If you are somebody who feels like you are in the constant battle with pests in your outdoor living areas, it is natural to consider every type of deterrent out there — even the ones that seem outlandish.
While many budding gardeners may be concerned that coffee grounds can attract pests, the reality is quite to the contrary. In fact, when implemented correctly, coffee grounds can be an effective way to repel certain pests such as wasps, snails, and mosquitoes. With years of experience in pest control in Vancouver, Atlas Pest Control can help explain why this is the case.
As our question: “Do coffee grounds attract pests?” — no! The opposite is true. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), coffee grounds are an efficient way to keep pests out of your garden. Not only is this option more environmentally-friendly than the average pest repellant on the market, but it is also easier to source and even easier on the wallet.
As a human, you understand that, whether you like it or not, the smell of coffee is very strong. For insects with heightened sniffers, this is especially true. Like some humans, insects are not usually big fans of the smell, which causes them to stay clear of its source, as insects do not want to settle somewhere that it smells unpleasant.
Which Kinds of Coffee Grounds Should I Use?
The type of grounds you can use will really depend on the kind of coffee you enjoy! Whatever you do, don’t go out and buy coffee just for the sake of having grounds for your garden. Whether you enjoy a light roast or a dark roast, or anything in between, all types of coffee are passable for the garden.
One thing to note: it is essential that you use coffee grounds and not whole beans!
Do I have to Burn the Coffee Grounds?
If you go into a rabbit hole of researching coffee grounds online, you may see many suggestions calling for you to burn the coffee grounds. While this has not necessarily been scientifically proven, some gardeners and outdoor enthusiasts insist that the smoke works to repel insects as smoke can be a signal of damage to them, which can cause them to stay away from the surrounding areas.
If you do decide to burn your coffee grounds, start by ensuring that your grounds are dry. Then, burn the grounds as you would incense, on a bowl or on a flat piece of aluminum foil.
What Kind of Pests Will be Repelled By Coffee Grounds?
The following insects have been reported to be disgusted by the scent of coffee grounds:
Slugs
Bees
Wasps
Fleas
Ants
Snails
What are the Other Benefits of Using Coffee Grounds in Your Garden?
Coffee grounds have other positive effects on your garden aside from keeping pests away, such as:
Coffee grounds can help your plants and flourish, which in turn can help with pest control
Coffee grounds are especially helpful for plants that thrive in acidic soil, such as rhododendrons, azaleas, and evergreens
Coffee grounds can act as mulch which will discourage the growth of weeds
Things to Consider
Just like most things in life, the old adage “too much of a good thing” can also apply to coffee grounds in your garden. As coffee grounds are very acidic, it’s important that you practise restraint when adding them to your soil, ensuring that they never make up more than 15 to 20% of your soil’s total volume.
If you do not indulge in a cuppa at home, don’t be afraid to reach out to your local coffee shop! Many establishments will be happy to share their coffee grains with you for free, as it is a mutually beneficial practise that also helps them cut down on the amount of waste that is sent to the landfill.
If you are looking for advice on pest removal in Vancouver, Atlas Pest Control can help you find the solutions you need. Whether you are dealing with a problem that can be efficiently treated by coffee grounds or something much larger, we can find a way to help get your garden under control.
While many budding gardeners may be concerned that coffee grounds can attract pests, the reality is quite to the contrary. In fact, when implemented correctly, coffee grounds can be an effective way to repel certain pests such as wasps, snails, and mosquitoes.
Fresh coffee grounds do not typically attract bugs. However, the intense aroma of coffee grounds can deter certain insects, including mosquitoes and ants.
Why coffee grounds? Since the bears have a strong sense of smell, such a pungent treat is extremely attractive and stimulating to them. The bears roll around in coffee grounds like a cat in catnip!
Roaches may not be able to sip on coffee, but their affinity for it is likely as strong as the typical American. co*ckroaches are attracted to the scent of fresh coffee grounds, making your Keurig, standard pot, or grinder prime real estate for these pests.
In some cases, mice will consume the coffee grounds. While this is not always dangerous for them, ingesting large quantities of caffeine can make them sick or kill them. But ultimately, there's no true evidence that coffee will keep mice away or attract them.
Kopi luwak, also known as civet coffee, is a coffee that consists of partially digested coffee cherries, which have been eaten and defecated by the Asian palm civet (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus).
Coffee grounds inhibit the growth of some plants, including geranium, asparagus fern, Chinese mustard and Italian ryegrass. Conversely, grounds (used as mulch and compost) improve yields of soybeans and cabbage.
You can use your coffee grounds to repel mosquitos, fruit flies, beetles and other pests. To use coffee grounds as an insect and pest repellent, simply set out bowls of grounds or sprinkle them around outdoor seating areas. You can also keep pests out of your garden by scattering coffee grounds around your plants.
Coffee grounds are great for pest control. Ants especially don't like them - both grounds and the acids damage their exoskeletons. Use spent grounds to keep ants out of the house by laying down a 2 inch wide line around the foundation and entrances.
co*ckroach droppings look like pieces of ground pepper or coffee grounds and often smear on surfaces. co*ckroach eggs, on the other hand, are contained within an egg case that's more similar to the size of a whole coffee bean.
Now I don't have chiggers, fleas or ticks anymore.” She does suggest spreading the coffee grounds out evenly for yards that are more flat. If there's a slope then it's best to spread the grounds on the higher ground and let the wind and rain spread it into the yard, McCarn adds.
Coffee grounds can also contribute to better aeration and drainage, which leads to a healthier lawn, but unfortunately the caffeine is just too damaging. However, you can still keep your coffee waste out of the bin by adding it to your compost, where it can indirectly benefit the health of your soil.
Excess coffee grounds, if applied to the soil before composting, have multiple effects on the soil system. In addition to microorganisms tying up nitrogen temporarily, the caffeine residues in the spent coffee grounds can suppress germination and slow the growth of some plants.
Coffee is the most popular beverage in the world, but squirrels hate it! Squirrels love to rummage through gardens and garbage cans, but they will steer clear of any coffee smell. If you're interested in protecting your plants from squirrels, you can absolutely try peppering them with coffee grounds.
The strong smell of coffee can be enough to keep cats off of your garden. Simply take your fresh, wet coffee grounds and distribute them around your borders and plants where you want to discourage feline attention. What's more, the coffee grounds are entirely biodegradable so they will decompose and enrich your soil.
The frass is excreted by the termites as they feed in their feeding galleries and is typically found in small mounds that some describe as looking like sawdust or coffee grounds.
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