Ask The Expert

Our knowledgeable staff here at Garden-Ville are available to answer many of the questions you might have about gardens, landscaping, and trees. Many problems with plants, however, cannot be responsibly diagnosed other than in person. We're located in central Texas and may not be familiar with the details of gardening in very different climate or soil zones. One of the guiding principles of organic growing is adapting methods to the particularites of local soil and climate. With that in mind we'll do our best to answer your question, but if we can't we'll be happy to help you find the appropriate resources or professionals in your area.

Feel free to browse the topics below to see if we've already answered a question similar to yours. If you can't find the information you need, the question submission form is located at the bottom of the page.

I am looking for a way to keep these inch type worms off my patio. They come up one step onto the patio and then die there. So they get dried onto the patio floor and are hard to get off. Is there something I can spray around the patio step?
12/6/200811:09:57 AM Link 0 comments | Add comment
Insect Control, Sick Tree Treatment, Soil Questions, St. Augustine
Once you've established where they're coming from and how they're getting in you can treat their access point with any kind of spray that will serve as a deterrent. Our Orange Oil diluted to a rate of 1-2 oz per gallon should deter them; a garlic and pepper spray will do the same thing. A couple drops dish soap in either of those will help the spray to adhere to the surface. Spray it directly onto the surfaces they are crossing to get onto the patio.
I have a maple tree in my yard that for the first time in 25 years has started weeping a brown sticky substabce (not maple syrup) all over my deck and yard. It appears to be coming from the upper branches and is making a mess of everything. Need help as I have asticky mess to clean up everyday that is making its way into my house on all who enters shoes. I don't understand why all of sudden this is happening and is there a remedy for it? Thanks you.
9/23/200812:14:59 PM Link 0 comments | Add comment
Insect Control, Tree Questions
Without being able to directly examine the tree, my guess is that you've had a borer infestation. The borers have probably left the tree, which is producing sap in response to the injury. The sap problem should go away in a few weeks. Borer infestations usually indicate an unhealthy tree, as healthy trees are able to repel them on their own. Long term control of borers is best accomplished by promoting tree health. A good layer of mulch (3"-4") under the tree is the single best thing you can do for tree health. Ample water is important, although its equally important not to overwater, as that can promote fungal problems in the roots which can seriously compromise the health of the tree. If you apply fertilizer make sure to apply a low or no nitrogen organic variety with lots of micronutrients. If the problem persists I would contact a local certified arborist, as they'll be able to better identify exactly what the problem is.
I have White Fly infestation, what products do you carry that I can use to rid my gardens of this pest?
9/23/200811:53:54 AM Link 0 comments | Add comment
Anti Fuego, Insect Control
White flies are generally not a serious problem for plants--more of a nuisance for gardeners. I'd recommend you spray soap & water or neem oil on the foliage for minor infestations. The larvae live in the soil, so a soil drench with Garden-Ville's Anti Fuego (usually used for fire ant infestations) will offer better control on major infestations.
I have White Fly infestation, what products do you carry that I can use to rid my gardens of this pest?
9/23/200811:53:41 AM Link 0 comments | Add comment
Anti Fuego, Insect Control
White flies are generally not a serious problem for plants--more of a nuisance for gardeners. I'd recommend you spray soap & water or neem oil on the foliage for minor infestations. The larvae live in the soil, so a soil drench with Garden-Ville's Anti Fuego (usually used for fire ant infestations) will offer better control on major infestations.
I would like to know how your insecticide smells. My partner is extremely allergic to chemicals and cannot tolerate many scents, even citrus. Does it have an odor? And, if so, can you give me a description of what it smells like? Thank you.
7/22/20083:25:43 PM Link 0 comments | Add comment
Garden-Ville Organic Insecticide, Insect Control, Product Questions
The Organic Insecticide is made from limestone and mint which will give it a slight mint scent, the scent will not be very noticeable since it is a small portion of the overall mixture.
I live south of san antonio out in the country.... What I believe are called "cutter ants" have destroyed all of my fruit trees and are well on their way to killing any surving trees... I've tried the usual type ant treatments and nothing seems to slow them down. Any suggestions?
5/12/200812:33:15 PM Link 0 comments | Add comment
Garden-Ville Organic Insecticide, Insect Control
Try using Organic Insect Control mixed at a rate of 6 ounces per gallon of water and spray the affected trees, the coverage will vary with the infestation. You will probably need to spray once a week until the ants are gone, if it rains you will need to re-apply.
we have 2 twenty foot peach trees. every year the squirreles and worms eat all of the fruit. What can we do? p.s. they also eat our figs! thankyou ralph
4/8/200810:15:47 AM Link 0 comments | Add comment
Insect Control, Tree Questions
Ralph,

