What Is Natural Insecticide?

Organic gardening appeals to some people because it sounds important. It makes
gardening sound exotic, like it's on some higher level. Organic gardening is
accomplished by avoiding the use of laboratory-made fertilizers, growth
substances, antibiotics, or pesticides.

This means using nature's tools to grow your plants, fruits, and vegetables.
It's a way of being kinder to the earth. Using natural insecticides is a part
of that process and has grown in popularity. If done properly, it costs less.

You can use nature to your advantage if you understand and take the time to
make it work for you. If you learn to grown or produce your own insecticides,
you're also aiding the eco-system by not putting man-made lethal concoctions
into the dirt and air. You can help reduce the negative effect on the ozone
layer by doing your part to help nature.

Botanical is of plants. Plants are natural. So, botanical insecticides are
naturally created from plants and plant parts. One such insecticide is
sabadilla. It's gotten from the seeds of a plant similar to a lily and used in
dust or spray form before harvest. It poisons insects when it touches them or
gets inside their bodies.

Natural insecticides must still be used with caution. They're not without side
effects or problems. You must learn how to use them properly so that they're a
benefit and not a hindrance. Washing your fruits and vegetables is still
recommended before eating them or using them in cooking if you use natural
insecticides.

A misconception about insecticides of any kind can be that if you use a
stronger concentration and/or more of it, the benefits will come quicker and
will last longer. But this is an unhealthy attitude in many cases. If a
technique or product isn't working, make a change only by being aware of the
effects. What you need may simply be a different product or an extra helper to
go along with it.

Questions you need to ask about natural insecticides besides 'what are they'
are:

 1. Do they react to any other substances in a negative way? 
 2. What are the side-effects? 
 3. What harm can they do to me or my children? 
 4. What harm can they do to my pets or other plants? 
 5. What are the side effects if any is ingested accidentally? 
 6. What is the most effective form of use (dust, spray, etc.)? 
 7. How often should it be applied? 
 8. What does it cost? 
 9. Where do I get it? 
10. How do I store any leftovers and for how long? 
11. Can I make this insecticide safely myself?

Some of the natural insecticides that are well-known are pyrethrum, nicotine,
sabadilla, rotenone, and soap. Cornmeal and some hot peppers can also be
effective against insect pests.

It's still best to try to catch any gardening or crop pests in the early stages
than to load up on insecticide of any kind. The best control can be awareness
and early removal.

Why Use Natural Insecticide?

Some say that a natural insecticide cannot, by its nature, be as effective as a
synthetic one. Chemical insecticides are used often by large farms. It may seem
that the time for the use of natural insecticide is past, yet they are still in
use. So, why use a natural insecticide?

First, there is an abundance of plants that can be used for their natural
insecticide properties. Over 1500 are presently being used for control of
pests. This provides a variety of methods to get rid of unwanted insects. There
are many factors that will determine which kind of natural insecticide you will
use. Some are more inexpensive. Some are more easily obtained than others. Some
are safer to humans and pets. If you decide to use a natural insecticide, you
will have many choices.

Most types of natural insecticide are biodegradable. This means that when the
substance has served its purpose, it doesn't stick around to cause damage to
the environment. It is washed away with the rain. It degrades and becomes a
part of the soil with no harmful residue. A natural insecticide is often used
when there is concern about a synthetic insecticide that is sold commercially.
A synthetic insecticide can contain poisons and toxins that are not found in a
natural insecticide. These can be harmful to living things other than the
insects they were intended for.

Synthetic chemical insecticides often contain ingredients that kill beneficial
insects. These insects may be bees that pollinate fruits and vegetables. They
may be ladybugs or butterflies, which are also helpful to have in a garden. A
natural insecticide will probably leave beneficial insects safe. One downside
of using a natural insecticide is cost. Many that are sold in garden centers
are more expensive than their synthetic counterparts. If you can, you may be
willing to pay the extra cost. Yet, if you can't afford a natural insecticide
that is sold in a store, you have the option of making your own.

The use of synthetic chemical insecticides has long been associated with a
variety of chronic health conditions. The advantage of using a natural
insecticide is that these conditions rarely occur with their use. When you use
a natural insecticide, you can be sure that your produce will be safe to eat.
All you need to do is to make sure that you follow instructions. Find out how
long to wait after application of the natural insecticide to harvest.

One advantage of a natural insecticide is that they don't use fossil fuels.
Many of the chemical varieties do. Also, if you use a natural insecticide that
is locally available, you will save on transportation costs. There are
countless recipes for people to use to make natural insecticide on their own.
You can look on the internet, or in your local library or bookstore for the
recipes. These allow you to make inexpensive yet effective natural insecticide
for your own use.

If you're looking for a reason to use a natural insecticide, you will find
several. Safety of plants and animals, environmental protection, and ease of
use are only a few. A natural insecticide is truly a viable alternative to
chemicals.

Benefits of Natural Insecticides

Many insect fighting chemicals on the market are the same basic ingredients
with just enough variation to allow a different brand name. It's similar to
buying ibuprofen. You can buy many different versions and strengths of it, but
it all boils down to the same basic ingredient. Watered down versions can cause
a problem as well as a waste of money.

People are usually either for or against the use of natural insecticides.
Whether or not your particular choice is a benefit depends on the
circumstances. How advanced is the insect infestation? What are you allergic
to? What will harm your plants? What will be safe to use around your pets or
livestock? What is available and accessible to you and how fast can you get it
when you need it? Do you need to use more than one method of control and
removal? What is cost effective?

To get the most benefit from natural insecticides, you'll need to understand
the best way to use them. You should know what works best for the type of
insect you're trying to control or eradicate. Be careful what you mix. Even
natural insecticides can interact badly with the wrong combination of
substances.

One of the biggest benefits of a natural insecticide is that it comes from
nature in some form. You'll be using something made from the earth. That
doesn't mean it's problem-free. It just means you're benefiting the environment
and actively participating in the recycling efforts.

