in the latter scenario removal could be delayed. Yes, I know, it’s easy to freak out about that nest that is hanging from the eave of your house, but the truth is nothing needs to be done to address an out of the way nest.

Things you can to to prevent a wasp nest:

• Hang a decoy nest nearby made from a brown paper bag stuffed with newspapers, paper bags, or anything else to give it that round shape. If you’re feeling crafty, paint some horizontal gray lines on the bag to add a touch of realism. Wasps won’t usually set up a nest near another nest because they are very territorial and do not want to share resources with their rivals.
• Remove old nests. In areas where temperatures drop drastically during the winter, the wasps die out due to cold weather and less availability of food, which means at some point the nests will be vacated (Michigan State University). Wait until after the first frost to remove the empty nest to discourage new nests from being built nearby.
• Use Peppermint oil as a deterrent. Peppermint oil is versatile because it repels a variety of pests, including wasps. You can dab a few cotton balls in peppermint oil and wipe them around your door. Leave the soaked cotton balls in the area you are trying to protect to maintain a strong peppermint smell.
• Remove food sources, like cat food and open trash bins that attract the wasps.

Some reasons for removing an active wasp nest include: wasps finding their way into your home constantly, a nest inside your home or garage, or a nest near an entry point or another location, like a child’s play set. In these cases, consult with a pest control expert or search the internet to access a million and one DIY methods for exterminating wasp nests.

Bees:

TL;DR RECOMMENDATION: BEEKEEPER, CITRUS OIL, DECOY WASP NEST

Have you ever seen a movie or cartoon where someone is being chased by a swarm of bees? Chances are those are European honey bees or Africanized honey bees, neither of which are native to the USA. Most of our native bees are ground-nesting or cavity-nesting bees that do not create the signature hives we think of when we think of bees, and they aren’t particularly aggressive unless they face a significant threat. I mention this to ease your mind about the majority of bees you might encounter in the garden- they vast majority are mellow creatures foraging for pollen and nectar, not killers looking to sting everyone they meet. That being said, a honey bee hive does pose a potential threat if it’s in a location that is frequented by people or pets. In that case, look for a local beekeeper first, not a pest control company, as in many cases the hives can be safely removed from your property without a problem.

Carpenter bees

These gentle giants are large and intimidating to some, but they are just teddy bears that do a lot of early pollination work. My apple tree blooms in April and the carpenter bees (and bumblebees) ensure that I get a good crop of apples every year but I recognize that carpenter bees can sometimes be problematic because they like to bore holes into wooden structures, potentially causing damage. Some ways to deter them from a structure:

• Paint exposed wood. Carpenter bees prefer unfinished wood, so a coat of paint or wood polish will deter them.
• Citrus oil, particularly orange oil. sprayed on wood surfaces where the bees have been observed will repel them without harming them. You can purchase ready made sprays or you can make your own.
• Put a decoy wasp nest made from a paper bag near the area you want to protect. Bees don’t like to setup in areas where other bees are already present because that means less resources.
• Keep in mind that plugging holes made by carpenter bees likely means killing the bees or their larvae, so this should not be done unless there is severe damage to a structure that is causing a dangerous situation and there is a pesticide application has already been done. Ask yourself if a hole or two in the garage eave or the fence are really worth eradicating these creatures.

Aphids & Whiteflies:

TL;DR RECOMMENDATION: WATER, LEAF REMOVAL, SOAPY WATER, NATIVE PLANTS, GARLIC SPRAY

Each year, aphids appear in gardens far and wide with the sole purpose of sucking on plants and stressing gardeners out far and wide. Ecological gardeners look at them as bug food- as part of the food web- but other gardeners rush to remove them. If you’re in the latter group, here are a few chemical-free ways to deal with aphids:

• hose them off with water. Avoid doing this on milkweed plants because you run the risk of washing monarch butterfly eggs away as well as beneficial aphid predators like ladybug larvae and mealy bug destroyer larvae both of which are voracious aphid eaters.
• remove heavily infested leaves or plants and dispose of them in the trash or in the compost pile. The aphids stuck on the plants will
• make a diluted soap and water solution by adding a few drops of dish soap to a water bottle. Spray the aphids in a targeted manner and wipe them off with a paper towel. Do not do this on host plants like milkweed and be careful not spray bees or other insects because they will be harmed.
• plant more native plants: native plants attract beneficial insects like ladybugs

Whiteflies

Whiteflies are more annoying than harmful in my opinion, but of course, every gardener has their own perspective on these tiny white bugs. I get whiteflies on my brassica plants and only notice them when they’re flying around while I’m harvesting kale or bok choy leaves. They flies are easily removed by shaking the leaves vigorously and dunking them in a bowl of water. I soak the leaves for a few minutes then wash each leaf off. Here are other ways to deal with whiteflies:

• Plants can be hosed down with plain water or wiped off.
• In a veggie garden, planting companion plants like oregano and thyme can attract beneficial insects, like ladybugs, that eat whiteflies.
• A diluted garlic spray can also repel whiteflies and other pests; err on the side of caution and don’t not spray it on blooming plants.