To rid your trees of the worms you can use our Organic Insecticide mixed with water or you can use BT worm killer. Spray the trees thoroughly to prevent the worms. For the squirrels, getting a dog might keep them out of the yard, or Squirrel-X has a product called Get Away that is a mixture of mustard and chile powder that you can spray the trees with. Just be sure and wear a mask and eye protection when applying.
Country: Thailand Crop: WaterMelon Area cover: 10 acres Present situation: The fruits are about egg size. Problems: Badly attacked by 'Thrips', fungal, cranker Present climate: Cool at night, hot and humid in the daytime, no rainfall Present irrigation by dripping technique. Questions: What is the best comination from your products available as to remedize my problems.
1/16/200810:08:30 AM Link 0 comments | Add comment
Insect Control, Soil Questions
Kasem,

Increase the organic matter and drainage of the soil by amending with a compost and sand mixture, follow up with our Soil Food Select 6-2-2, you might also want to look into adding potassium to the soil . For your thrip problem you can use our Organic Insecticide mixed with water and spray the entire crop or you can use our Anti Fuego Soil Conditioner and take care of the thrips and enrich the soil with the molasses and humate that is in the mixture. To rid the fungal problems we have a product called Potassium Bicarbonate which when mixed with water will take care of fungi and will be harmless to the plant or fruit. Make sure the plants are getting enough water from the drip system, mulch around the plants if needed to retain soil moisture. Once the crop has died out till the plants into the soil to help increase the organic matter. Hope this helps out.
I live in Orlando, Fl have St. Augustine grass. Is their any way to kill chinch bugs organically? What about good nematodes?
12/19/20079:43:15 AM Link 0 comments | Add comment
Insect Control
Don,

