Happy Gardening

When you are gardening, you have to watch for so many pests.

There's the:

1. Loose livestock - in the BVI, that could be cows, sheep, goats, donkeys or horses. They make extensive damage and depending on which animal bites your plant, it's dead. The only good thing is that they leave their manure behind to fertilize what's left. The animals understand food security much better than the humans. The owners are horrible though because they leave their animals to bother everyone.
2. Birds - We've got thrushes here in the BVI and they love tomatoes, eggplants, mangos, soursop and anything these birds think is delicious. They are smart and cunning birds who make one pick in a fruit and then move to another. I remember when we had the swing open windows, the thrushes would just fly in and look for food on the counter. No one has really found a way to get rid of them. For cash crops, there's netting that can be used but for large fruit trees, you just have to pray they leave some for you.
3. Iguanas - In St. Thomas, farmers will have issues with iguanas. However the staff at the UVI Cooperative Extension service have some great ideas that are eco-friendly to keep the iguanas away. It is also against the law to harm these creatures so any solution must be green and safe for the iguanas.
4. Small Pests - Pink Hibiscus Mealybug, Aphids, Scale Insects are the many other plant pests can be detrimental to a garden. Crickets, caterpillars and other worms/nematodes are also silent killers that can kill a crop overnight. Mango Seed Weevil are also small pests that destroy a mango crop. These are just a few examples as there are many more small pests that can damage crops. Consult with your local agriculture representatives on how to deal with these problems.
5. Man - Humans are the worst pests. They are supposed to have a conscience but they don't. There are folklore stories about persons who got sick or died from being poisoned from eating stolen food. I let my property grow into into thorns just for the two foot bandits. You want it more than I do, then cut your own tracks through the cashas!

These are just a few examples - and these are more relevant to my limited experience. Be sure to keep an eye out for all types of pests in your garden.

Happy Gardening!

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