Pest Control in Your Home Vegetable Garden

When I was growing up, my parents had a huge vegetable garden. My father used Sevin Dust to kill pests, and he had my brothers and I go from plant to plant and pick the bugs off. While these methods were effective for him, there are other options today. With the growth in organic gardening and understanding the harm that chemical based pesticides can do, there has been a large growth in organic pesticides as well. To control pests in your vegetable garden, you have choices between homemade remedies, organic pesticides and the old standby of chemical and synthetic pesticides. Rather than run out and buy the first pesticide you see, you should investigate the different varieties that are available and find the one that is right for your needs and your pests.

There are numerous recipes available on line for homemade garden pesticides. One such recipe is to mix a liquid soap such as Dawn dish soap with water and spray it directly on the plants. This is supposed to help control mites and aphids. Another recipe is to add some garlic or chili peppers to your soap spray to really get rid of the bugs. The problem with most of these recipes is that they are not as effective as they could or should be. While they do work to some extent, you may not see the result that you are hoping for.

Chemical or synthetic pesticides tend to be nondiscriminatory. They will kill all of the bugs in your garden, even the ones that you want there. They are also more likely to leach into your ground water or be toxic to your pets and children. If you try every other thing and still have pests, try a pesticide such as Sevin Dust. Use it in moderation and follow all of the warning labels.

The newest organic pesticides seem to be the healthiest alternative for pest control that is available now. While these pesticides are less toxic, that does not mean that they are all completely nontoxic. Use basic precautions such as reading labels, correct disposal, and wearing gloves to treat your garden. There are many types of organic pesticides available today. Here are the top three and some information on how they work.

BT (Bacillus thuringiensis) - This pesticide is a bacteria based pesticide. There are more than 80 different types of pesticides on the market that use BT. It is usually available in a powdered form and should be dusted on your plants. It is then eaten by the insects and poisons them. It releases a toxin in their stomachs which causes them to be unable to eat. This causes them to starve to death. This one is great because it will not effect people, birds, bees or pets. However, it is slow acting and can be washed away in the rain.

Insecticidal Soap - This pesticide is made up of sodium or potassium salts mixed with fatty acids. It is only effective when it is sprayed directly onto bugs. It works by causing the cells of the insect to collapse. It is nontoxic to animals and humans and is one of the safest pesticides out there.

Diatomaceous Earth - This is my favorite pesticide by far. It is a nontoxic pesticide made up of the fossilized remains of diatoms, or hard shelled algae, and is only harmful to insects' exoskeletons. The powder clings to an insect, cuts their shells and causes them to dry out and die. Usually effective within 48 hours.

Whatever pesticide you choose to use, commercial or homemade, make sure that you take precautions to protect yourself as you treat your garden.

Sources:

Personal Experience

Home vegetable Garden Pest Control pods.dasnr.okstate.edu/docushare/dsweb/Get/Document-1317/F-7313web.pdf

http://www.acehardware.com/home/index.jsp