Gardening - Organic Pest Control

Organic gardening eliminates the use of all chemical or artificial herbicides and pesticides. This will lead to better and healthier plants. If you use chemicals to control your garden problems, you will poison your plants and soil. This can also lead to poisoning your water supply. Pesticides kill not only the pests you want to get rid of, but many beneficial insects and other creatures, such as toads and snakes, that a healthy garden needs. Chemical fertilizers and pesticides were not introduced until after World War II. Prior to that time almost all gardening was done organically. Thankfully we have rediscovered the natural ways and are improving the pest-control methods that have been used for hundreds of years.

The extra time and attention needed for natural pest control are worth the effort. You will be protecting yourself, your family, your animals and your environment. Organic methods are very effective even if they do take longer.

Natural Insecticides

Natural insecticides are most effective when applied several times at intervals of seven to 10 days. They also work best when applied at the early stages of infestation, not when your plants are completely covered with pests.

Examine your plants regularly so you’ll notice when pests arrive.  If an infestation is severe and immediate action is necessary, you can check with your local county extension agent for the least invasive pest-control product.

Applying common sense to gardening can also help reduce pests.  One method is to separate the plants. When one type of plant is grouped together, it acts as a beacon for pests. When the plants are spread through out the garden insect pest problems become more manageable.

There are many natural products on the market. Here is an on-line store that is devoted entirely to organic gardening and natural pest control.  Click here to order their free catalog.

Beneficial Insects

A few of the more common beneficial insects are:

Lady Beetles - Adult lady beetles and their larvae are an excellent, non-chemical way to control aphids, Colorado potato beetles (egg stage) and other insect pests in your garden.  The eggs laid by the adult lady beetle will grow into orange-and-black-striped larvae, which devour aphids.
 

Lacewing (Green Lacewings Chrysoperla carnea) - Lacewings are the best all-purpose predator for your garden or greenhouse. The larvae have a ferocious appetite for aphids, mealy bugs, immature scales and whiteflies, thrips, spider mites and more.
 

Syrphid flies - Also known as hover flies for their ability to hover in flight, are common predators of aphids and other soft bodied insects.

For a more in depth listing of beneficial insects, refer to our Companion Planting charts.

This book shows how to combat pests without using toxic chemicals.