An example is liquid garlic. Garlic is a natural plant that is grown around the
world. It can be used to keep insects off garden or farm plants.

Another example is boric acid. Boric acid is defined as a white crystalline
weak acid that contains boron. Boron is a mineral substance, and minerals are
of the earth.

If you use things made with what the earth provides, you benefit and so does
the earth and other humans and life-forms. Using natural insecticide is a
choice. It's not always the quickest way to solve your insect problem. It's not
always less harmful. That's why education on your choices will be a big benefit!

Our beloved earth suffers a lot of abuse, often by well-meaning inhabitants. As
the earth suffers, so does its creatures and plant life. If you take away, you
should give back in a positive way. Using natural insecticides is one way to
participate in a positive way.

Natural insecticides have increased in sales over the past few years and so
have the vegetables and fruits made insect-free because of their use. When the
mosquitoes scared us with the West Nile Virus, the citronella plant and its
derivatives and products made with citronella increased dramatically in sales.
Natural insecticides have always been around, but people had to wise up about
their use and effectiveness. Some people just don't have the patience to use
them or don't want to take the time to learn. Just like anything else, you
don't know if you will like them until you try them.

Wise Use of Natural Insecticides

The word natural sounds safe and welcoming. It indicates that something is safe
because it comes from nature. People trust nature. But anything used in excess
can become a negative thing. Anything used in the wrong way or in the wrong
combination can become harmful. So it is with natural insecticides.

Wise use means using responsibly. Wise use means you know how the product can
be harmful so that you make no mistakes with it. Natural insecticides have
become more popular as the concern about the earth's safety and preservation
has become more popular. But natural insecticides can still be damaging to
pets, to plants, and to people if used improperly.

You have to know the proper application, how much to use at a time (more is not
always best), and what precautions to take while you are using the insecticide.
If you plan your garden wisely, there are plants that repel insects and good
insects that can safely dispose of the not so good ones.

Many people think wasps are bad. They can be if someone is allergic to them and
gets stung. They can be if a mischievous child irritates them just to see how
angry they can get. But wasps are also good for our environment. They are not
just insects that can harm; they are a positive force as biological control for
our agricultural crops. They help keep caterpillars under control. If you wonder
why this is helpful, ask the farmer or gardener whose crops are ruined by the
caterpillars. If the crops suffer, we suffer as prices rise because of the
damage that is done to reduce availability. Developing a pest management
program is wiser than over-use of pesticides, whether they are natural or not.
If you must use a pesticide because of the location of the wasps or because
they have become out-of-control around your home or property, at least wise up
about the best way to do so.

There are natural insecticides that are so toxic that we must cover our faces
to avoid ingestion while using them. One such product is the dust of
diatomaceous earth. Even though it is a form of calcium, and calcium is a
useful mineral, we must take care when applying it for insect control. The
minute particles are not good for our lungs. Any dust that is inhaled
excessively can be harmful.

Rotenone is a botanical insecticide extracted from the roots of certain plants
in Asia and South America. If you use this substance unwisely, you can damage
your fish and beneficial insects. It causes stomach poison in insects, acts
slowly, and loses effectiveness a week after being used on the plants. But if
you inhale unsafe amounts of this insecticide, you could be sick longer than a
week. Wise use of it can control aphids, some beetles, fleas, lice, and some
caterpillars. So, if you don't want to hurt your butterfly population, you may
want to choose another type of insect control.

Of course, some natural insecticides are more harmful than others. Just
remember to always wash your hands, cover your nose and mouth, avoid using them
on windy days, and be careful with them around small children and animals.

The Problem with Natural Insecticide

There's an unfortunate belief that anything natural must be good for you. Being
"good for you" is interpreted as being safe. So, one problem with natural
insecticide is that not enough precaution is taken around small children and
pets. Other insects that are helpful in the area can be harmed by the use of
insecticides, whether they are natural or not. Even if you only spray the
pests, the residue or fumes can cause harm. The consumption of the insects that
were pests can be bad for the ones that aren't.

People use more natural products with false security. There are many natural
products that can cause problems if they are used improperly, to excess, or
when mixed with other things.

Take medicines, for example. Herbal medicines are created from natural plant
sources. They can be dangerous and will do more harm than good if used
carelessly or without proper knowledge of the effects of the herb and the
correct dosages. So it is with natural insecticides. Just because it's called
'natural', many people mistakenly believe it's non-toxic. The problem is the
word 'natural', yet it must be used to describe and differentiate.

Take nicotine, for another example. It's a natural extract of the tobacco
plant. In pure form, it's highly toxic to mammals. Yet, it's used to control
insects near plant harvest time. The warm weather increases its effectiveness,
yet it quickly degrades. Nicotine with cigarettes is a well-known, proven cause
of lung disease. It's sold as a liquid concentrate for use against insect pests
on vegetables and fruit.

Still another problem with natural insecticides is that for many of them to be
effective, they must be sued more often than poisons. The best bet is to
combine insect control techniques so that insecticides of any kind are only
needed sparingly.

Just because an insecticide is safe for your plant doesn't mean it's safe for
you or your animals. Some people have used pepper derivatives to fight against
ants. If you've ever cleaned hot peppers with your bare fingers, then touched
your eyes without thinking, you know just how painful the pepper residue can
be. In strong concentrations, they can cause blisters to sensitive areas, cuts,
or in the eyes or mouth. It would cause a big problem if you forgot to wash your
hands and got the juice on your baby's bottle nipple or in their eyes.

Rain or automatic sprinklers can dilute the effectiveness of natural
insecticides. The problem lies in having to reapply them before you are ready.
If you don't have enough on hand, it will take longer for them to help you
control the insects.

