Some of the people who grapple with this issue are those who seek to do their part in keeping the natural world in balance. They believe that the earth is an ecological system in which every living entity has a part to play. They have a strict idea of what natural insecticide is.

They don’t have faith in a system where, as they believe, the balance is upset by one species. They believe that man’s emphasis on technological progress is damaging to the planet by its very nature. These people are extremely uncomfortable with biotechnology and its changing of natural insecticide.

Then, there are those who don’t agree that there is balance or harmony in nature. They see the world as a constantly changing system where new developments are always coming along. Advancements in natural insecticide are only one of them. Also, while the first group of people attributes good will to the “Mother Earth,” the second group sees no morality to earth, good or bad.

The people who see the world as ever-changing, the naturalists, are more likely to recognize the destructiveness of nature. They recognize that hurricanes, floods, and tornadoes, are devastating occurrences. Famine and disease can also be caused by nature.

For this reason, naturalists see the world as something to be explored and understood. They may enjoy a beautiful waterfall, but they feel no reverence for it. They believe that a human being has intelligence in order to do a part in advancing the health of the planet. Part of this is in further development of natural insecticide.

These naturalists, unlike those who believe in the Mother Nature idea, believe that biotechnology can produce products as natural as any other natural insecticide. They don’t see the difference in using biotechnology for agriculture and using laboratory science to make pharmaceuticals, for instance. They see biotechnology for natural insecticide as a good thing.

Naturalists are more likely to see the similarities between biotechnology and the cross-breeding of plants and animals that has been done for centuries. We have always used this method, if not this particular technique. Now it is being used with a natural insecticide.

At issue are bioengineered crops such as Bt corn. Bacillus thurengiensis is a natural insecticide that has been used for many years. Now, it is being put into the genetic structure of corn. This makes the corn resistant to insects.

However, many say that, now that the Bt is in the corn, it is no longer a natural insecticide. Those with a Gaia world view, that is those who believe in Mother Nature, are likely to believe this. The naturalists believe that Bt corn is a normal advancement.

Diatomaceous Earth is a natural insecticide made of the skeletal remains of plankton. What it does is to puncture the bodies of the insects. Then, it dehydrates them. When this natural insecticide has done its work, unwanted insects will dry up and practically blow away.

Rotenone is a natural insecticide, as well. It is made from the roots of the derris plant. It does its killing by poisoning the stomachs of insects. However, it is slow-acting and needs to be reapplied often for maximum effect.

Rotenone also seems to keep insects away from plants. It will keep the insects from growing and will stop them from eating if they are not adequately poisoned. Sabadillia also kills by stomach poison.

From Ecuador and Kenya comes a species of chrysanthemum that yields a natural insecticide called pyrethrum. This natural insecticide destroys insects by paralyzing them. It works instantly and it works on most types of insects.

The only problem is that the pyrethrum will often wear off. The insects will come around after awhile. They are not killed after all. For this reason, it is often combined with a poison that finishes the insects off.

Natural insecticides used in the termite control industry work in a different way. They cause the termite to lose their appetite. In fact, they can’t eat at all.

The natural insecticide will cause the termite to be disoriented due to damage to its nerve endings. (People and animals do not have these same nerve endings and so are safe.) Due to all these problems, the termite will eventually die.

A bacterium, Bacillus thurengiensis or Bt, is another natural insecticide that is popular these days. It is best used when the eggs of insects are just hatching. The young come out, eat the toxin, and are poisoned. They will stop eating and die of starvation.

Neem preparations get rid of insects in many ways. This natural insecticide repels the offending bugs by means of an active ingredient that mimics an insect hormone. It makes it hard, if not impossible, to digest food. It stops their cycle of reproduction. It works well on insects that chiefly eat leaves.

Some non-plant natural insecticides do their work by dehydration, as Diatomaceous Earth does. Chalk dries out insects on contact. Mineral oil either dries out or suffocates its victims.

A mixture of cow’s milk, flour and water can be used as a natural insecticide. It is very good at killing the eggs of the insects. It also destroys insects themselves, by suffocation.

Corn meal can be sprinkled around plants to kill insects. If a tomato hornworm happens to eat some, the cornmeal will swell up in the insect’s stomach. The insect will explode.