Keep Pests Out Of Your Garden This Spring With Some Spare PVC Parts

Spring is a magical time – plants wake up, pollinators and animals return, and you can start harvesting your garden again. Unfortunately, pests also wake up and want to help themselves to your garden, too. This is an important time of year to keep harmful chemicals away from beneficial insects, but how are you supposed to keep pests away from your hard work? Fortunately, you can repurpose extra PVC pipes with a little DIY handiwork to create a barrier with some netting. The simplest way is to put PVC pipes in the corners and center of your growing space and drape vine mesh netting over it. You can also build a hoop that opens and closes to make it easier for you to access.

Depending on the pest, there are many ways to use PVC pipes. Whether you want to keep aphids or deer out, you can adjust the project to keep all your problems at bay. Since PVC pipes are sturdy and reusable, you can build a pest control cover that you can use each year or until you have to replace the netting.

Netting can work wonders for pest control, and using PVC pipes can make it even better. The pipes can hold the netting above the plants to prevent stems from growing through the netting and getting stuck. It will allow for easy access and prevent a tangled mess from happening. An easy way to accomplish this is to create a tunnel with the pipes to drape the netting over. Place a pipe in the ground on the edge of your growing space. Hammer it into the ground so it's stable. Then, bend the pipe onto the other side of your space so the pipe has a curved U shape. Secure the other side into the ground, as well. From here, drape mesh or bird netting over the pipes and secure it into place.

If you want something more secure that will last a while, consider using wood to build a "lid" to protect your plants. Measure your growing area and buy wood planks to fit the perimeter. Nail or screw them together. Rather than hammering the pipes into the ground, secure them onto the wood to create one functional piece you can place over your garden. If you want to build a version that opens from one side like a hinge, check out the above video from LA Gardenz.

PVC pipes are a highly customizable pest control method. If you don't want hoops, use corner pieces to connect several pipes to create a boxy frame. You can also stick the pipes in the ground and place netting over them without worrying about making any hoop shape. With three pipes and two corner pieces, you can create a center pipe to drape netting over in an A-frame style; this will work well for shorter plants or if you don't have a lot of PVC pieces to spare.

As for netting, you aren't limited to options meant to keep insects or birds away. You can also use chicken wire or cattle fencing to keep away bigger pests. If deer, raccoons, or rabbits chomp away at your garden, the larger wire options will help you combat them. During the winter, you can turn your PVC hoop structure into a greenhouse using row covers designed for winter use. This will help you extend your harvest and keep unwanted pests away. You can also use shade covers in the peak of summer to help your wilting plants catch a break from the heat. If you're a crafty person, extra tulle is one of the best materials to keep pests out since the mesh is so fine.