Many problems can be eliminated simply by taking the time to understand exactly
what you're dealing with. The insecticide can work for you or against you. What
good are natural insecticides if you fail to use them properly? Taking a chance
can be hazardous for you, your animals, your children, other insects, birds, and
your plants. As the football coaches say, "The best defense is a good offense."

Problems with Natural Insecticide - 2

Natural insecticide has long been lauded by environmental groups as a safe
alternative to synthetics. They kill a variety of pests found in gardens,
yards, and homes. However, there are problems with natural insecticide.

Although natural insecticide has been around longer, there is less information
on the efficacy of it as opposed to synthetic insecticide. The most information
of all of them can be found on Bt and on oils. One problem with Bt is that it is
only effective against a limited variety of insects. It makes a good natural
insecticide for crops such as corn, but for some other crops, it is useless.
Another problem with Bt is that insects become resistant to it over time.

Although a natural insecticide can be effective, it does not have the killing
power of a synthetic chemical. Some would say that this is good. The beneficial
insects are not harmed and humans and pets are not in danger. The problem is
that a natural insecticide is also less effective against unwanted insects.

A natural insecticide will degrade much sooner than a synthetic chemical.
Again, to some this is an advantage. It decreases the negative effects of the
pesticide on the environment. However, it also means that the natural
insecticide needs to be applied much more often. This leads to a greater
quantity being used. Overall, it would be a much greater expense, and supplies
might be limited.

It might be difficult to switch to all natural insecticide. One reason is that
right now, organic farming is aided by the lowered insect population in some
areas. This is due to use of high-power synthetic insecticides.

If natural insecticide were introduced to all these regions, the insects might
multiply quickly all over the area. The natural insecticide might have a
problem keeping up. Eventually, it could work out, as natural predator insects
came back. However, right after the changeover, it would be bad. Expense is a
limiting factor in the use of natural insecticide. Since a natural insecticide
will generally cost more, many people will take the cheaper way out and buy a
synthetic chemical. Some do this because they simply don't understand the
difference.

In many countries, farmers have no choice but to use the least expensive
insecticides available. These are usually outdated chemicals that have been
banned in all the developed countries. However, if these countries don't use
them, they will likely have to go without insecticides completely. There crops
will be damaged by harmful insects.

The effects on the countries producing the natural insecticide would be
difficult to manage. They would have to devote much of their agricultural
resources to growing the plants used for such preparations. Poor people
undoubtedly would be exploited in the harvesting of the crop.

So, there are definitely problems with the widespread use of natural
insecticide. There are problems with effectiveness. There are problems with
making a switch to natural insecticide. Even the production of natural
insecticide is a concern.

If all these problems can be overcome, a safer food supply can come about.

Things to Try Before Resorting to Natural Insecticide

Some gardeners or crop growers tend to use natural insecticide or other
pesticides as a matter of course. They don't even consider trying to grow crops
without them. Others use any such product only after exhausting all other
methods. There are things you can try before you commit yourself to using a
natural insecticide.

First of all, you might just try growing your crops without any preparation.
One wine grower recently tried this. He decided to try it, but to have natural
insecticide on hand should he need it. As he waited for his crop to come in he
watched the crop.

Surprisingly, the crops showed no more insect damage than usual. He never
needed to put on the natural insecticide, or any other for that matter. What's
more, he noticed that the numbers of beneficial insects were increasing.

In fact, one way to save on natural insecticide is to bring in, or encourage
the growth of, natural predators. These natural predators feed on the very
insects you wish to destroy. They may be snakes, spiders, or other insects. If
you can boost their population to an acceptable level, they will do their jobs
without natural insecticide.

An example of this happened in Africa in the 1970's when 80% of the cassava
crop was being destroyed by the cassava mealy bug. They found its natural
enemy, a tiny wasp. They let it loose in the region, and the threat of famine
went away.

A way to use the properties of natural insecticide without buying the products
is to simply grow them. These are grown next to your other crops as companion
crops. While they are actually a natural insecticide, they aren't one you buy
or prepare as such. However, the close proximity of the natural insecticide
plants lets their active ingredients protect your food crops.

Several bugs can be eradicated mechanically or manually without the use of
natural insecticide. For instance, you can trap wireworms by using a large can
such as a tomato juice can. You poke holes in it and fill it with vegetable
peelings. Put it in the border of you garden. After it's been set for a couple
of days, you empty the trap and reset it.

You can hand pick many different types of bugs off of plants. One such bug is
the squash bug. This avoids using natural insecticide. All you have to do is
drop the bugs into a pail of soapy water.

Where you grow your plants makes a difference in whether you will need natural
insecticide or not. If you put your plants up off the ground, they are less
likely to get bugs on them. It is good to put them up on trellises if possible.

There are a lot of other ways to keep from using natural insecticide on your
crops and plants. The more natural you can make your garden the better, right?
Besides, buying natural insecticide is often costly. However, if you find that
you do need something extra, natural insecticide is the safest way to go.

Using Soaps as a Natural Insecticide

Soap sounds harmless enough. We wash our bodies with it, clean our vehicles
with it, wash our dishes with it, and blow bubbles with it. But if our children
drink it, it will make them sick. Toddlers have innocent, strange ideas of what
might be tasty! Our toddlers aren't the only ones in our society that can
become sick from soaps.

Soaps of different sorts are used as insecticides. A commercially sold soap
called Neem oil soap is an oily solution which can work as both a repellant and
as a fungicide. It can interfere with the good health of delicate plants, weak
plants, new transplants, and drought stressed plants. The oil draws the sun to
the leaf surface and can harm blossoms. It doesn't work well with plants like
the bleeding heart, gardenia, and lantana. So, be sure to test it on a small
area and give it a full day to see if any wilting occurs before you apply it to
larger areas.

