Tips for managing garden pests with beer

Have you ever wondered if there was an easier and less expensive way to keep pests out of your garden? I don't like spending a lot of my hard earned cash on expensive sprays and such on removing unwanted pests that thrive in my garden. I found out that beer is a great way to keep pests away as well as help to enrich the soil. Let your garden grow beautiful and strong with these simple tips; you will never think of using store bought remedies again.

Enrich the soil

My husband doesn't always finish the whole can of beer that he is drinking, so it just gets poured down the drain. I mean, who wants a beer after it's been open awhile and becomes flat? Try pouring that flat beer in your garden to help enrich the soil instead.

The yeast in the beer can be valuable to the plants and the soil. Only pour a few tablespoons of the flat beer in the soil near the plants, and just sit back and watch your garden grow beautiful and strong.

Trap bees

I love spending time out in my garden but don't necessarily like the bees buzzing around my head. I don't mind a few, but sometimes they can get out of control. I found a way to keep the bees in control so I can still enjoy my time out in my garden.

I used a glass jar filled halfway with beer and punched a few holes in the lid about 3/8-inch wide. I then screwed the lid back on the jar and placed it out in my garden. The bees are attracted to the beer and crawl through the holes in the lid and then get stuck. They can crawl in, but they can't crawl out.

Keep slugs and earwigs out

I learned this really helpful trick from my mother. I always remember heading out for school in the morning a seeing a tuna can buried in the garden with some liquid in it. When I was younger, I didn't really think to ask her what was in it.

I found out later that the liquid was beer. The trick is to take a tuna can and place it in the soil so that only the lip of the can is showing and fill it with beer. It makes for a great trap for slugs and earwigs. Each day empty the can full of the pests and repeat.

More from this contributor:

Use nonfat dry milk to help your garden grow

How to rid your garden of tomato hornworms

Simple gardening tips using bubble wrap

Sources: Personal experience