How to Control Common Garden Pests: An Organic Guide

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There are few things more disheartening for a gardener than discovering that your cherished plants have become a feast for an army of unseen pests. One day your tomato plants are thriving, and the next, their leaves are riddled with holes. Your beautiful roses, once perfect, are suddenly covered in tiny green insects. The immediate temptation is to reach for the strongest spray you can find, but I’m here to tell you there is a better, more effective, and more rewarding way to achieve natural pest control for vegetable gardens and ornamentals alike.

Over years of tending my own gardens and advising others, I’ve learned that the secret to a truly healthy, pest-free garden isn’t about waging war with chemicals. It’s about becoming a skilled ecosystem manager. It’s about moving beyond a “kill on sight” mentality and instead cultivating a balanced, resilient garden that can largely defend itself using proven organic gardening techniques.

This guide is designed to be your complete handbook for mastering organic pest control. We will journey together through a professional, time-tested framework that moves from proactive prevention to targeted intervention. You will learn not just what to do, but why it works, empowering you to make smart, sustainable choices for your garden. Let’s begin by rethinking our entire approach to pest management.

Rethinking Pest Control: An Introduction to Integrated Pest Management (IPM)

Before we dive into specific tactics, it’s crucial to understand the philosophy that underpins all effective, sustainable pest control: Integrated Pest Management (IPM) study. This isn’t just a buzzword; it’s an environmentally sensitive, common-sense approach used by professional growers and savvy gardeners alike.

At its core, IPM is a decision-making process that prioritizes the most effective, lowest-risk strategies first, using pesticides only as a final resort. This is the gold standard for natural garden pest control.

Think of it as a pyramid. The most important and widely used strategies form the broad base, while the most targeted and sparingly used methods are at the narrow tip. Our entire guide is structured around this powerful concept.

• The IPM Pyramid: A Gardener’s Roadmap
  • Base – Prevention (Cultural & Biological Controls): This is the foundation of your entire program. It involves creating a garden environment that is inherently unattractive to pests and supportive of their natural enemies. This includes everything from choosing the right plants to improving your soil and learning how to attract beneficial insects.
  • Middle – Intervention (Physical & Mechanical Controls): When prevention isn’t quite enough, this is your next step. It involves hands-on tactics like setting traps, using row covers for pest control, or simply hand-picking pests off your plants.
  • Tip – Chemical Control (Organic-Approved): This is the very last resort, to be used only when a pest population has reached a damaging level (an “action threshold”) and other methods have failed. Even then, we focus on the least toxic, most targeted organic options available, like a DIY pest spray.

Why does IPM matter so much for the home gardener? Because it works. It creates a more resilient, self-regulating garden that requires less intervention over time. It protects the pollinators we depend on, the soil that nourishes our plants, and the safety of our families and pets. It shifts your role from a constant firefighter to a wise and proactive garden steward.fety of our families and pets. It shifts your role from a constant firefighter to a wise and proactive garden steward.

The First Line of Defense: Proactive Cultural Pest Controls

The foundation of any successful IPM program—the broad base of our pyramid—is cultural Pest control. These are the gardening practices that make your entire growing area less hospitable to pests and diseases from the very beginning. This is where you can prevent 90% of future problems before they even start. This section will expand upon the core ideas from the original article, adding the depth needed for true mastery.

Strategic Site Selection: Setting Your Garden Up for Success

The single most important pest prevention strategy happens before you even put a plant in the ground. Choosing the right plant for the right place is paramount. A plant that is stressed by its environment—too much shade, the wrong soil type, improper drainage—is a weak plant, and weak plants are magnets for pests and diseases.

Before you plant, consider the plant’s specific needs:

• Sun and Shade: A sun-loving tomato plant grown in deep shade will be spindly, weak, and susceptible to fungal diseases. Conversely, a shade-loving host will scorch in the afternoon sun, making its leaves vulnerable to insect attack.
• Soil and Drainage: I’ve learned the hard way that a beautiful azalea, which craves acidic, well-drained soil, planted in a heavy, alkaline clay spot is an open invitation for root rot, no matter how many sprays you use.
• Hardiness Zone: Ensure the plants you choose are rated for your climate’s winter temperatures. A plant struggling to survive the cold is already compromised.