Some people control wasps by spraying them with a dishwashing liquid solution.
But dishwashing soap solutions can harm some of your plants. Any detergents
that contain ingredients to dissolve grease can hurt the outer protective
layers of plants that need these protective layers for survival. Insecticidal
soaps are not your everyday soaps found in the kitchen, laundry room, or
bathroom. You wouldn't want to wash your baby with the same shampoo you use on
your dog to control fleas.

There are many different types of soaps that we use in our homes for daily use
that can be used to control insects, though. Controlling and repelling are not
necessarily the same as destroying. Soaps also work to kill insects by
penetrating the outer covering to cause cell leakage and dehydration.

If you need to protect your personal plants with your own homemade soap
solutions, just make sure you know how to mix them properly and which plants
won't tolerate them well. Also, learn which soaps to use. Palmolive, Joy, Dawn,
Ivory, Dove, Tide, and Murphy's Oil Soap are some that are often used for insect
control.

Soaps lose their effectiveness once they're dry. Homemade recipes don't have
instructions. You should research before making them and be leery of buying any
from someone else. Automatic dishwashing detergents are not recommended. If
someone has used the wrong soap, it could harm your plants. You also don't want
to apply during the heat of the day or in sunlight since the use of soaps could
burn your plants. It is possible to condition hard water to be able to mix it
with insecticidal soaps. You may have to add a de-foaming agent as well.

Soaps are safe for ladybugs and predaceous wasps. These are beneficial insects
that help your garden and plants thrive. Not all types of the same insect are
harmful to us. Predaceous wasps don't sting or bite. It's important to know
which insects to keep and which to remove or destroy.

How Natural Is Natural Insecticide?

There have been many advances in the field of natural insecticide. Some would
say that some of the advancements are not for the better. This is because the
natural insecticide is not exactly in the state that nature gave it to us in.
So, how natural is natural insecticide?

Some of the people who grapple with this issue are those who seek to do their
part in keeping the natural world in balance. They believe that the earth is an
ecological system in which every living entity has a part to play. They have a
strict idea of what natural insecticide is.

They don't have faith in a system where, as they believe, the balance is upset
by one species. They believe that man's emphasis on technological progress is
damaging to the planet by its very nature. These people are extremely
uncomfortable with biotechnology and its changing of natural insecticide.

Then, there are those who don't agree that there is balance or harmony in
nature. They see the world as a constantly changing system where new
developments are always coming along. Advancements in natural insecticide are
only one of them. Also, while the first group of people attributes good will to
the "Mother Earth," the second group sees no morality to earth, good or bad.

The people who see the world as ever-changing, the naturalists, are more likely
to recognize the destructiveness of nature. They recognize that hurricanes,
floods, and tornadoes, are devastating occurrences. Famine and disease can also
be caused by nature.

For this reason, naturalists see the world as something to be explored and
understood. They may enjoy a beautiful waterfall, but they feel no reverence
for it. They believe that a human being has intelligence in order to do a part
in advancing the health of the planet. Part of this is in further development
of natural insecticide.

These naturalists, unlike those who believe in the Mother Nature idea, believe
that biotechnology can produce products as natural as any other natural
insecticide. They don't see the difference in using biotechnology for
agriculture and using laboratory science to make pharmaceuticals, for instance.
They see biotechnology for natural insecticide as a good thing.

Naturalists are more likely to see the similarities between biotechnology and
the cross-breeding of plants and animals that has been done for centuries. We
have always used this method, if not this particular technique. Now it is being
used with a natural insecticide.

At issue are bioengineered crops such as Bt corn. Bacillus thurengiensis is a
natural insecticide that has been used for many years. Now, it is being put
into the genetic structure of corn. This makes the corn resistant to insects.

However, many say that, now that the Bt is in the corn, it is no longer a
natural insecticide. Those with a Gaia world view, that is those who believe in
Mother Nature, are likely to believe this. The naturalists believe that Bt corn
is a normal advancement.

This argument carries over into all the biotechnological advancements in
natural insecticide. The naturalists just believe they are using their
God-given intelligence to make the world a better place. Those with a Gaia
world view think they are over-stepping.

How to Prepare Natural Insecticide

If you want to get rid of pests in your garden or home, you can always get an
insecticide at your local store. It may be a harsh chemical that you don't want
in your home, though. You might prefer to use natural insecticide. If you do,
you can prepare your own.

If you get some boric acid powder, you can mix up all kinds of natural
insecticide. For ants, you can put together a tablespoon of boric acid, a
teaspoon of sugar, and some water. Put it on a cotton ball and set it out where
ants go. Getting rid of ants will also decrease the possibility of having aphids.

For roaches, it's simple. Just set out the powder where the roaches run. Boric
acid can be mixed with a non-toxic version of anti-freeze called propylene
glycol to kill termites. A natural insecticide can be made that is safe for use
around children and pets just by using boric acid and household ingredients. You
can mix the acid with water in a 10% solution for use on surfaces.

You can make a natural insecticide for use on small pests that you get on
plants. You can make a garlic spray. Take a good amount of garlic and chop it
up finely. Add paraffin oil and soak it for a full day.

Next, dissolve some soap in water and slowly add that. After you stir it up,
strain it in cheese cloth. Only store it in a container that is made of glass.
Your natural insecticide is ready to use.

For aphids, you can make a natural insecticide that is a stinging nettle spray.
Just take some nettles and soak them in water for about three weeks. After this
is finished fermenting, dilute it with water. It is ready to spray.

There are several methods for killing the Colorado potato beetle. You can make
a natural insecticide tea by soaking cedar chips. Then make it into a spray to
apply to leaves.

Another foliage spray used as a natural insecticide against this destructive
pest is tansy spray. Dry out the tansy and grind it up. You can do this with a
mortar and pestle if you have one. Then, mix it with water to make the spray.

For cutworms, you can make another natural insecticide spray by using pineapple
weed and water mixed together as a natural insecticide. Or, you can use
sagebrush extract with water. If you just want to immobilize them, you can mix
molasses with bran and sawdust. Put this on plants in the evening.

