Gardening experts online are sharing tips on how to protect plants from pests that are simple and effective: Using just one item found at home, gardeners can quickly eliminate pumpkin pest eggs and protect their crops.
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This trick is simple and all you need is a piece of tape to remove the pumpkin bug egg mass.
In this video, Instagram user Sara on the farm (@Saraonthefarm) demonstrates two of the three steps: First, wrap the tape around your finger, sticky side out, then place the sticky side of the tape against the egg mass and pull it apart, removing the potential pests.
Sarah uses duct tape, but paper tape and other non-plastic alternatives are easy to find, making it a more environmentally friendly option.
Of course, using strong glue might result in some of the leaves coming off along with the eggs, but Sarah from the farm reassures us that it's just a little damage and much better than a horde of pumpkin bugs hatching.
To stop the bugs from hatching, she explains that you can easily crush the eggs, or if you're not a fan of crushing them, soaking them in soapy water also works well.
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How it helps
Tips like these will make gardening easier and more effective, while also having a positive impact on the environment.
Growing your own food has been shown to lead to healthier outcomes, both dietarily and mentally. It also avoids the transport of produce and the pollution that comes with harmful industrial-scale agriculture. It also saves you money on produce at the grocery store.
In this case, pumpkin pests can slay the plants that provide food for the grower. Being able to easily control pumpkin pest populations in the garden is a godsend for many in the gardening community.
For more tips like this, check out The Cool Down's guide to home gardening.
What everyone is saying
Users in the comments section were excited about this new method, with some even sharing their own ideas.
“Great tip Sarah! The tape works like magic!” one user wrote.
“This is so easy,” said another. “It works so well!”
Another added: “This tape idea is awesome!”
One commenter decided to shed some light on another common practice: “I love this idea. I used to just cut the whole leaf off.”
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