Pest Control Products

Pest control products are a significant problem in gardens. When we mix pesticides with our garden, we are walking a fine line between poisoning ourselves.

This section will discuss methods to reduce, impede, or inhibit insects from devouring your plants and vegetables.

I recommend organic pest control and hope you will contribute/blog your success or not successful pest control methods. Together we will find workable solutions to many of our pest issues.

This section will offer companion planting alternatives, various organic insecticides, and crop rotation as the critical elements in combating those pesky insects.

For homemade fire ant killer

Add 2 ounces of orange oil per gallon of Garrett Juice.
The ready-to-use solution should not have more than 2 ounces of orange oil per gallon of spray.

We now know why the mix works so well, not only on the foliage but also in the soil. The ingredients are a well-balanced blend of nutrients and food for both beneficial fungi and bacteria.

Hot Pepper Spray

Boil the peppers.
Combine eight to 10 whole hot peppers with 3 cups of water in a pot, and bring to a boil.

Stir frequently, checking the mixture to make sure it does not boil over. Continue to boil the peppers until they become soft enough to fall apart as you stir the mixture.

Blend the pepper mixture. Transfer the peppers and all the water into a blender or food processor. Blend thoroughly until the mixture is smooth. Exercise caution and use the appliance lid during this process to avoid any injury or splashing.

Strain the mixture: place cheesecloth or a coffee filter over a one-quart container. Slowly pour the pepper mixture onto the cloth or filter, allowing it to separate the pepper particles and seeds from the liquid. Discard the pulp and reserve the juice.

Fill the remainder of the container with water. Spray the mixture liberally on your plants.

Apply the mixture to your plants every one to two weeks during the coolest part of the day to avoid burning the plants. Re-apply the mixture after rainfall.

Citrus oils: The oils from the skins of citrus fruits kill a broad range of insects on contact. The oils continue to repel pests such as fleas, ants, and silverfish for weeks and are safe around people and pets. The active ingredient — the chemical that does the damage — is d-Limonene; look for it on the label.

Other plant extracts: Many herbs, spices, and plants — including tansy, nasturtium, garlic, onion, marigolds, rue, mint, rosemary, sage, and geranium — contain chemicals that repel or kill insects. Garlic is one of the best-known and most-effective extracts against thrips and other leaf-eating insects: The pungent odor disguises the host plant’s true identity, so pests are not attracted.

Monterey Sluggo Plus

OMRI listed to kill Earwigs, Cutworms, Sowbugs, Pillbugs, Slugs, and Snails. I know in my gardening past, those pesky Pillbugs ruined many a strawberry in my garden. Snails and Slugs are always plaguing my crops.

Use on Vegetables, Fruit Trees, Citrus, Berries, Ornamentals, Shrubs, Flowers, Trees, Lawns, Gardens, Non-commercial Greenhouses

Sluggo contains two active ingredients, Spinosad, derived from a naturally occurring soil-dwelling bacterium, and iron phosphate, which occurs naturally in soil. The combination of these two active ingredients gives you the ability to control a variety of garden pests. Once applied, Sluggo Plus will last up to 4 weeks.