Beneficial Nematodes will organically control the chinch bugs in your yard, as well as 60 other pests.
Hi i've had a problem with grubs,now i have a few spots with no grass,is ok to apply grab control and use the pathing product at the same time,or better off wait until next spring thank you
10/25/20071:20:04 PM Link 0 comments | Add comment
Insect Control
I would recommend you purchase some beneficial nematodes in the spring and put them out, they will take care of grubs as well as fire ants and other insects.
We have an ant problem in our kitchen and I have sprayedvinegar and they still come back. They are so annoying that I am ready to blow up the kitchen because I can't tell where they are coming in at, they are just everywhere. Can you tell me how to get rid of black ants.
8/21/200710:04:01 AM Link 0 comments | Add comment
Garden-Ville Organic Insecticide, Insect Control
Garden-Ville's Organic Insecticide is an organic powder made from limestone and mint oil. You can spray the Organic Insecticide safely as a liquid or a powder in and around your home. It's always best to attack the infestation at the source, but this application can help control these and other insects. You can purchase the Organic Insect Control at any Garden-Ville location or on our website.
My squash looks like the blooms are cut off. I finds several on the ground every day. Could it be cut worms. If so how do I treat the squash to save it?
7/23/200711:07:10 AM Link 0 comments | Add comment
Insect Control
Your symptoms certainly can indicate a cutworm infestation. The moths lay eggs in late summer and can become more abundant with excessive rainfall. You might try spraying your plants with a diluted solution of Green Light BT Worm Killer and you should see positive results. Please make sure that you read all of the instructions before applying any type of insecticide.
I see pest companies here using orange oil for termites, is it the same as the orange oil you sell
7/23/200710:58:44 AM Link 0 comments | Add comment
Insect Control
I would be hesitant to assume that the pest companies you have seen are using the same orange oil as the one that Garden-Ville carries. It is the D-Limonene in orange oil that acts as a natural insect repellent so it could definitely be used to control insects. However, their formulas may differ and they may be adding other ingredients. If you are looking for an organic solution to control termites, please try Garden-Ville's Organic Insecticide available on our website or in our local stores.
We live on the guadalupe river north of Bergheim. We have about an acre, of which about a half acre is on the river bottom land. How can we control the chiggers both on the ground and what can we do when they are on us? Thank you!
6/5/20073:12:31 PM Link 0 comments | Add comment
Garden-Ville Organic Insecticide, Insect Control
To control chiggers you can either use the Garden-Ville Organic Insect Control or the Anti Fuego. The Organic Insect Control is a relatively new product here at Garden-Ville, it is a mixture of limestone powder and mint oil that acts to clog the insects breathing holes and paralyze them causing them to basically suffocate. It is non toxic to people and pets and can be applied as a powder or a liquid. The Anti Fuego is a product that Garden-Ville has had for some time now, it is a mixture of liquid humate, molasses, and orange oil. Our customers swear by this stuff they tell us that they use it at a rate of 4 ounces per gallon of water and spray it through their hose end sprayer to get rid of chiggers, fleas, ticks, and other bugs. There is another product that you can buy that will also get rid of the chiggers, dusting sulfur. If you spread the dusting sulfur out it will take care of your chigger problem, but you need to be careful about anyone that has an allergy to sulfur since it is in a dust form. To keep them off you I would suggest you try Cedar Cide's Personal Insect Repellant. It is made of cedar oil which is a natural insect repellent and is safe to use.
Amy, I live in the Lakeway area of Austin and I am having a VERY bad problem with flies. I have the Texas Bug book and they recommended using fly parasites as a natural way to control flies. I wanted to see if you would recommend this or if you have an alternative method to help. It has gotten so bad that they are actually eating on my 15 year old dog's ears and making them bleed. Any help would be very much appreciated. Tina
5/21/200710:35:59 AM Link 0 comments | Add comment
Insect Control
You can use the fly parasites in your yard they will help keep the population down. Another idea you can try is the beneficial nematodes, when sprayed in the yard they will help control the eggs of the flies, fleas, and ticks. You can pick the nematodes up at any Garden-Ville location and the Bug Book should have information on where you can pick up the fly parasites. If not try Kunafin (830-757-1181) they are who we buy our fly parasites from to keep the flies down in our composting yard.
I've just planted my vegetable garden and now noticed that I have grubs. How can I get rid of them without affecting my plants?
5/14/200711:28:54 AM Link 0 comments | Add comment
Insect Control
To get rid of grub worms without hurting your plants I would suggest beneficial nematodes. They are a microscopic worm that you water into the soil and the worm eats the grubs and their larvae. To find the nematodes you can try your local nursery or organic garden center, or if you are in the Austin, San Antonio, or San Marcos Texas areas you can pick up the nematodes at Garden-Ville.
I live in Georgetown, Texas on several acres. We have a big problem with fire ants, mosquitoes, and chiggers. Are their natural ways to keep these bugs out of the play area for our children?
5/8/200712:24:46 PM Link 0 comments | Add comment
Anti Fuego, Insect Control
Try using the Garden-Ville Anti Fuego at a rate of 2 ounces per gallon of water in a hose end sprayer and spray the whole area. One gallon will cover approximately 1000 square feet and will rid the area of the bugs while conditioning the soil at the same time.
Hi, I have several questions. About 3 years ago we purchased a bag of DE from you. We still have way too much. How long is a bag (huge bag) good for? Does it lose it's effectiveness over time? The reason I ask is it's not killing the fleas outside anymore. This year will be another bumper crop of fleas of all types in Texas. I live in Cibolo near San Antonio. I don't want to use harmful chemical because we have pets and wildlife. The fleas are "atomic" anyway and don't seem to be killed by anything (past experience). I'm thinking of getting some beneficial nematodes from you to control fleas and insects. Might this help? Any other suggestion? We do vacuum all the time, treat the pets, but need to control the environment to get a handle on the fleas. They are eating Mom's dog alive... Thanks! Cheryl
3/23/20073:21:30 PM Link 0 comments | Add comment
Insect Control, Lawn Questions
Cheryl,

