Natural Pest Control

Kill garden pests quickly with pyrethrins. Pyrethrin is the active, natural insecticide found in the dried, powdered heads of chrysanthemum flowers, known as pyrethrum. Perhaps the most effective organic insecticide available, pyrethrins are a mainstay for natural bug control. Pyrethrins are fantastic for quickly knocking down large pest infestations. This stuff kills everything, and I do mean everything—including beneficials such as bees and butterflies. When using pyrethrins as a pest control spray, do so sparingly and spot treat if you can.

Control pests with diatomaceous earth. DE is one of the best natural pest control products available. It's made from ground-up, fossilized remains of diatoms (microscopic ocean critters) and kills insects by inflicting little lacerations on their bodies when they crawl over or through it. The lacerations cause the pest to dry out and die, or desiccate. DE is a powder that can be used almost anywhere to kill almost anything (beetles, aphids, ants, caterpillars, centipedes, slugs, snails, etc.). Create a barrier around your house or garden with it, create perimeter rings around individual plants, scatter it over the ground and directly onto plants inside the garden, and use it for crack/crevice treatment in the home.

Kill insect pests with good ol' boric acid. Boric acid, made from the mineral borate, has long been an indispensable tool for all those do-it-yourself pest control folks. This stuff, commonly sold as Borax, is both a desiccant (like diatomaceous earth) and a slow-acting stomach poison. The slow acting part is important, especially when combating things like ants and bees, because when the pests walk through the stuff and it sticks to them or they ingest it, they have time to take it back to the nest to infect the rest of the colony.

Use insecticidal soaps for natural insect control. Insecticidal soaps are one of your best options for nontoxic pest control. These products are generally made with vegetable oils and kill insects by breaking down their waxy cuticles and dissolving cell membranes. When those membranes dissolve, cell contents leak out and the pest desiccates and dies. Pesticidal soaps work best for soft-bodied insects such as aphids, scales, caterpillars, flies, and grasshoppers. They generally have little effect on hard-shelled insect pests such as beetles.

Control pests naturally with horticultural oils. These substances kill insects by plugging their spiracles, which are the little holes in their bodies that they use for respiration. When picking a horticultural oil, pick one that is made with some sort of vegetable oil and not with petroleum. Horticultural oils are applied through spraying and are extremely safe pest control products. There are two different "weights" of horticultural oil: dormant oil, which is heavier, and is sprayed on plants in the fall after the leaves have dropped (to kill insects attempting to overwinter), and summer oil, which is lighter and safe to use when plants still have foliage.

Kill bugs with neem oil. This substance, derived from the seeds and fruits of the neem tree (Azadirachta indica), is a very effective and unique organic insect control product. It is unique in that it works to kill insect pests in a number of different ways. Not only does it work as an insecticidal soap and a horticultural oil (see above), it also works as an insect growth regulator and an antifeedant. Neem oil is effective against a wide variety of insect pests including, but not limited to, aphids, caterpillars, grubs, Japanese beetles, and mites.

Encourage the predators of your pests. In so doing, gardeners can procure a permanent and cost effective pest removal squad. In general, pests will never be eradicated by predators, but don't fret, as this is a good thing. If they were completely eradicated, you would lose your predators and the pests would be able to make an epic comeback.

• Encourage birds like wrens, chickadees, and robins. They eat numerous pests. Put up bird houses and nesting shelves.
• Encourage toads by putting up toad houses (yes, I'm serious) throughout the garden. Toads eat tons of slugs and bugs.
• Encourage spiders and predaceous ground beetles by allowing leaf litter and/or mulch to remain on the ground in your garden. This will provide them with hiding places.
• Encourage ladybugs and lacewings by putting out attractants like Wheast or Formula 57. These two insects love to eat aphids, scales, and other garden pests.
• Encourage hoverflies by planting things like wildflowers, dill, fennel, coriander, and Queen Anne's Lace.
• Encourage parasitoid wasps by planting ground cover like sweet clover, Alyssum, and yarrow. Parasitoid wasps lay their eggs in their hosts.

Introduce the predators of your pests. You can purchase critters like lady bugs, lacewings, aphid midges, aphidid wasps, stingless wasps, predatory mites, and more. Predators may need to be purchased several times a year. Keep a close eye on pest populations and repurchase as needed.

Control lawn pests with bacteria. The best known bacteria used for pest control is Bacillus popilliae (a.k.a. Milky Spore). It's great for controlling grubs and can stay active in the ground for ten to fifteen years. Bacillus thuringiensis is another well-known bacterial pesticide. There are many strains of Bt (Btk for caterpillars, Bti for mosquitoes, Bt san diego for potato and elm leaf beetles, and more). Check to see if there's a Bt for your pest.

Get rid of pests with beneficial nematodes. These are microscopic pesticidal worms that are perfectly safe for you, your family, and your pets. Nematodes enter a host's body, emit a bacteria that softens and liquefies their insides, and devour the goo. There are a variety of species that are used for many pests including mosquitoes, black flies, grubs, termites, yellow jackets, grasshoppers, crickets, and caterpillars. They're applied/distributed through spraying, mixing with mulch, or adding directly to soil.