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Using Insecticides Part 2

© Bill Richardson

Welcome!

to the second part of this interesting topic in which we continue to assess some of the thoughts of gardening writers and their advice to us.

In our next article, we will be featuring home-made insecticide recipes. If you have a favourite of your own, I would love to hear from you.

The message is clear - don't kill off everything in the garden, as Mother Nature put everything there for a good reason. If we do so, we take the risk of disturbing the balance of things that so often is necessary for our own microclimate to exist and persist.

Take this good advice and even consider these thoughts below on the so-called "harmless" methods we use:

Jeffrey Hodges even suggests that these "so-called harmless methods" such as the ones suggested here, can do damage as well.

He states: "It is a problem, however, with the snail or grasshopper or whatever attacks a young seedling, as it invariably destroys the whole thing!

So what I try to do is to physically protect young plants from such attacks. This can be rather simply achieved by covering the most susceptible plants with flowerpots - or plastic cordial bottles cut in half - overnight for three or four weeks, until they are large enough to handle being nibbled a little.

Alternatively, spreading around fresh grass clippings, wood ash or sawdust can discourage snails and slugs for a week or two. And, of course, there is hand collecting."

Then, there is the issue of what we kill when we use pesticides.

The "New Gardener Plant Doctor" states that: " Knowing which insects and other creatures are on your side makes sense; these creatures will help you keep pest levels down without any effort on your part.

Some creatures are essential to the plant's productivity or ability to produce - pollinating insects such as honey bees, for example. Others are important in controlling pests; some larger creatures, such as bandicoots, birds, frogs, echidnas and lizards ( in Australia) eat pests that live close to or on the ground. Insect-eating birds also help to control garden pests at shrub and tree height.

The numerous beneficial insects include ladybirds and their larvae, hoverfly larvae, lacewings and their larvae and ground beetles. Even commonly found wasps and ants are of use as they prey on many insect pests. Spiders and centipedes too will help to keep pest levels down as they catch and consume insects that could damage plants."

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