Tomato hornworms destroy tomatoes and other crops. For a natural insecticide,
you can lightly cover the area around the plants with cornmeal they will try to
eat it. Their digestive systems can't handle it and they will pop.

A spray can be made as a natural insecticide for many small soft-bodied bugs.
You use a spoonful of canola oil and a few drops of liquid soap. This gets rid
of mealy bugs, aphids, and mites.

There are many other kinds of natural insecticide that can be used to get rid
of pests. You can't concoct them all in your own kitchen, either. However, when
you can, it makes using natural insecticide that much easier.

Making Your Own Natural Insecticides

Have you decided to go all natural? All natural diet, all natural pet food, all
natural medicines, natural insect control, and all natural gardening have become
the wave of the present and future. Many people think something is new just
because it hasn't been in the spotlight. But natural alternatives have been
around for years. They just didn't receive their kudos because of the
convenience people prefer from leading busy lives. Most have found, though,
that convenience can be damaging to our environment.

Convenience has hurt our rivers and roadsides because of packaging being tossed
away carelessly. Convenience has hurt our family time because of lost time
preparing food, eating at the family dinner table, and gardening together.
Convenience has hurt our ozone layer. This doesn't mean convenience is bad; it
is what you make it. If you allow anything to take over your life it can turn
into a negative.

Natural insecticides take a little more effort to use if you make them
yourself. They take a little more time because they can require multiple uses
and degrade quicker. But the rewards you reap from preparing your own natural
insecticides can be great. It will give you something to discuss with others at
family reunions, club events, and when traveling. You can join people in
discussions on the internet about organic gardening and natural insecticides.
You can increase awareness of the benefits so that others are prompted to
engage in the use of natural insecticides. You can help promote a healthier
world, a healthier family life, ways to make the most out of your garden and
landscaping. You can even save money by making your own natural insecticides.

There are rules to follow, of course, like mixing properly. If you mix the
wrong ingredients you could either cause more harm or even be wasting your time
if the items use cancel out each other's effectiveness. You should understand
how to use what you make, how much is safe, what plants or insects will be
affected in a negative way so as not to harm the good ones, how to avoid
foaming, how to store and for how long.

Prevention is always best. But because it isn't always possible, taking safe
alternatives to treatment is the next best thing. People have become disgusted
with rising prices, so they decide they can do better if they just make their
own products. This can be a good thing or a bad thing. If you don't research
and educate yourself, you could be doing more harm than good. Some mistakenly
assume that natural means safe, and they neglect to learn about the effects and
proper uses of natural insecticides.

Cooking is a way to kill harmful bacteria in some instances. But the heat from
cooking can destroy the active ingredients of some of your homemade
insecticides. Also, the water you use can destroy the effectiveness. If you
have hard well water, there may be certain minerals that cause a problem. So,
if you decide to make your own, know how to prepare them properly.

What Kinds of Natural Insecticide Are On The Market?

There are many natural insecticides that you can stir up in your own home. You
can get their ingredients without much trouble. There are other natural
insecticides whose ingredients are harder to come by. These are sold to those
who wish to buy them.

One natural insecticide sold that is very popular for many uses is Diatomaceous
Earth. This is a fine, dry dust that kills household insects by dehydrating
them. It is composed of the skeletal remains of plankton. The active ingredient
is actually salt water. It is safe, and is allowed by the EPA. Rotenone is a
natural insecticide that comes from the roots of the derris plant. It is not
only toxic to insects but also to fish. So, you will want to protect your fish.
The vegetables are not harmed and are safe to eat.

Insects are killed when they come in contact with this natural insecticide. If
not, they will die when it reaches their stomachs and poisons them. It takes it
awhile to work, but then it needs to be applied weekly to get the best effect.

Nicotine is sold as a natural insecticide. It is used on plants nearing the end
of their growing cycle. It is harmful to mammals, so care should be taken when
applying it. Pyrethrum is sold as a natural insecticide which paralyzes
insects. The only trouble is, the paralysis often wears off and the insects
come back. For this reason, it is more often sold in combination with a poison
like synergist. This finishes the job the pyrethrum started.

Sabadillia, another natural insecticide on the market, comes from the seeds of
a lily-like plant. The natural insecticide effect is from stomach poison. It
isn't extremely dangerous to mammals, although it can cause respiratory
problems and eye irritation. It is safe to use it on plants just before they
are harvested.

The natural insecticide that is sold the most in the world is a bacterium known
as bt, or Bacillus thuringiensis. Bt is widely used and has a good record of
eliminating insect infestations in crops around the world.

Many commercial versions of neem tree derivatives are sold as a natural
insecticide. The neem tree was originally found in India and Pakistan. Now,
people have planted it around the world for its natural insecticide qualities.

Over one hundred different insects fall prey to the neem preparations. They
kill by inhibiting metamorphosis, reproduction, and digestion. They also repel
insects. There is a good market for neem products in greenhouses and for
ornamental plants. Natural insecticide sprays are sold in many varieties.
Citrus sprays are popular. Sprays made of lemon peel solutions are sold by some
manufacturers. Others use orange peel. There are also sprays based on peppers
and other plants.

If you want to purchase a natural insecticide, there are many to choose from.
Prices are usually not prohibitive and availability is good. You can control
pests and keep from destroying beneficial insects. This is an advantage of
using natural insecticide.

Where to Buy Natural Insecticide

It's nice to have a garden, a yard, a home, and pets. Sometimes, though, you
need to be concerned with pest control. If you want to protect the environment
and your family's health, natural insecticide may be the way to go. You will
need to know where to buy natural insecticide.

One thing you should be aware of is that there are unscrupulous salespeople
trying to sell natural insecticide over the phone. This has become a problem in
Oregon and other states. The salesperson will give a high pressure pitch for a
product that may sound interesting to you. Be sure you ask a lot of questions.
Tell them you won't buy from them unless they provide you with a label for the
product they want to sell you. Nine times out of ten they'll just hang up at
this point. If they don't, be wary. If you buy, ask to be billed rather than
give out your credit card number.

