Every year we have insect incursions into our home and
garden. While there are various natural remedies, none seem to be quite as effective as the harsh and toxic chemicals available on the commercial market. I'm not a fan of these, but sometimes, nothing else will do.
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| Tomato Hornworm |
We use a variety of methods to attempt to moderate their damage, which includes having a contract with our local exterminator to spray around the outside of our house to keep as many of the pests from getting in as possible. However, this system isn't perfect, and does nothing for our
food plants. As with many things, a defense in depth is important.
Indoors
To help keep insects from gaining entrance to our home, I use
a light layer of diatomaceous earth (DE) on the thresholds of exterior doors.
To deal with any bugs who managed to get in anyway, I sprinkle some on rugs prior to
vacuuming. In case of a more major infestation, placing a dusting of DE in
corners and along baseboards, then leaving it for at least several hours or up
to a day before vacuuming, can help significantly.
Diatomaceous earth is the fossilized remains of single-cell
algae called diatoms. Present in most soil and many bodies of water, these
tiny creatures had cell walls or shells made of silica that's similar to
glass. When crushed, the resulting powder has sharp edges capable of cutting through
the exoskeleton of insects, sometimes even removing it entirely. It can also
absorb fat and oil from the exoskeleton, causing the bug to dry out. Basically, DE can kill a wide variety of insects as long as
they have an open circulatory system and an exoskeleton, although some pests (such as
caterpillars and cabbage worms) have a coating of mucus or slime on their
bodies which renders DE ineffective.
If you are considering this option, make sure to purchase food grade DE. By FDA regulation, it must contain less than 1% crystalline silica, which makes it safer for humans and the best option for pest control around the home.
There's also feed-grade DE, which is held to lower standards, as it's intended for
use in animal feed.
A commercially available, more natural option we
purchased recently is Vet's Best Flea & Tick Spray for Cats. Made from a
relatively low concentration of peppermint and clove extracts, it's supposed to
be both safe and effective. It's also highly regarded and seems to work well.
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| Vet's Best |
- Cats don’t have a necessary liver enzyme, so most mint oils are particularly dangerous to them. Read and follow the directions carefully.
- Allow any products used to dry completely before allowing pets back into the area.
- Do not spray any of these solutions directly on the animal.
Outdoors
A common folk remedy for dealing with pests on plants is to
spray them with soap and water. However, several sources noted this can harm
the plant directly, and also make the leaves more susceptible to sun damage by
removing the waxy outer surface.
A safer, but less effective option is cayenne pepper, either dusted around the base of the plant or mixed with water and used as a
spray. This reportedly makes the plant less palatable to many pests, both
insect and rodent. As I mentioned in a previous post, mint extract can be used
for a similar purpose. Note: there is some evidence that cayenne pepper can be
harmful to bees, and some types of plants react poorly to the spray. Test it on a single
leaf before applying more.
A less natural option is
called Permethrin, a chemical insecticide used for pest removal on
everything from farms to aircraft. However, we will not be trying this remedy. Even though Permethrin is noted as being
safe for cattle, birds, dogs, etc, it's extremely
toxic to cats. While our cats are indoor only, we don't want to chance tracking
it inside and putting them at risk.
Many people use citronella candles or diffusers to keep bugs
away outdoors. Again, be careful with this extract, as citronella oil is also not
safe for use around cats; whether inhaled, ingested or applied topically, citronella
oil can cause a variety of health issues to our feline friends. There's also debate on whether commercial citronella candles
or oil have a high enough concentration to repel mosquitos.
Some additional options for natural outdoor pest repellents
include cinnamon oil, clove oil, and other pungent herbs or their extracts.
Planting marigolds around the periphery of an area can also help reduce invading insect
populations.
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| Marigolds |
This is in no way an exhaustive list of pest preventatives
or remedies, but hopefully it will be of some benefit to our readers.
Good luck... and I hope you can stop scratching.
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