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Natural Insecticides for a Vegetable Garden
Natural Insecticides for a Vegetable Garden. Vegetable gardening at home can be enjoyable, but it can also be challenging when it comes to dealing with pests. Effective natural insecticides, safe for the vegetable garden, come in a variety of forms including botanical extracts, powders and microorganisms.
Vegetable gardening at home can be enjoyable, but it can also be challenging when it comes to dealing with pests. Effective natural insecticides, safe for the vegetable garden, come in a variety of forms including botanical extracts, powders and microorganisms.
Botanical Extracts
Pyrethrum is a botanical insecticide extracted from a species of chrysanthemum native to Kenya and Ecuador. Pyrethrum works well against many soft-bodied insects. Rotenone is extracted from the roots of the derris tree of Asia and the cube tree of South America. Although rotenone is an effective garden insecticide, it is harmful to fish, and should be used with care.
Biological Controls
Biological control means using one organism to control another. Bacillus thuringiensis is a naturally occurring bacterium that causes diseases in insects. Releasing insect-attacking nematodes and predatory ladybeetles, spiders, and wasps into the garden are also ways of controlling insect pests biologically.
Powder Insecticide
Diatomaceous earth is an odorless, nontoxic, white powder made of fossilized shells of minuscule organisms. Although diatomaceous earth feels like fine flour to the human hand, it is sharp and abrasive to insects, and cuts through insects' protective wax coating, causing them to dehydrate and die.
