Organic Insecticides | Organic Pesticides | EcoSMART Bug Spray

Natural Insecticides: How Green Can You Go?

Garden lovers of the world treat their little plots of land like gold, giving them all the love, water and devotion they need. But perhaps what a garden needs more than anything is protection – be it from scavenging animals, to destructive teenagers, to the even more disastrous pest.

To shield your babies (carrots, marigolds and basil leaves) from insect invasion, they need an insecticide, one that is safe for them and for the people in your home.

So how do you choose? How do you really know a natural insecticide is truly green?

For starters, the options are endless; so, your job of protector isn’t made any easier. Chemical-based insecticides line the shelves with promises of annihilating any bug that dares set wing near your garden. But before you divulge too deep into the pool of chemical insecticides, it pays to know what you’re up against.

Facts on the Enemy:

• There are 1 million identified insect species in the world
• 1,000 of that 1 million are pests

Seems safe, right?

• More than half of those 1,000 are already resistant to synthetic/chemical-based insecticides

Note: In recent years, increasing emphasis has been placed on reducing the number of synthetic insecticides, which pose a number of other problems, including killing beneficial bugs and adversely affecting human health and the environment.

Whether they are natural or synthetic, most insecticides work against the nervous system of the pest. Once in contact with these substances, the insect is subject to spasms and death caused by abnormal neuron synapses. Unfortunately, these pests can undergo mutation and therefore build up a tolerance for these insecticides.

Natural insecticides seem to be more beneficial. For one, they degrade at a faster rate than chemical-based insecticides; so, they possess the ability for prolonged protection.

They are also less of a risk to mammals. Still, some say that as they begin to break down in the environment, they become toxic chemicals that can last for years and contaminate various animal species.

The Environmental Protection Agency thoroughly investigates pesticides before they are granted access to a spot on the shelf in order to determine if they are a risk to the environment and humans.

It has become commonplace in the world of insecticides that synthetic brands are extremely harmful to both humans and the environment. Some still believe that their natural cousins aren’t doing a good enough job.

Out of these conclusions came a more comprehensive approach to insect control: integrated pest management (IPM). Those who support IPM label it as the most efficient and environmentally-friendly way to manage insects.

Mark Puglisi is the general manager of Greenleaf Organic Pest Management Inc., based in Los Angeles. He and his pest-control experts have been working with IPM for 15 years.

“IPM has been around for many years and is the responsible way to operate,” he says. “IPM incorporates sanitation, mechanical control, inspection and other non-chemical means to control pests.”

How A Typical IPM Program Works:

1. Decides whether anything should be done at all
2. Insects are then identified
3. The program localizes chemicals that will disrupt mating patterns, such as pheromones
4. When all else fails, the last resort is use of insecticides (but only natural ones, of course)

Studies have shown that when used properly, natural insecticides can be as effective as synthetic pesticides at ridding both agricultural and household settings of infestation.

Organic pesticides, like EcoSMART, employ essential oils from plants such as chrysanthemum, garlic, sweet flag and clove. The bugs are taken care of and the humans remain healthy. Plus, there’s no harmful residue; so, you can rest easy with no worries of residual effects on the environment.

But how can anyone know how “green” their insecticide is?

Contact the Integrated Pest Management Institute of North America, which awards its Green Shield Certification (GSC) to services that use non-chemical approaches to pest control. GSC provides a dependable set of tests and standards.

According to Puglisi, “organic products have been around for a long time, but really did not work well in the beginning. New technology has changed that, and with proper training, IPM and listening more, we as an industry will continue to be truly the protectors of health with the services we provide.”

Alyse Popp