Garden Pests and Insects

Intelligent application of insect pest control methods is more likely if you know the damage typical of the particular pest and what the particular pest looks like and how it behaves in each stage of its life cycle.

Whilst we will not discuss the actual removal or control methods here, we always recommend using a natural, organic solution rather than chemicals, wherever possible.

When you do use insecticides take care to study the label and follow the precautionary advice. This will help you to avoid disappointing results and so safeguard your own health from dangers that arise in using particular materials.

Appreciate also that although direct attack on pests with chemical sprays or dusts often yields the most satisfactory control, the infestation might have been avoided by earlier attention to other matters - the selection of plant varieties more suitable to the situation, crop sanitation, crop rotation, strategic planting in terms of time of the year, distance from known sources of infestation. and other preventive steps.

It would seem that science is confirming that pesticieds are not good for the soil too. In America, the National Academy of Sciences dropped a bombshell on the agri-toxics lobby in June when it published a study indicating that pesticides are actually decreasing crop yields by one-third. Specifically, pesticides are killing important bacteria in the soil that naturally produce a useable form of nitrogen for plants, a necessary fertilizer. As the use of chemical pesticides has increased in the U.S., soil bacteria have been dramatically reduced, thereby creating an insatiable demand for petroleum-based fertilizers. In contrast, organic farming promotes a healthy living soil with increased crop yields (- organicconsumers.org).

Garden Pests and Insects

Gardening

Forum

Plants

Gardens

Home Improvement

Landscaping

Environment

Shopping

Farming