Nella Mae Parks, owner of Nella Mae’s Farm in Cove, poses for a photo on March 3, 2021. Parks teaches gardening classes online and, when the pandemic and weather allows, in person at her farm.

COVE — Keeping your garden free of pests without using chemicals can be as basic as distinguishing between friend and foe.

This is the firm belief of Nella Mae Parks, a Cove farmer who teaches local gardening classes, including on using natural pest control for the home garden.

Parks, who has a degree in environmental science from Oregon State University, said it is critical that people learn which organisms and insects represent a threat to their gardens and which can help them keep pests under control. The list includes insects, reptiles and birds.

“Spiders, snakes, lady bugs, praying mantises, hawks and owls are your friends,” said Parks, the owner of Nella Mae’s Farm.

Before taking steps though to get these and other insects and animals to work for you, Parks said, it is important to correctly determine your pest.

“If you don’t identify your pest correctly, you won’t choose the correct control method. You also might be killing predators and beneficial insects that are helping you,” Parks said.

She encourages people to consult with knowledgeable local gardeners, the Oregon State University Extension Service or entomologists while identifying insects in their gardens. Parks said there a limited number of insects that are garden pests in this region, so identifying them is not extremely difficult.

“You don’t have to be a mini entomologist,” Parks said.

Steps gardeners can take to attract insect predators include planting flowers such as buckwheat, mustards and marigolds. Another tip Parks gives gardeners is keeping trees that allow hawks or birds of prey to roost and keep rodent populations down.

The process of keeping your garden pest free without the use of chemicals can be an ever-evolving challenge.

“Every year is different. Just when you think you have a handle on the pests, a new one emerges,” Parks said.

Gardeners can decrease the chance of new pests arriving at their garden by rotating their crops and keeping their plants healthy.

“Sickly plants are a great host for pests,” Parks said.

She encourages gardeners to pull infected plants immediately to prevent other plants from being exposed to it.

“If you have a weak plant that is infested, send it to your chickens or the dumpster. Don’t compost it,” Parks said.

Parks also advises gardeners to keep leaves and debris raked up and not to leave boards laying around or other dark habitat for nocturnal pests such as ear wigs and pill bugs (roly-poly bugs).

Another non-chemical strategy for protecting gardens involves the installation of deer fencing. Parks said that 8-foot fencing does a good job of keeping deer out. The fences are effective and last a long time, she said.

She recommends a wire fence rather than a solid wood one if it is close to your garden because it will not shade your plants.

Parks said if one is not able to put up an 8-foot fence, two smaller parallel fences 4 to 6 feet apart could work. She said deer are unlikely to leap over one if they see another right next to it.

“Deer do not like jumping into small spaces,” Parks said.

Gardeners attempting to protect their perennial trees and shrubs from gophers can place chicken or rabbit wire around the roots of their trees right after they are planted.

Additional information on natural pest control is available at Parks’s web site — nellamaesfarm.com.