Lanternflies:

TL;DR RECOMMENDATION: ERADICATE TREE OF HEAVEN, PICK OFF BY HAND, BLAST WITH A HOSE, PLANT NATIVE TREES, REMOVE EGG CASES

The spotted lanternfly is an invasive bug that is thought to have entered the United States in 2014 on imported goods from China, Vietnam and Taiwan (U.S Fish & Wildlife). Spotted lanternfly numbers exploded around 2021 and many gardeners around the country, including myself, were suddenly under siege by this creepy, fast-moving bug that seemed to be everywhere. To make matters worse, we learned that their primary host tree was the Tree of Heaven, a highly invasive tree that is still found in every park, highway median, vacant lot, and in many gardens. Spotted lanternfly numbers appear to be dropping but they are still a nuisance insect, so here are a few things you can do to combat them in the garden:

• Eradicate Tree of Heaven anywhere you can. Do not cut this tree or pull out tall saplings because this will cause the tree to send up many runner shoots and multiply the number of trees! Look up herbicide treatment recommendations and methods for your area. This is one tree that cannot usually be eradicated without herbicide.
• If you are brave enough, pick them off and squish them or dump them into a container of soapy water.
• Plant native trees and plants to encourage beneficial insects and birds to visit your garden- hopefully, they will cross paths with the lanternflies and reduce their numbers.
• Blast them off of plants with a hose; this won’t kill them but will disrupt them. The University of Maryland Extension recommends against using home-made sprays with ingredients like dish liquid and vinegar due to the potential for harming beneficial insects.
• Take some time each winter to search for egg casings on around plants that were infested by lanterflies the previous year

Japanese Beetles:

TL;DR RECOMMENDATION: MILKY SPORE, BENEFICIAL NEMATODES, KNOCK INTO SOAPY WATER, BIRDS

The Japanese beetle is yet another invasive species introduced accidentally over a hundred years ago. They were originally introduced on the East Coast via a shipment of iris bulbs (University of Missouri) and they are a common sight here in NY each year. They larvae or grubs of the Japanese beetle are destructive to lawns (which I’m not mad about) but they can be controlled by treating the soil with milky spore and beneficial nematodes. Milky spore is a bacterium that is ingested by the grubs and causes death; beneficial nematodes are little worms the move around the soil hunting for grubs. These treatments have specific application requirements but are easy to apply.

Pesticides and trapping are not recommended due to the potential for harm to beneficial insects. If you don’t mind getting too close to them, the beetles can be knocked into a container of soapy water or swatted to the ground.

Encourage birds in your yard because they are a major predator of Japanese beetles. I once observed a sparrow catching one of these beetles in mid flight!

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Texas A&M Extension, ‘How can I tell if I have fire ants?’ https://fireant.tamu.edu/manage/how-can-i-tell-if-i-have-fire-ants/

A-Z Animals, Fire Ant Mound vs Regular Ant Mound: What are the Differences?’ https://a-z-animals.Vcom/animals/ant/ant-facts/fire-ant-mound-vs-regular-ant-mound/

NWF, ‘Termites’ https://www.nwf.org/Educational-Resources/Wildlife-Guide/Invertebrates/Termites#:~:text=Alaska%20is%20the%20only%20U.S.,trees%2C%20and%20in%20wooden%20structures.

Wikihow, ‘Identify a Termite’ https://www.wikihow.com/Identify-a-Termite

Town of New Castle, NY Conservation Corner: https://www.mynewcastleny.gov/m/newsflash/Home/Detail/2114

University of Florida, ‘Can invasive plants increase tick exposure risk?’ https://news.ufl.edu/2025/11/tick-longevity-/#:~:text=According%20to%20a%20University%20of%20Florida%20study,help%20ticks%20avoid%20drying%20out%20and%20dying.

Michigan State University, ‘Getting rid of wasp nests’ https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/getting_rid_of_wasps_nests

Xerces.org, ‘Nesting Resources’ https://xerces.org/pollinator-conservation/nesting-resources

U.S Park Services, ‘Stopping the Lanternfly in its tracks’ https://www.fws.gov/story/stopping-spotted-lanternfly-its-tracks

UMD Extension, ‘Spotted lanternfly in home and community landscapes’ https://umd.app.box.com/s/p3ut3w4zi2u0v4rqzo84vw3h1dr2b23h

University of Missouri Intergrated Pest Management, ‘Organic Management Options for the Japanese Beetle at Home Gardens’ https://ipm.missouri.edu/meg/2018/1/organic_management_japanese_beetle/