Pests & Repellants

Ultrasonic Pest Control
About Organic Pesticides
Mosquito Repellant Details
Squirrel Repellant Guide
Types of Rodents

Preventing Indoor Pests

Home Pest Control
Dust Mite Allergy
About Termite Identification
Bed Bug Infestation
Spider Control Guide
House Centipede Control

Garden Pests Information

Garden Pest Control
Features of Earwigs
Aphid Natural Remedies
Grasshopper Control Types
Slugs and Snails

About Dangerous Pests

Types of Scorpions
Bee Control Methods
Flea Control Guide
Facts on Roaches

Free Newsletter

Stay updated, sign up for our free newsletter to receive useful tips


Full Name
Email Id

sign up

Suggest an article

Haven't found the article your looking for, please suggest your article. We value all your suggestions and comments.

Is Organic Pest Control effective?

When faced with a pest problem, pesticides may be the only way to eliminate the problem completely. While they can be dangerous, there are ones that are safer to use and one of the safer options available is organic pesticides.

What Are Organic and Inorganic Pesticides?

Organic pesticides are pesticides that are made from natural sources. You can buy both organic garden pest control pesticides and organic indoor pesticides but the outdoor ones are generally the safest to use. An organic pesticide contains carbon and they are usually man made, although they can develop naturally.

Inorganic pesticides are not made from carbon but they do contain elements or natural compounds. These include:
  • Mercury
  • Copper
  • Zinc
  • Borate
  • Arsenic
Some inorganic pesticides are more widely used than organic ones because of their low risk to humans. These include ones that contain borate as it is low risk to us and very toxic to insects. Other popular inorganic pesticides include ones containing silica aerogel or diatomaceous earth. These generally damage or absorb oils from the cuticle of an insect which leads to water loss and death.

Although inorganic pesticides are somewhat low-risk to humans, people with respiratory problems should be extra careful when using the products. All pesticides whether organic or inorganic, can seriously damage the environment no matter how safe they are to humans.

Are Organic Pesticides Toxic?

Although the organic pesticide market is continuing to grow, many people don't realize is that, though the organic products are 'natural', they can still be toxic. All pesticides are made up of chemicals and organic ones are made up of natural chemicals such as copper. Copper can be extremely damaging for the environment though many companies do not advertise that fact and so people think they are buying something that is completely safe.

Some of the most toxic organic pesticides are the ones containing Nicotine sulphate. Absorbed through the skin, these pesticides are highly toxic to humans and the environment and they are created by extracting the insecticide from tobacco through steam distillation or solvent extraction. It is one of the most toxic botanical insecticides available to home gardeners.

So if you have pets, for example pet fish in a pond, it is always worth checking that your safe for humans pesticide is also safe for your pets.

Why Should I Choose Organic Pesticides and Are They Effective?

Although it isn't completely safe, organic pesticides can be a lot safer than ordinary chemical pesticides. Organic outdoor pest control is readily available and used by hundreds of people each year. There is a wide variety there and they are all targeted at specific problems. For example, some organic pest controls target insects, while others target fungus that eat away plants. Always make sure you know which one you need.

While organic pest control does seem to be less harmful to humans, they still work wonders in eliminating pests. Each type of control is different, as all insects need different things to kills them. Some organic garden pest control products contain citrus oils which are good at killing flying pests, while others use things such as silica aerogel which absorbs all the moisture from insects and die.

If you aren't looking to kill your pests and you only want to repel them, some products contain things such as garlic or essential oils that keep the insects.

Organic Control Methods, Products and Their Benefits

As mentioned earlier, there are a variety of methods and products available for specific pest control. There are products and methods available for the following problems:
  • Flying Insects
  • Ants
  • Fungus
  • Slugs and Snails
Flying insects are one of the most common pests that cause problems for gardeners while fungus is another problem faced by many people. There are other pests that also cause problems including cockroaches and earwigs. No matter which pest you have there is always an organic pesticide to help you.

Rotenone Organic Pesticide

This pesticide is ideal for killing creatures such as aphids, white fly and mites. It can be used on vegetables, trees, fruit and berries and it can also be used to kill fire ants. This is quite powerful and is created from the derris root which is used in countries in the East as a natural pesticide. It is biodegradable and if you harvest the great thing is it can be used right until the day before harvesting starts.

Diatomaceous Earth Insect Killer

This is by far one of the most powerful pest controllers on the market. It is also one of the most inhumane ones too. This is mainly used for pests such as:
  • Millipedes
  • Earwigs
  • Slugs
  • Ants
  • Cockroaches
It works by cutting into the creatures' exoskeleton and damaging it, causing the creatures to lose moisture and die. It takes roughly 48 hours for this to happen meaning that the pests die slowly due to dehydration.

The good news however is that it can be used safely both indoors and outdoors as required. It is a powder and it should just be placed where the pests crawl around and hide. This insecticide works mechanically so the pests cannot become resilient to it.

Beer Traps

Beer traps are ideal methods of killing snails and slugs. These animals can be frustrating pests to deal with as they eat away at our plants. All you need to do is fill a little cup, usually a plastic one, fill it halfway with beer and place it in the garden somewhere near the plants where the cup won't over tip. This is an extremely effective way of getting rid of snails and slugs and you should find that it kills 3-4 a night, depending on how bad the problem is.

Neem Insecticidal Spray

If you want something a little more humane and you would rather repel the pests rather than kill them.. Neem Insecticidal Spray may be the right choice for you. Neem is an Indian plant that is commonly used in organic pesticides and in this particular one it is combined with soapy water. It is extremely powerful yet safe and it can be used both indoors and outdoors. It repels most common pests and it can be used on houseplants, herbs, vegetables and flowers.

Garlic Guard

This us another popular repeller used to fight different pests including:
  • Caterpillars
  • Aphids
  • Spiders
  • Squirrels
  • Rabbits
It can be used on fruit, flowers, vegetables and grass. The plants absorb it and every part of them is protected, even the roots.

organic pesticide methods can also be made at home, especially things such as soapy water. You can find many recipes on the internet that tell you how to make certain organic pesticides though you should always be careful.

Are Any Organic Pesticides Prohibited?

Rotenone is prohibited under the Californian Organic Foods Act after they carried out tests on rodents, using the product. Many people argue that the tests weren't related to humans and humans would not contact rotenone in the same way as the rodents did. However, there have been links to show that the product could lead to Parkinson's disease.

Most pesticides are only prohibited on the use of farmland or on areas where produce is grown and sold to the public. Private pest control should not cause too much of a problem though it is worth checking with your local information center, as to which pesticides are safe to use and which aren't.

Organic garden pest control is a lot safer if you don't use pesticides whether they are organic or not. Both types have the ability to be extremely dangerous and you should always follow the instructions carefully to ensure your own safety.

Related Articles
Keep pests at bay with an ultrasonic pest repeller
Effective Natural Mosquito Repellents
Squirrel trouble! How to keep them away?
The Cause of destruction in your kitchen: Rodents

Bookmark Page Email to your friend Add page to del.icio.us
Home  |    |    |    |  Disclaimer  |  Privacy Policy  |  Contact Us
© Copyright 2008 pestwall.com All rights reserved. Read legal policy / privacy policy.