However, there is no reason to buy natural insecticide from over-the-phone
salespeople when there are so many reputable companies to deal with. You can
usually find natural insecticide at your local nursery or garden center.

Major discount store chains are getting into the business of giving advice to
go along with the natural insecticide products they sell. Target has the "Ortho
Home Gardener's Problem Solver" book available for people to look through as
they make their purchases. Wal-Mart also offers advice on pesticides, including
natural insecticides, in their garden centers. K-Mart has joined the group with
its "bug-finder" charts which offer product choices. With all this help, it's
easy to find a natural insecticide for your garden.

If you'd rather shop from home, there are several outlets for natural
insecticide on the internet. Eco Safety Products sells many products. They have
orange-based and garlic-based natural insecticide. They also have natural
desiccant dust that comes in puffer bottles or can be used with an insecticide
duster.

Pest Products Online sells an all natural insecticide with pyrethrum and a
propionate ingredient. This product is good for crawling and stinging insects.
It also sells natural insecticide that is plant oil or boric acid based.

For your pet, an online store called PetEdge sells a natural insecticide called
DeFlea. It is good for both fleas and ticks. It sells other natural insecticide
remedies for fleas and ticks as well. Orbico Organics sells some of the major
types of natural insecticide. It sells Neem products. It also sells products
with Rotenone. Some of its products are soap-based.

One popular item is a natural insecticide that contains the spores of the GHA
strain of Beauveria bassiana, a bug-killing fungus. It is safe up to the day of
harvest. This product seems a little pricey, at $130 per quart. However, a quart
will cover an acre.

There are many other online stores that sell natural insecticide. Many of them
are just offshoots of physical stores that exist in some part of the country.
If you want to talk to someone in person, you can go to a garden center. There
are plenty of choices when it comes to finding a place to buy natural
insecticide.

Precautions Should You Take When Using Natural Insecticide

A natural insecticide is the safest kind you can use. The half-life, or the
amount of time the substance stays active in the environment, is much shorter
than for synthetic chemicals. However, there are some precautions you should
take to use natural insecticide safely.

One use of natural insecticide is for keeping chiggers off of humans. Oil of
pennyroyal or mountain mint can be rubbed on as a preventative. If you are
pregnant, though, you will not want to be in contact with these substances.
They can cause you to start having contractions. Sabadillia is a natural
insecticide that is a stomach poison for insects. It is not toxic to humans. It
does cause irritation to the eyes and to the lungs. If you put it on your
garden, be sure to wear a mask. You should also wear a mask when using another
natural insecticide, Diatomaceous Earth.

One natural insecticide that is also a respiratory tract irritant is rotenone.
It is also very toxic to fish and somewhat toxic to mammals. You should wear
protective clothing when applying this natural insecticide. You should also
wear a mask.

If you make a carbon dioxide tick trap as a natural insecticide, you will need
to take the usual precautions when using the dry ice. Do not touch it; use
extra heavy gloves or ice tongs. Don't let it come in contact with water or it
will turn into fog. Do not ingest it. It can be very harmful if not handled
properly. In the case of termite extermination, if you are planning to use a
substance like a nicotine sulfate, be careful. It can be extremely toxic to
people. It is best to have a professional exterminator do the work with this
natural insecticide. *

The family of trees that includes the walnut puts out a natural insecticide. It
is called juglone. The problem with it is that it is toxic to many other plants.
You might want to have ornamental plants or a garden. The juglone might stop you.

This natural insecticide causes "walnut wilt." Plants near the tree, especially
touching the roots will wilt and die. Some a little farther away will become
stunted. The only precautions you can take are to put affected types of plants
away from the trees. You can put juglone resistant plants near the trees. These
include zinnias, carrots, and black raspberries.

There are also some precautions you can take to make sure the natural
insecticide retains its bug-killing abilities. If you make a preparation that
is to be used dry, let it dry in the shade. Direct sunlight will ruin the
active ingredients. There is a lot of natural insecticide that is made from
recipes. If the recipe says to dilute it, be sure to do so. If you don't, the
tender leaves and plants can be burned. It only takes a little time and a
little water.

You can do yourself a service if you take precautions when using natural
insecticide. You can keep yourself safe. You can protect the environment. You
can save your other plants. Also, you can be sure that your natural insecticide
will work.

Natural Insecticide for the Home

Having bugs in your home is just plain disgusting. When you do, your first
thought is often to run to the store and get the most powerful chemicals they
have available to get rid of the pests. You actually don't have to go so far.
There is natural insecticide you can use in your home.

You can use natural insecticide recipes that will be much safer for your family
and your pets. For example, you can use boric acid as a safe alternative in many
cases. For ants, you can mix the boric acid with sugar; then add water. Next,
you soak cotton balls in it and put them in bottle caps. Place them where ants
have been seen. Boric powder has often been called "roach powder." Get a
squeeze bottle of it, or make up your own. Squirt the stuff along floor boards
and behind appliances. Put it anywhere you have seen roaches coming from. It is
a great natural insecticide for roaches.

For termites, you can mix boric acid with a non-toxic version of antifreeze
called propylene glycol. The glycol is good because it helps the boric acid to
go into the wood better. This is a natural insecticide for many types of
termites.

You can also use boric acid as a natural insecticide to kill silverfish. You
mix 20% boric acid with any inert ingredient. Then you place this natural
insecticide in areas like your closets and anywhere you have seen silverfish.
Often, silverfish are seen in an attic, so this is a good place to put it as
well. Boric acid can be used to make a natural insecticide for surfaces where
you might find any crawling bugs, too. You have to boil some water, and then
dissolve a small amount of boric acid into it. Wipe this onto surfaces. If the
surfaces aren't ones you wash often, you won't have to apply it often.

