How I Manage Bugs Naturally: June’s Most Persistent Pests (And What I Do About Them)

Regenerative, chemical-free pest control tips from a flower grower in Lancaster, PA.

When you grow flowers without chemicals, bugs are just part of the landscape. But that doesn’t mean you have to surrender your roses to aphids or let your snapdragons get eaten by beetles.

Over the years in my garden at Blomma Flower Co., I’ve learned how to manage bugs naturally—especially during June, when pest pressure starts to really ramp up.

Here’s how I keep my blooms healthy and balanced without reaching for synthetic sprays or harsh treatments.

🐛 Aphids: Tiny, But Tenacious

If there’s one pest that shows up every year like clockwork, it’s aphids. These soft-bodied insects love tender new growth, especially on roses, sweet peas, and cosmos.

How I handle them:

• Blast them off with water: A strong spray from the hose is often all it takes.

• Encourage beneficials: Ladybugs, lacewings, and hoverflies naturally control aphids. I plant dill, yarrow, and sweet alyssum to invite them in.

• Tolerate a few: As long as the plants aren’t overwhelmed, a few aphids can feed the good bugs without harming the garden.

  
  

  **Remember, if you leave some bugs, the beneficials will have food to eat and they will stick around. They won't come if there's no food!

  
  

🐞 Japanese Beetles: Shiny & Destructive

These beetles can skeletonize leaves in days, especially on roses and grapevines.

My method:

• Morning handpicking into soapy water (satisfying and surprisingly effective)

• Deadhead spent rose blooms quickly: Japanese beetles are drawn to aging petals, so keeping roses cleaned up helps reduce attraction

• Avoid beetle traps: They draw in more beetles than they catch

• Healthy plants = less damage: Well-mulched beds, good soil, and consistent watering help your plants bounce back

🦋 Cabbage Worms & Cutworms

If you grow any edibles alongside your flowers, you know these guys.

Natural controls:

• Row covers for early seedlings

• Crushed eggshells around stems as a barrier

• Companion planting with herbs like sage, thyme, and mint

  
  

🐝 The Real Secret: Biodiversity

The most powerful tool in natural pest management? Diversity.

I plant in layers, mix flower species, and let a little “mess” happen. This creates an ecosystem where pests are less likely to dominate—and where birds, spiders, frogs, and beneficial bugs do a lot of the work for me.

🌿 The Payoff of Going No-Spray

Choosing a no-spray approach to pest control isn’t always the easiest, but it’s worth it. My flowers might have a nibble here or there, but they’re grown in balance—with healthier soil, safer pollinator habitat, and cleaner bouquets for the people who take them home.

If you’ve been struggling with pests in your garden, I hope this gives you permission to slow down, observe more, and try a gentler path.