What About Pesticides?

Did you know that there are natural methods of pest control? Many plants produce certain chemicals that repel other species, and many insects are actually good at controlling other insects we regard as pests. One way to BeGreen is to stop using manmade pesticides.

Pesticides, chemicals used to kill or control pests that we consider undesirable, have been used since the 1950s. In fact, pesticide use has increased more than 50-fold in the years since. Most of today’s pesticides are 10 to 100 times more toxic than those used in the 1950s.

These manmade chemicals have many benefits: they save lives, increase food supplies, increase profits for farmers and work fast.

However, there are some serious problems associated with their use: pest organisms quickly become genetically resistant to widely used pesticides; some insecticides also kill natural predators that help to control the pest populations; pesticides move around on water and wind and may last indefinitely, polluting the environment, and harming wildlife.

But most worrisome, pesticides can threaten human health. Scientists are concerned that pesticides may be responsible for genetic mutations, birth defects, nervous system and behavioral disorders and effects on the immune and endocrine systems. Pesticide residue in food causes 4,000 to 20,000 cases of cancer per year in the U.S. (according to studies conducted by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences.)

So what can we do to control those pests in the garden and inside our homes? Try an alternative to manmade chemicals. Here are a few tips:

• Plant marigolds, citronella and geranium species that repel pests adjacent to the plants you want to protect.

• Use biological controls, like ladybugs for aphids on plants and vegetables. Check out your local plant nursery or farm supply store for more suggestions.

• Insecticidal soaps kill insects by washing away their protective coating. You can find these at most home and garden supply stores or you can make your own. Mix 5 tablespoons of dishwashing detergent into one gallon of water. Pour into a spray bottle and use it every 10 days. To be effective, the soap must come in contact with the insects.

• Spray insects with hot water (which kills them.) Pour boiling water over an ant nest to kill the ants.

• Use mousetraps, flypaper and roach motels to combat indoor pests. Bay leaves placed near cracks will discourage roaches.

• Try a variety of homemade concoctions that repel insects. Try boric acid and pepper sprinkled in the back of cupboards and along the inside of crawlspace walls for crawling insects. Cedar chips and herbal sachets (especially lavender) deter moths in closets and drawers.

• To repel fleas and ticks, scatter pine needles, fennel, rye or rosemary on pets beds or feed your pet garlic tablets.