Home » Plants & Animals » Bulbs & Plants » Using Insecticides Part 1

Using Insecticides Part 1

© Bill Richardson

Welcome!

Here I am back again to tempt you with some thought-provoking ideas that you may - or, for that matter may not - agree with. Many of us use chemicals, especially in the garden for various reasons.
These can be:

• A quick way of killing pests
• A sure way of getting rid of problem pests
• We do not have the time in our busy lives to look for other alternatives
• We do not consider that the alternatives are as good

Personally, I have stopped using sprays except in extreme situations where a quick fix is needed and then I consider only the relatively "safe" ones. So, have a read and in the meantime, if you have a "home made" or "safe" favourite recipe, or a sure way of eliminating bugs, then drop me a line and let me know.

Earwigo!

Using Insecticides. Part 1

As gardeners we discuss many methods of controlling pests and the "issues" about using chemicals and herbicides to protect our precious plants from insect attack. But the question of using dangerous chemicals is always a problem in our gardens. Our personal choice could be to not use chemicals at all. If a more natural method of control is possible, should we consider this? If we help nature will it reward us with beautiful flowers and healthier plants?

Some reasons to try organic and alternative methods could be that

• members of your family may be allergic to certain chemicals
• chemicals are generally not good for our health,
• or, for our pets
• there are good insects in the garden that are beneficial and it would be wise to protect them, not kill them.

Should we consider natural methods as a healthy alternative?

One of the guests I use on my Saturday morning "Gippsland Gardening" program on 3BBR FM, our local community radio station which broadcasts in Gippsland Victoria, is an American botanist who has lived here for many years. He runs a nursery called "The Botanic Ark" and grows many trees and plant species, which he has collected over time. Steve is big on philosophy and one day I suggested that he do a segment for me on "good and bad insects" with the emphasis being that we shouldn't use chemicals but rely on a more natural method of control, to keep the status quo.
I suggested a ten minutes slot to him for this segment.
He looked at me, frowning and said, "Oh Bill, I would need a longer time to do that. If you really want me to do that in such a short time I could just tell everyone about one of God's commandments."

The copyright of the article Using Insecticides Part 1 in Bulbs & Plants is owned by . Permission to republish Using Insecticides Part 1 in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.