Posts Tagged ‘Organic Pest Control’

What Kinds of Natural Insecticide Are On The Market?

Thursday, February 18th, 2010

There are many natural insecticides that you can stir up in your own home. You can get their ingredients without much trouble. There are other natural insecticides whose ingredients are harder to come by. These are sold to those who wish to buy them.

One natural insecticide sold that is very popular for many uses is Diatomaceous Earth. This is a fine, dry dust that kills household insects by dehydrating them. It is composed of the skeletal remains of plankton. The active ingredient is actually salt water. It is safe, and is allowed by the EPA. Rotenone is a natural insecticide that comes from the roots of the derris plant. It is not only toxic to insects but also to fish. So, you will want to protect your fish. The vegetables are not harmed and are safe to eat.

Insects are killed when they come in contact with this natural insecticide. If not, they will die when it reaches their stomachs and poisons them. It takes it awhile to work, but then it needs to be applied weekly to get the best effect.

Nicotine is sold as a natural insecticide. It is used on plants nearing the end of their growing cycle. It is harmful to mammals, so care should be taken when applying it. Pyrethrum is sold as a natural insecticide which paralyzes insects. The only trouble is, the paralysis often wears off and the insects come back. For this reason, it is more often sold in combination with a poison like synergist. This finishes the job the pyrethrum started.

Sabadillia, another natural insecticide on the market, comes from the seeds of a lily-like plant. The natural insecticide effect is from stomach poison. It isn’t extremely dangerous to mammals, although it can cause respiratory problems and eye irritation. It is safe to use it on plants just before they are harvested.

The natural insecticide that is sold the most in the world is a bacterium known as bt, or Bacillus thuringiensis. Bt is widely used and has a good record of eliminating insect infestations in crops around the world.

Many commercial versions of neem tree derivatives are sold as a natural insecticide. The neem tree was originally found in India and Pakistan. Now, people have planted it around the world for its natural insecticide qualities.

Over one hundred different insects fall prey to the neem preparations. They kill by inhibiting metamorphosis, reproduction, and digestion. They also repel insects. There is a good market for neem products in greenhouses and for ornamental plants. Natural insecticide sprays are sold in many varieties. Citrus sprays are popular. Sprays made of lemon peel solutions are sold by some manufacturers. Others use orange peel. There are also sprays based on peppers and other plants.

If you want to purchase a natural insecticide, there are many to choose from. Prices are usually not prohibitive and availability is good. You can control pests and keep from destroying beneficial insects. This is an advantage of using natural insecticide.

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How to Prepare Natural Insecticide

Wednesday, February 17th, 2010

If you want to get rid of pests in your garden or home, you can always get an insecticide at your local store. It may be a harsh chemical that you don’t want in your home, though. You might prefer to use natural insecticide. If you do, you can prepare your own.

If you get some boric acid powder, you can mix up all kinds of natural insecticide. For ants, you can put together a tablespoon of boric acid, a teaspoon of sugar, and some water. Put it on a cotton ball and set it out where ants go. Getting rid of ants will also decrease the possibility of having aphids.

For roaches, it’s simple. Just set out the powder where the roaches run. Boric acid can be mixed with a non-toxic version of anti-freeze called propylene glycol to kill termites. A natural insecticide can be made that is safe for use around children and pets just by using boric acid and household ingredients. You can mix the acid with water in a 10% solution for use on surfaces.

You can make a natural insecticide for use on small pests that you get on plants. You can make a garlic spray. Take a good amount of garlic and chop it up finely. Add paraffin oil and soak it for a full day.

Next, dissolve some soap in water and slowly add that. After you stir it up, strain it in cheese cloth. Only store it in a container that is made of glass. Your natural insecticide is ready to use.

For aphids, you can make a natural insecticide that is a stinging nettle spray. Just take some nettles and soak them in water for about three weeks. After this is finished fermenting, dilute it with water. It is ready to spray.

There are several methods for killing the Colorado potato beetle. You can make a natural insecticide tea by soaking cedar chips. Then make it into a spray to apply to leaves.

Another foliage spray used as a natural insecticide against this destructive pest is tansy spray. Dry out the tansy and grind it up. You can do this with a mortar and pestle if you have one. Then, mix it with water to make the spray.

For cutworms, you can make another natural insecticide spray by using pineapple weed and water mixed together as a natural insecticide. Or, you can use sagebrush extract with water. If you just want to immobilize them, you can mix molasses with bran and sawdust. Put this on plants in the evening.

Tomato horn worms destroy tomatoes and other crops. For a natural insecticide, you can lightly cover the area around the plants with cornmeal they will try to eat it. Their digestive systems can’t handle it and they will pop.

A spray can be made as a natural insecticide for many small soft-bodied bugs. You use a spoonful of canola oil and a few drops of liquid soap. This gets rid of mealy bugs, aphids, and mites.

There are many other kinds of natural insecticide that can be used to get rid of pests. You can’t concoct them all in your own kitchen, either. However, when you can, it makes using natural insecticide that much easier.

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