The Power of Sanitation: A Clean Garden is a Healthy Garden

Sanitation is a simple but incredibly powerful tool in your IPM arsenal. It involves removing or destroying the places where pests and diseases breed, hide, and overwinter.

• Clean Up Debris: At the end of the season, remove and dispose of (do not compost) diseased plant material. Old tomato vines can harbor blight spores, and fallen leaves can provide a cozy winter home for squash bug eggs.
• Weed Management: Many weeds act as “alternate hosts” for pests and diseases. For example, some weeds can harbor the beet leafhopper, which transmits curly top virus to vegetables. Keeping weedy borders under control with an organic weed killer approach reduces these pest reservoirs.
• Use Clean Inputs: Start with certified disease-free seeds, tubers, or rootstock whenever possible to avoid introducing problems like nematodes or fungal pathogens from the start.
• Clean Your Tools: A small but crucial step is to clean your pruners and shovels, especially when moving between a diseased area and a healthy one. A quick wipe with rubbing alcohol or a bleach solution can prevent the spread of soil-borne pathogens.

Smart Planting: Using Crop Rotation and Timing to Your Advantage

You can outsmart many pests simply by changing where and when you plant.

• Crop Rotation: This is a cornerstone of organic agriculture and is just as important in the home garden. Many pests and soil-borne diseases are specific to a particular plant family. For instance, if you plant tomatoes (part of the nightshade family) in the same spot year after year, pests like hornworms and diseases like early blight will build up in the soil. By rotating their location with a different plant family, like beans (legumes) or lettuce (daisy family), you break their life cycle. A simple three- or four-year rotation plan is a game-changer for natural garden pest control.
• Adjusting Planting and Harvest Times: You can often time your planting to avoid a pest’s peak activity. In many regions, planting cabbage later in the spring can help you avoid the worst of the cabbage root maggot infestation. Similarly, planting cool-season crops like broccoli or Swiss chard in the fall allows them to mature in weather that is too cold for pests like cabbage loopers and leafminers to thrive.

Building Resilience from the Ground Up: Soil, Water, and Nutrient Management

Ultimately, a healthy plant is the best defense against pests. Cultural controls focused on plant vitality are essential.

• Healthy Soil: Healthy soil, rich in organic matter, creates strong plants with robust immune systems that are naturally more resilient to pest attacks. Regularly amending your soil with compost is one of the best investments you can make in organic pest control.
• Smart Watering: Both over- and under-watering create stress that invites pests. Excess water and poor drainage can lead to root rot diseases like Phytophthora and create favorable conditions for weeds like nutsedge. Under-watering, on the other hand, can cause drought stress, which attracts boring insects to trees and makes plants too weak to fight off an attack. Water deeply and less frequently at the base of the plant to encourage deep roots and keep foliage dry, which discourages fungal diseases.
• Fertilize Wisely: While it’s tempting to feed your plants for maximum growth, over-fertilization is a common mistake that can backfire spectacularly. Excess nitrogen, in particular, produces lush, soft, weak growth that is an irresistible buffet for sucking insects like aphids, leafhoppers, and whiteflies. Feed your plants with balanced, slow-release organic fertilizers like compost or fish emulsion, and only as much as they need.

Your Garden’s Allies: Mastering Biological Pest Control

Welcome to the most exciting part of organic pest control: recruiting a 24/7 security force for your garden. Biological control is the practice of using living organisms—the “beneficial insects for garden“—to manage the “bad bugs”. This is a critical component of IPM that was completely missing from the original article, and mastering it will transform your garden into a dynamic, self-regulating ecosystem.

Inviting Nature’s Enforcers: An Introduction to Beneficial Insects

The world of beneficial insects is fascinating. They generally fall into three categories:

1. Predators: These are the hunters. They actively seek out and consume pests. Think of the ferocious ladybug larva devouring dozens of aphids a day, or the ground beetle patrolling your garden at night for slugs.
2. Parasitoids: These are more like something out of a sci-fi movie. They lay their eggs on or inside a host pest. When the eggs hatch, the larvae consume the host from the inside out. The classic example is the braconid wasp, which lays its rice-like eggs on the back of the dreaded tomato hornworm.
3. Pollinators: While not directly involved in pest control, pollinators like bees and hoverflies are essential for a healthy garden ecosystem. Many pest-controlling insects are also pollinators in their adult stage, so supporting one group often supports the other.