The Diatomaceous Earth will lose its effectiveness over time due to moisture. I talked to Delphine Beck who is Malcolm Beck’s wife and she told me that to rid your yard of fleas effectively to spread out dusting sulfur providing no body in your family is allergic to sulfur. Malcolm mixed sulfur with liquid molasses and sprayed it on the yard and in their chicken coop and it took care of the fleas. You can pick the sulfur up here at Garden-Ville or at any feed store. Nematodes are a good step to take because they will kill the larvae of the fleas as well as fire ants.
have found lots of black (hardshell?) bugs throughout my yard..Just learning organic...what should i use to eradicate them? (san antonio 281/bulverde area) thanks.... jr
3/19/20074:33:28 PM Link 0 comments | Add comment
Insect Control, Lawn Questions
Garden-Ville has a product called Organic Insect Control that you can spray through a hose end sprayer that will take care of beetles and other insects. You can purchase a 3# container for $20.99 and mix it at a ratio of about 1 pound per gallon of water and spray it over the entire lawn.
My son's bed has bed bugs - i have thoroughly cleaned all his bedding and encased the mattress in a special covering for bed bugs but he is still getting bitten. Would your organic insecticide help with this? How would i apply it? Would i mix it with water and spray the bed frame? Thanks! Whitney
3/14/20074:53:32 PM Link 0 comments | Add comment
Insect Control
I have read up on bed bugs and they are a tricky creature, yes the organic insecticide will take care of the bed bugs. Just make sure that you inspect all crevices to make sure they are not hiding in there. If you decide to purchase the organic insecticide I would recommend that you get the puffer so that you can get the insecticide in all of the small places. You might also want to look at purchasing another mattress.

Garden-Ville LLC

Ask The Expert

I am looking for a way to keep these inch type worms off my patio. They come up one step onto the patio and then die there. So they get dried onto the patio floor and are hard to get off. Is there something I can spray around the patio step?

I have White Fly infestation, what products do you carry that I can use to rid my gardens of this pest?

I have White Fly infestation, what products do you carry that I can use to rid my gardens of this pest?

I would like to know how your insecticide smells. My partner is extremely allergic to chemicals and cannot tolerate many scents, even citrus. Does it have an odor? And, if so, can you give me a description of what it smells like? Thank you.

I live south of san antonio out in the country.... What I believe are called "cutter ants" have destroyed all of my fruit trees and are well on their way to killing any surving trees... I've tried the usual type ant treatments and nothing seems to slow them down. Any suggestions?

we have 2 twenty foot peach trees. every year the squirreles and worms eat all of the fruit. What can we do? p.s. they also eat our figs! thankyou ralph

I live in Orlando, Fl have St. Augustine grass. Is their any way to kill chinch bugs organically? What about good nematodes?

Hi i've had a problem with grubs,now i have a few spots with no grass,is ok to apply grab control and use the pathing product at the same time,or better off wait until next spring thank you

We have an ant problem in our kitchen and I have sprayedvinegar and they still come back. They are so annoying that I am ready to blow up the kitchen because I can't tell where they are coming in at, they are just everywhere. Can you tell me how to get rid of black ants.

My squash looks like the blooms are cut off. I finds several on the ground every day. Could it be cut worms. If so how do I treat the squash to save it?

I see pest companies here using orange oil for termites, is it the same as the orange oil you sell

We live on the guadalupe river north of Bergheim. We have about an acre, of which about a half acre is on the river bottom land. How can we control the chiggers both on the ground and what can we do when they are on us? Thank you!

I've just planted my vegetable garden and now noticed that I have grubs. How can I get rid of them without affecting my plants?

I live in Georgetown, Texas on several acres. We have a big problem with fire ants, mosquitoes, and chiggers. Are their natural ways to keep these bugs out of the play area for our children?

have found lots of black (hardshell?) bugs throughout my yard..Just learning organic...what should i use to eradicate them? (san antonio 281/bulverde area) thanks.... jr

My son's bed has bed bugs - i have thoroughly cleaned all his bedding and encased the mattress in a special covering for bed bugs but he is still getting bitten. Would your organic insecticide help with this? How would i apply it? Would i mix it with water and spray the bed frame? Thanks! Whitney

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