So far this year my favorite event has been sitting in my kitchen around 9am, sipping a cup of Masala Chai and watching the neighborhood birds sift through my garden in search of food. I've seen up to fifty birds at one time, mostly robins with a handful of blue jays, cardinals, grosbeaks, chickadees, and finches scattered about. They kick through my garden soil looking for worms, hop across the grass looking for other small bugs, or seeds even. My yard has become a bird haven. That is, until the hawk shows up.
During one of these morning rituals, one minute all the birds were happily looking for food, the next minute they rose into the air and took of, some calling out in fear. I thought maybe one of the neighborhood cats had come by, as they are also drawn to the sheer number of birds, although I've seen more cats attacked by birds than the other way around. Instead, it was an adolescent hawk. The hawk managed to catch a small bird. I was first aware of this as feathers flew around my yard like a localized blizzard. I was sad to see the small bird trapped by the hawk, but wasn't about to do anything about it. Nature has its checks and balances, whether we like it or not.
I especially love these checks and balances in the summertime, when my vegetables are at their peak and bugs from all over try to come enjoy the smorgasbord of nutrients before I get the chance to. I hate using pesticides as I feel they are dangerous to our environment, and they would kill not just the bad bugs, but all the beneficial insects that flock to my garden, and even harm the birds as well. I have a lot of pollinators, which are super important in making sure the plants continue their life cycle. I even have quite a few bug-eating bugs, and would hate to upset that balance with a pesticide, as its been proven that the bugs you are trying to kill can eventually develop a resistance to the pesticide, much in the same way that bacteria is doing with antibiotics (if this isn't an argument for evolution, I don't know what is). That's why its important to sustain nature's checks and balances. One of those are my favorite feathered friends, the birds. They too are drawn to the insect population, both good and bad. The bad are often easier to get too, as the bad bugs are content to chill out in my vegetable garden.
Last summer, I was thrilled to watch a cardinal in action. At first, I wasn't sure what he was doing. He was clinging sideways to a tomato stem, inspecting the underside of each leaf thoroughly. I've had my tomatoes ravaged by birds before, so I couldn't decide if he was seeing what other parts of the plant looked edible, but held my ground. He slowly hopped up the stem, peering under each leaf, until he suddenly reached out and plucked something green and wriggly from the leaf. Turns out, cardinals make great tomato horn worm pest control. He repeated this several times over the course of the summer and I didn't have to spray anything.
When I do spray pesticides, I use Neem oil. Neem oil is derived from the Neem tree which is native to India. Neem is used for everything from medicines to cosmetics to insecticides. How, you ask, is Neem oil safe for medicine, but also works as an insecticide? First Neem oil is extremely bitter, so it starts off as an insect repellent. If the insect does decide to eat the leaf/stem/fruit that is coated with Neem, it then messes with the insects hormones, making it forget to eat or mate or any basic life functions. So, how is this safe for humans? We really would only use Neem oil topically as soap or a DEET-free insect repellent (though beware using Neem as an insect repellent for yourself as the bitter scent may keep people away as well. Look for all natural insect-repellents that contain Neem, but also some other herbs that can make the repellent less repellent to humans). Its safe to use topically, and if a small amount is ingested, no harm will come to you. It is also safe to use around beneficial insects as most beneficial do not eat plants. I say most because you do have to use caution around plants that may harbor butterfly caterpillars. I am growing milkweed this year to attract Monarchs, so I will avoid using Neem oil near that plant.
Besides birds and carnivorous insects, there are other chemical-free ways to control insects, such as floating row covers to deter insects from attacking small seedlings. You have to remove the floating row covers once the plants flower so they can be pollinated.
Still, nothing is more entertaining (to me) than watching the birds preform their natural duty of insect hunters. It keeps my garden happy and keeps the birds healthy. Now, if only I can keep the darn cats out of my yard.
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