How to Create a Habitat for Beneficial Insects

While you can purchase beneficial insects like ladybugs, I’ve found that creating a welcoming habitat to attract beneficial insects and sustain your local native populations is a far more effective and sustainable long-term strategy. Releasing store-bought insects into a garden that can’t support them is like throwing a party with no food or drink; your guests will quickly leave.

Here is your to-do list for building a five-star resort for beneficial bugs:

• Plant a Diversity of Flowers: This is the single most important step. Many adult beneficial insects feed on nectar and pollen. They are particularly attracted to plants with small, shallow flowers that their tiny mouthparts can access. Excellent choices include herbs like dill, fennel, cilantro, and parsley (let some go to flower!), and flowers like sweet alyssum, yarrow, cosmos, and sunflowers.
• Provide a Water Source: Insects get thirsty, too. A shallow birdbath or a simple saucer filled with pebbles or marbles and a little water provides a safe place for them to drink without drowning.
• Offer Shelter and Overwintering Sites: Don’t keep your garden perfectly tidy. A small patch of leaf litter, a hollow-stemmed plant left standing over winter, or a small brush pile can provide crucial shelter for ground beetles, ladybugs, and solitary bees to survive the cold.
• Eliminate Broad-Spectrum Pesticides: This is non-negotiable. Chemical pesticides are indiscriminate killers. Spraying for aphids will also kill the ladybugs, lacewings, and hoverflies that would have controlled them for you for free.

Table 1: Top Beneficial Insects and How to Attract Them

This table provides a quick reference for some of the most valuable allies you can attract to your garden.rden.

Beneficial Insect	Key Pests Controlled	Plants That Attract Them
Ladybugs (Lady Beetles)	Aphids, mealybugs, spider mites, scale insects, insect eggs	Dill, fennel, cilantro, yarrow, calendula, cosmos, marigolds
Green Lacewings	Aphids (“aphid lions”), caterpillars, thrips, whiteflies, mites	Sweet alyssum, cosmos, coreopsis, Queen Anne’s lace, dill
Hoverflies (Syrphid Flies)	Aphids (larvae are voracious predators), thrips, small caterpillars	Sweet alyssum, yarrow, statice, zinnias, and any open-faced flower
Parasitic Wasps (e.g., Braconid)	Tomato hornworms, cabbage worms, various caterpillars, aphids	Plants in the carrot family (dill, fennel, parsley), yarrow, sweet alyssum
Ground Beetles	Slugs, snails, cutworms, cabbage maggots, caterpillars	Perennial plantings, ground covers, and leaf litter provide shelter.
Praying Mantis	Generalist predators: beetles, caterpillars, moths, grasshoppers	Attracted to tall grasses and shrubs for cover. (Note: They also eat beneficials).

Companion Planting: The Art of Strategic Partnerships

Companion planting for pest control is the age-old practice of growing certain plants together for mutual benefit. For pest control, it works in several clever ways:

• Trap Cropping: Planting something that pests love more than your main crop, luring them away. Nasturtiums are a classic trap crop for aphids; the aphids will infest the nasturtiums, largely ignoring your beans or tomatoes. There are many great trap cropping examples for home gardens.
• Biochemical Pest Suppression: Some plants release compounds that repel or confuse pests. The strong scent of herbs like rosemary, sage, and thyme can mask the smell of carrots from the carrot rust fly or cabbage from the cabbage moth. Marigolds release a substance into the soil that can suppress harmful nematodes.
• Attracting Beneficials: As discussed above, planting flowers like borage or dill among your vegetables brings in pollinators and predators right where you need them.

Table 2: Companion Planting Chart for Pest Deterrence

Use this companion planting chart as a starting point for designing your garden beds. The right partnerships can dramatically reduce your pest problems.oint for designing your garden beds. The right partnerships can dramatically reduce your pest problems.