If you have no luck with boric acid, you might try the natural insecticide
Diatomaceous Earth. It is made from the fossilized remains of plankton and
other tiny sea creatures. It kills by puncturing the insects' hard covering, or
exoskeleton.

Then, the insect will be dehydrated by this natural insecticide. Diatomaceous
Earth works well to eliminate silverfish, moths and roaches. If an animal has
brought fleas into your home, this natural insecticide will take care of them,
too. It destroys its victims in as little as one day. Or, it could take as long
as two weeks.

Natural insecticide products are being made of many substances. Some of these
used in homes are made of orange and/or lemon extracts. These work very well on
hard-bodied insects such as ants. Many companies are making products that kill
roaches and other common household pests. These companies make natural
insecticide available in stores and over the internet. The products they sell
are often as effective as synthetic chemical products, if not more effective.

If you want to use natural insecticide in your home, you have many avenues. You
can make your own using boric acid. You can purchase a product such as
Diatomaceous Earth. Or, you can go shopping for other forms of natural
insecticides. It's all up to you.

Natural Insecticide for People and Pets

Sometimes you don't just need natural insecticide for your yard, garden, and
home. You also need it for yourself and your pets. You want to avoid the
aggravation and even the disease that can come from bug bites. You just don't
want to put unnatural chemicals on your body that might cause another kind of
harm.

Luckily, there is a natural insecticide for your every personal insect killing
need. Many people don't like to use the mosquito repellent with DEET in it.
They fear that it is unsafe for their skin.

Fortunately, there are all kinds of natural insecticide on the market to
replace DEET. One mosquito repellent has only water, natural oils, and
vanillin. One kind of natural insecticide for mosquitoes is a patch that you
wear for 24 hour. After this time, you will be protected for 36 hours. One
natural insecticide recipe for insect repellent works for fleas, ticks, and
chiggers. It uses lavender, sage, mint, rosemary and wormwood. You mix these
ingredients together and cover them with vinegar of the four thieves. Let it
set for a week and then apply it with a cloth.

Another natural insecticide insect repellent recipe is for all kinds of biting
insects. You mix aloe Vera gel and skin lotion. Then you add citronella,
eucalyptus oil, and patchouli oil. You shake it up in a bottle and put it on
anywhere but your face.

If your pet has brought fleas into your home, you can get rid of them by
dusting your carpet with boric acid. Wait a week and then vacuum it up. You can
also use natural insecticide to get the fleas, as well as ticks, off you pet.

Diatomaceous Earth can be used as a natural insecticide in the home to keep
fleas from coming back and attacking your pets. Pyrethrum or rotenone sprays
will kill lice, fleas and ticks in your house to keep them off you pets. A
natural insecticide called neem oil can be used directly on the pet to get rid
of fleas. Orange oils can be used. There are also herb-based flea collars
available to buy. These are all available to buy through brick-and-mortar or
online stores.

There are also natural insecticide methods you can use made with simple
ingredients. You can put certain things in your pet's food. Some of these are
fresh garlic, brewer's yeast, and flaxseed oil.

It's an unpleasant thought, but through no fault theirs, people can sometimes
end up with bed bugs. These bugs are tenacious and very good at hiding in
crevices of the bed. There are several ways to get them out of your bed. To get
them off you, soap and water helps, but the natural insecticide neem oil does
wonders.

No one wants to think of having bugs on themselves or their pets. It isn't a
pleasant thought. Besides, it is uncomfortable and hard to deal with. Natural
insecticide can help take care of the problem. On top of that, they can even
make it safer for your health. Maybe it's time to give natural insecticide a
try.

Natural Insecticide and the Third World

People in the US have been using natural insecticide for years. Some are
becoming more concerned about the environment and the safety of the food
supply. Many of these have switched back to natural insecticide. So, how much
is natural insecticide being used around the world?

Growers in the Philippines have been troubled by the health hazards caused by
using synthetic chemical insecticides. Their producers are becoming ill with
chronic health problems. Their consumers end up with produce that contains
chemical residues. They are interested in natural insecticide. Thailand is
another country whose government and citizens are concerned with the chemical
residues on agricultural produce. Many in Asian countries feel the same way.
Their middle-class is growing. This gives them more options, one of which is
choosing natural insecticide.

In many African and other economically disadvantaged regions, this is not the
story. Natural insecticide is not an option. Chemical insecticides that have
been banned, such as methyl bromide, have shown up in ports of these countries.

Methyl bromide was banned because it was harmful to the people eating the
produce. It was also bad for the ozone layer. This chemical is just bad news
all around. Now it is being dumped into developing countries because it can't
be sold elsewhere. The people in these countries will take these chemical
insecticides because they can't afford natural insecticide. For that matter,
they can't afford any other insecticides.

DDT is another chemical insecticide that has been banned for years in the more
developed countries of the world. It is used abundantly in Third World
countries in South America and Africa. These countries might be more apt to use
natural insecticide if it was as cheap and plentiful as the more hazardous
chemical varieties. Unfortunately, it is not.

Many countries are producers of natural insecticide; yet do not use them in
their own countries. India, for example is one of the chief growers of the neem
tree. Products from the neem tree have long been used as natural insecticide.
However, India has fallen prey to the cheap and easy availability of chemical
insecticides. Its natural insecticide is saved for countries who can afford it.
It may help their financial bottom line, but it is doing damage to their
citizens' health in the meantime.

Many countries around the world are suppliers of natural insecticides.
Pyrethrum is a natural insecticide that can be used on fruits and vegetables.
It is made from a specific species of chrysanthemum. These are imported mainly
from Kenya and Ecuador. Rotenone is another botanical natural insecticide. It
can be used for aphids, beetles and caterpillars on plants. It is made from
derris plant roots which originate in Asia. It can also be extracted from cube
plants which are indigenous to South America.

