Natural Garden Pest Control

Living green and pesticides are in complete opposition because pesticides are an environmental and health hazard. Green living's priority is healthy, sustainable practices that enhance the quality of our soils, plants, water supply and, through these, the lives of every one on the planet.

Unfortunately, farmers use chemicals to kill bugs and bacteria that harm their crops. While it is understandable that they should want to protect their crops and maximize production, it should not be at the expense of our health or our water supply.  Other organic means need to be sought.

The good news is there are sustainable practices that we can use to keep slugs and bugs off our organic garden fruits and vegetables. Natural garden pest control is a viable alternative.

Make Your Own Natural Pesticides

Mixture for combatting caterpillars, aphids, and several types of worms

Mix together a gallon of water and a cup of tobacco.           Allow the mixture to set for a day, until it resembles weak tea.  Spray on your garden vegetables.                                       

Important: steer clear of your peppers, tomatoes, eggplants, or any other member of the solanaceous family because the tobacco spray can kill them.

* To combat slugs and a number of other insects, mix together one minced garlic bulb, one minced onion, one quart of water, a tablespoon of cayenne pepper and a tablespoon of dish soap.  Spray veggies to protect against bugs. 

Measures for combatting Slugs and Snails

Slugs and snails can destroy a garden faster than you can say slime.  However, there are a number of measures to get rid of them.  A pan of beer, copper wire, salt, egg shells, hair, and sharp rocks or shingles all deter or destroy slugs and snails without the use of chemicals.

Measures for combatting Carnivorous bugs 

Ladybugs are wonderful for your garden.  They eat aphids, scales, and mites.

Plants that act as Natural Pest Controllers

Many plants work quite well to repel bugs from your garden.
 

• Marigolds repel nematodes, Mexican bean beetles,  squash bug, thrips, tomato hornworms, and whitefly
• Geraniums repel cabbage worms and leaf hoppers 
• Mint repels ants and aphids, and the cucumber beetle. 
• Sage repels cabbage worm and black flea beetle

What do pesticides do?

Pesticides (and there are well over 9,000 different so-called 'acceptable' pesticides approved by the FDA) have a number of health implications. 

* Pesticides can be carcinogenic
* Pesticides can cause infertility
* Pesticides can cause neurological complications
* Pesticides can cause birth defects

And a whole lot more. Scientists are only now beginning to understand the implications of the high levels of contamination that are occuring as well as how these pesticides are affecting our health, the health of our children and our planet.  

 As socially responsible individuals, we need to stop using all forms of insecticides, pesticides and herbicides and replace them with natural, organic options. Garden organically, buy organic foodstuff and actively resist investing in any product that is harmful to the environment and the people and creatures who live in it.

 Incidentally, should you purchase a product from one of the links on my website, I will be paid a commission for advertising the product on my page :)