Vegetable Crop	Plant With (Companions)	Avoid Planting With	How it Works (Pest Control Benefit)
Tomatoes	Basil, Borage, Carrots, Chives, Marigolds, Nasturtiums	Cabbage family, Corn, Fennel, Potatoes	Basil repels tomato hornworms and whiteflies. Borage deters hornworms and attracts beneficial wasps. Marigolds repel nematodes.
Peppers	Basil, Chives, Onions, Rosemary, Oregano	Fennel, Kohlrabi	Basil and oregano help deter aphids and spider mites. Chives and onions repel many pests with their strong scent.
Cabbage Family (Broccoli, Kale)	Dill, Rosemary, Sage, Thyme, Onions, Nasturtiums, Chamomile	Strawberries, Tomatoes, Pole Beans	Aromatic herbs like rosemary, sage, and thyme deter the cabbage moth. Nasturtiums act as a trap crop for aphids.
Carrots	Rosemary, Sage, Chives, Leeks, Onions, Radishes	Dill, Fennel	The strong scent of rosemary, sage, and the onion family masks the smell of carrots, confusing the carrot rust fly.
Cucumbers	Radishes, Marigolds, Nasturtiums, Dill, Oregano	Potatoes, Sage	Radishes and tansy repel cucumber beetles. Nasturtiums trap aphids away from the cucumbers. Oregano repels many general pests.
Squash	Nasturtiums, Marigolds, Borage, Oregano	Potatoes	Nasturtiums are a fantastic trap crop for squash bugs. Borage attracts predatory insects. Marigolds deter beetles.
Beans	Rosemary, Summer Savory, Marigolds, Potatoes, Carrots	Onion family, Garlic	Rosemary and summer savory deter the Mexican bean beetle. Marigolds protect against bean beetles.

Hands-On Defense: Effective Physical and Mechanical Controls

When your preventative measures aren’t quite enough and you start to see pest pressure building, it’s time to move up the IPM pyramid to active, hands-on intervention. These physical and mechanical controls are non-chemical, direct methods for dealing with pests.

Barriers and Exclusion: If They Can’t Reach It, They Can’t Eat It

One of the most effective strategies is simply to prevent pests from ever reaching your plants.

• Floating Row Covers: These are my secret weapon for protecting young seedlings. A lightweight, non-woven fabric, a row cover lets in sunlight, air, and water but forms a physical barrier against pests like flea beetles, cabbage moths, and squash vine borers. Using row covers for pest control is a highly effective tactic. Drape it over your plants, securing the edges with soil or rocks. Remember to remove the covers from crops that require pollination by bees, like squash and cucumbers, once they start to flower.
• Cabbage Collars: To defeat the cabbage root maggot, which lays its eggs at the base of brassica stems, you can use a simple physical barrier. A “cabbage collar” is a small square or circle of cardboard, tar paper, or craft foam with a slit to the center. You slip this around the stem of your young broccoli, cabbage, or kale plants, lying it flat on the soil. This prevents the adult fly from laying her eggs where the emerging maggots can burrow down to the roots.
• Copper Tape: Slugs and snails receive a mild electric shock when they try to cross copper. Placing adhesive copper tape around the rims of pots or the edges of raised beds can be a surprisingly effective organic slug repellent.

Traps and Hand-Picking: Direct Removal

Sometimes, the most direct approach is the best.

• Hand-Picking: It’s not glamorous, but it’s incredibly effective for large, visible pests. I make a habit of a morning “garden patrol” with a bucket of soapy water. Large pests like tomato hornworms, Japanese beetles, squash bugs, and slugs can be picked off plants and dropped into the bucket. It’s satisfying and stops damage immediately.
• Traps: Various traps can be used to monitor and reduce pest populations. Yellow sticky traps are useful for catching whiteflies and aphids. Pheromone traps use a synthetic scent to lure and trap specific pests, like the codling moth that attacks apple trees.
• Trap Cropping: As mentioned in companion planting, this is a form of trapping. You can plant a perimeter of a highly attractive variety (like Blue Hubbard squash) around your main squash patch to lure squash vine borers and squash bugs. Once the trap crop is heavily infested, you can remove and destroy it, pests and all.

The Power of a Water Jet

Never underestimate the power of your garden hose. For soft-bodied sucking insects like aphids and spider mites, a strong, sharp jet of water is often all you need. Spray the infested areas thoroughly, making sure to hit the undersides of leaves. This physically dislodges the pests, damages them, and disrupts their feeding and reproduction. It’s a simple, free, and surprisingly effective first response.

The Organic Armory: Safe and Simple DIY Pest Control Sprays

We’ve now reached the tip of the IPM pyramid. You should only turn to sprays—even organic ones—when preventative, biological, and physical controls have not been sufficient to keep a pest population below a damaging level. Always use these sprays judiciously, targeting only the affected plants to minimize harm to beneficial insects.

