Insecticides
An Insecticide is any substance, either
organic, inorganic, botanical, or microbial, that is used to destroy insects.
Dichloro-diphenyl-trichlorethane (DDT) is a well-known insecticide widely
used after WWII and now outlawed in the United States and most of the
industrialized world. Gardening without routine use of insecticides has
been practiced for centuries. This approach is well suited for small gardens
since it requires more labor.
Strategies
Select naturally tolerant crops such as leaf lettuce, carrots, peas, beans,
spinach and tomatoes. Avoid less tolerant crops such as cucumbers, melons,
squash, cabbage, broccoli, and head or bib lettuce.
Avoid newly broken sod sites because white grubs, wireworms, and cutworms
are associated with sodded areas.
Rotate crops either within a plot or to new plot location. This especially
helps with corn pests.
Use vegetable transplants instead of seeds because transplants are hardier.
Then fertilize, cultivate and water the garden plot to keep plants healthy.
Tips
Identify the pest and learn about its life cycle, habits, preferred food,
and number of generations produced per season.
Temperature, humidity, rainfall, and natural enemies all influence insect
populations.
Check for pest insects on the undersides of leaves.
If there are only a few insects, tolerate them. Otherwise, consider the
following control techniques:
- a strong blast from a garden hose
- copper strips than encircle plants and give slugs a shock
- rolled newspaper of toilet tissue rolls to collect slugs
- screens
- insect traps that lure pests
- companionate planting
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