Pest Control without Risks
August 2004
 
True or false: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will not approve pesticides that can harm humans or the environment. Answer: False.

The EPA allows pesticides to be registered as long as there is no “unreasonable risk to man or the environment”—the operative word being “unreasonable”. Conventional, EPA-approved pesticides can still pollute our air and water, harm wildlife (including endangered species), increase the risk for serious health problems in humans, and lead to pesticide-resistant pests.

There are, however, many effective, inexpensive, and environmentally friendly pest control options for the home gardener. The easiest and most straightforward is to prevent pests from getting into your garden in the first place. Choose plants (such as catnip and marigolds) that repel certain pests, or others (such as sweet alyssum and dill) that attract pest-eating insects. Ask your neighborhood garden shop which plants work best against the local pest population. And, since pests and disease thrive in decayed plant matter, it also helps to keep your garden tidy.

If your garden is already infested, turn to one of the many natural pest control items already on the market:

• Sprays containing pungent substances (garlic, pepper), oils (neem oil, citrus oil), or soaps that repel insects and can be applied directly to plants or soil.
• Beneficial creatures such as miniwasps, nematodes, and ladybugs that attack pests. Or, build a bat box or birdhouse to attract another type of pest-eater.
• Pathogens including certain fungi, bacteria, and viruses that infect specific pests.
• Pheromones (natural or synthetic) that draw various insect species into traps or disrupt their mating cycles.
• Noise generators that irritate pests and keep them away.

You can also try homemade pest control:

• Drench plants with strong sprays of water from your hose.
• Pick pests directly off plants by hand.
• Make your own non-toxic pesticides, such as a spray bottle filled with a mix of liquid soap, hot pepper sauce, garlic, and water. A dish of beer will attract snails and slugs.

As with conventional pesticides, natural pest control products have the potential to harm beneficial insects as well as pests, so use them only as needed.