All-Purpose Insecticidal Soap: Your Go-To Recipe

Insecticidal soap is a contact spray, meaning it must directly coat the pest to be effective. It works by dissolving the waxy outer cuticle of soft-bodied insects, causing them to dehydrate and die. This is one of the best answers to the question, what is the best organic pesticide?

• The Recipe: Here is a simple insecticidal soap recipe: Mix 1-2 tablespoons of a pure liquid soap into 1 gallon of water.
• Crucial Note on Soap: It is vital to use a pure soap, like castile soap, and not a detergent. Most modern dish “soaps” are actually detergents and contain degreasers and other chemicals that can harm your plants. If you’re unsure, look for a product with simple ingredients and no additives like “grease-fighting power.”

Harnessing the Power of Neem Oil

Neem oil for garden pests is a fantastic tool, but it’s important to understand how it works. Unlike insecticidal soap, it is not primarily a contact poison. It’s derived from the seeds of the neem tree and acts as a hormone disruptor and anti-feedant. When a pest ingests neem oil, it interferes with their ability to molt, reproduce, and even eat. It’s slower-acting but has a broader and more lasting effect.

• The Recipe: Mix 2 teaspoons of pure, cold-pressed neem oil and 1 teaspoon of mild liquid soap (as an emulsifier to help the oil mix with water) into 1 gallon of water.
• Application: Shake well and spray all plant surfaces, including the undersides of leaves.

Read our Responsible Gardener’s Guide to Insecticides and Fungicides!

Potent Garlic and Pepper Repellent Sprays

These DIY pest spray options don’t typically kill insects directly but work as powerful repellents. Their strong, pungent compounds overwhelm the sensory receptors of many pests, encouraging them to go elsewhere.

• The Recipe: Mince one whole bulb of garlic and one small onion. Add 1 tablespoon of cayenne pepper powder and place it all in a quart of water. Let it steep for at least an hour (or overnight for more potency). Strain the mixture through cheesecloth and add one tablespoon of pure liquid soap. Dilute this concentrate with another quart of water before spraying.

Application Best Practices for Safety and Efficacy

How you apply a spray is as important as what’s in it. Follow these rules to ensure safety and effectiveness:

• Always Test First: Before spraying an entire plant, test your mixture on a small, single leaf and wait 24-48 hours to check for any signs of damage.
• Time it Right: Spray in the early morning or late evening. This is when pollinators like bees are least active, and it prevents the sun from causing the spray to burn the leaves.
• Get Full Coverage: Pests love to hide on the undersides of leaves. Make sure you spray thoroughly, covering all surfaces of the plant.
• Reapply After Rain: These organic sprays are not persistent and will be washed off by rain or heavy overhead watering.
• Don’t Spray Stressed Plants: Avoid spraying plants that are wilted from heat or drought, as they are more susceptible to foliage burn.

Frequently Asked Questions: Tackling Common Garden Pests Organically

Sometimes, despite our best efforts, a specific pest becomes a major problem. This section provides quick, IPM-based action plans for some of the most common garden villains.

Table 3: Common Garden Pests & Organic Solutions

Pest	Signs of Damage	Top Organic Solutions (In IPM Order)
Aphids	Clusters of small, pear-shaped insects on new growth and under leaves. Curled, yellowing leaves. Sticky “honeydew” residue, which can lead to sooty mold.	1. Physical: Strong jet of water. 2. Biological: Attract ladybugs, lacewings, hoverflies. 3. Chemical: Insecticidal soap or neem oil spray.
Spider Mites	Tiny yellow or white stippling on leaves. Fine webbing under leaves and on stems. Leaves may look bronzed or dusty. Thrives in hot, dry conditions.	1. Physical: Strong jet of water, focusing on undersides of leaves. 2. Cultural: Increase humidity by misting plants. 3. Chemical: Insecticidal soap or horticultural oil.
Caterpillars (Cabbageworms, Hornworms)	Chewed holes in leaves. Skeletonized leaves (only veins remain). Missing seedlings. Large, dark droppings (frass).	1. Physical: Hand-pick and drop in soapy water. 2. Biological: Attract parasitic wasps (leave parasitized hornworms alone!). 3. Chemical: Use Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), a caterpillar-specific bacterium spray.
Slugs & Snails	Irregularly shaped holes in leaves, often starting from the edge. Silvery slime trails. Damage is most common at night or on cloudy days.	1. Physical: Hand-pick at night. 2. Barriers: Use copper tape, crushed eggshells, or diatomaceous earth. 3. Traps: Set out shallow dishes of beer.
Squash Bugs	Clusters of bronze-colored eggs on undersides of leaves. Adults and nymphs suck sap, causing yellow spots that later turn brown/black. Plants wilt and can die.	1. Physical: Hand-pick adults and nymphs. Scrape off eggs. 2. Traps: Place boards on the ground overnight; bugs will hide underneath and can be collected in the morning. 3. Cultural: Practice diligent fall cleanup to remove overwintering sites.
Japanese Beetles	Skeletonized leaves (lacy appearance). They feed in groups on a wide variety of plants, including roses, beans, and grapes.	1. Physical: Hand-pick in the early morning when they are sluggish, knocking them into soapy water. 2. Barriers: Use row covers on vulnerable plants. 3. Companion Planting: Plant geraniums as a trap crop; they paralyze the beetles.
Whiteflies	Clouds of tiny white insects fly up when a plant is disturbed. Yellowing, mottled leaves. Sticky honeydew residue.	1. Physical: Use yellow sticky traps to monitor and reduce populations. 2. Biological: Attract lacewings and ladybugs. 3. Chemical: Insecticidal soap or neem oil spray.

How do I get rid of aphids naturally?

To get rid of aphids, start with the least invasive IPM method. First, use a strong jet of water from your hose to physically blast them off the plants. This is often enough to control minor infestations. If they return, focus on biological controls by ensuring you have plants like dill or alyssum nearby to attract their natural predators like ladybugs and lacewings.

If the population is still causing damage, your final step is to use a targeted spray of insecticidal soap or neem oil, making sure to get complete coverage, especially under the leaves where they hide.

What is the best organic solution for caterpillars and hornworms?

For large caterpillars like tomato hornworms and cabbage loopers, the most effective and immediate solution is hand-picking. Patrol your plants daily and drop any you find into a bucket of soapy water. For biological control, encourage parasitic wasps by planting small-flowered herbs. If you see a hornworm with what looks like white rice grains on its back, leave it be! Those are the cocoons of a braconid wasp, and they will hatch into more garden allies.

For widespread infestations, especially of smaller caterpillars, the best organic spray is Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). It’s a naturally occurring bacterium that is toxic only to caterpillars and is harmless to other insects, pets, and humans.

How can I stop slugs and snails without chemicals?

Controlling slugs and snails requires a multi-pronged, non-chemical approach. Start by hand-picking them at night or in the early morning when they are most active. Next, create barriers around vulnerable plants using materials they dislike crossing, such as coarse sand, diatomaceous earth, or crushed eggshells. Copper tape is a particularly effective barrier for pots and raised beds.

Finally, you can set traps. A shallow dish filled with beer and sunk into the soil will attract and drown them. Encouraging predators like ground beetles and toads by providing them with cover will also help keep populations in check.

Conclusion: Cultivating a Balanced and Resilient Garden Ecosystem

As we’ve journeyed through the principles of Integrated Pest Management, one central theme emerges: effective organic pest control is not about finding a magic spray in a bottle. It is the art and science of creating a healthy, diverse, and resilient garden ecosystem that can largely manage itself.

By starting with a foundation of strong cultural practices—choosing the right plants, building healthy soil, and practicing smart sanitation—you prevent most problems from ever taking root. By actively inviting and supporting a thriving population of beneficial insects, you recruit a tireless workforce that patrols your garden day and night. By using physical barriers and direct removal, you can handle emerging issues with precision. And by holding organic sprays as a final, targeted resort, you protect the delicate balance you’ve worked so hard to create.

Embrace your role as a garden steward. Observe your plants, learn the players—both pest and predator—and think “prevention first.” This approach will not only lead to a more beautiful and productive garden but also a more rewarding and sustainable connection to the natural world around you. You can also look for Right Pest Control Service for your garden.

What is your biggest pest challenge, and what natural garden pest control methods have you found most effective? Share your experiences in the comments below!