It seems that the nations in the Third World give more than they take when it
comes to natural insecticide. It may be financially advantageous for them to
use chemical insecticides in the short run. However, in terms of the cost of
ill health among their people, they will be paying much more.

Killing Ants with Natural Insecticides

Ants can be a nuisance, a threat to those who are allergic to ant bites, and
have been known as killers. It wouldn't seem possible of such a tiny creature,
but their biggest defense seems to be their numbers. They multiply rapidly,
easily, and quickly. They can take over a yard if left to themselves. A small
child who accidentally falls into a fire ant bed and becomes quickly covered in
them will be in misery and pain, sometimes having to be rushed to an emergency
room. A dying animal can be overtaken by them and used as a food source.

Ants eat a wide variety of things. They're not nearly as picky as we humans
when it comes to their dinner choices. They don't even need silverware! They
can carry large weights in comparison to their body sizes.

It's human nature to immediately grab a can of ant spray or a bag of granules
and begin walking the yard to search for their colonies. If you've lived in
places like Texas and Louisiana, you know that ant beds can become huge. The
fire ants are aggressive and dangerous. It's much better to control an
infestation than to wake up one day and realize that your property now belongs
more to the ants than to you.

Sometimes insects can become immune to the chemicals sold on the market. Ant
bait and ant poisons can lose their effectiveness due to overuse and years of
enduring the same poisons. The chemicals can also cause harm to other insects
and animals. If you don't store them properly, your children could become
poisoned by them.

While it's true that many natural insecticides can be dangerous as well, they
are safer for our environment and safer overall than chemical poisons,
especially if you know how to use, mix, and store them properly.

Natural or organic insecticides are those which come from natural resources.
Boric acid, which is a form of the mineral boron, is used on ant beds.
Sometimes it is mixed with other things like sugar and boiling water. It can
also be mixed as borax soap with sugar and water and is safe to use around pets
and small children. Many people sprinkle it along the entry points in their
houses and apartments or campers.

Another natural insecticide to use as an ant control is cayenne pepper, made
into a liquid and used as a spray. You can grow your own pepper plants just for
this purpose. Hot peppers are also used to control or kill other insects. Just
make sure you don't let your small child have access to your pepper plants. Hot
peppers can sometimes cause blisters when eaten.

Corn meal can be used as ant control; it's a low-cost alternative to poisonous
chemicals. If you grow your own corn, you may even know how to make your own
corn meal. It's a food the ants like to eat, but can't digest.

There are many solutions for natural insecticides that can benefit your pocket
book, your plants, and your environment. It's a way to treat insects that can
help everyone win!

Jobs That Thrive Because of Natural Insecticides

Have you ever thought of the results of your actions? If you've gotten into an
analytical, philosophical, or educational frame of mind, you may have
considered the many aspects of using natural insecticides.

You could say, "Big deal, so they help nature. How does that benefit me?" Well,
it's like a domino effect. You line them carefully in a row, touch one, and that
one touches another and so on. Life is that way when it comes to nature. Your
choices about everything in life can have a domino effect in many ways.

So, who benefits from natural insecticides? Other insects can benefit if you
use them wisely. The beneficial insects would thrive without the pesky insect
predators, which means that your garden benefits. That, in turn, helps you get
more usable vegetables, herbs, and fruits. This benefits your family. Using the
natural resources of the natural insecticides benefits our eco-system and our
economy, which also benefits your family.

Other ways the use of natural insecticides can benefit your family is through
the different jobs provided. Growth of things that produce natural insecticides
can provide an income. There are jobs that study natural insecticides like
scientific jobs, entomologists, chemists, teachers and instructors.

People get jobs in warehouses connected to the plant farms that grow
ingredients for natural insecticides. Plant nurseries offer jobs as a result of
the use of natural insecticides. If their nurseries thrive because of the use of
the insecticides, it means sales increase, which means more employees are needed.

People who write books, articles, newspaper stories, farm reports, and
newsletters benefit from natural insecticides. Health stores that sell herbs
can benefit from natural insecticides since herbs can be used to create them.
Grocery stores benefit from the sales of those herbs, which helps ensure the
job of the person put in charge of their care. People involved in importing
goods benefit from natural insecticides. Jobs that are connected to their
shipping and sales, driving the transport vehicles, and so on, are some of the
benefits of natural insecticides. Those who study nature, insects, plants,
chemicals, animal health, and medicine to counteract the harmful effects of
those used unwisely benefit from natural insecticides.

The jobs created are sometimes a direct result and sometimes an indirect
result. But the fact exists that a positive impact is created in so many ways,
and it is hard to pinpoint them all. One action, one person, one positive
choice can make a difference. Sometimes it is a big difference all at once, and
sometimes it is a difference that must be seen as a result of several things
combined.

Sure there is a downside to using natural insecticides. There's a downside to
eating too much ice cream, too, but if you get sick once from it you can learn
to be more cautious in the future. Sometimes it's a matter of learning from
experience; sometimes it's a matter of gathering useful information before you
make a mistake. But everything has a positive side and a negative side, and so
does the use of natural insecticide. Education, awareness, and research...
that's the key to a positive future in this field.

Is Natural Insecticide Is Harmful to Humans and Animals?

You would expect a natural insecticide to be perfectly safe for people and
pets. The truth is that some cause irritations or burns or are even toxic to
humans and animals. If you are going to use a natural insecticide, you should
be aware of whether it causes problems beyond the pest.

Rotenone is a natural insecticide. It is made from derris plant roots. While it
is fairly safe for people, it does harm fish. If you use it, you should take
precautions to keep it away from water where you have fish. Rotenone is
somewhat toxic to warm-blooded animals. It is even somewhat toxic to humans.
You should therefore protect yourself during application of the natural
insecticide. The good news is that it doesn't affect the safety of vegetables
grown using it.

A natural insecticide that causes eye and respiratory irritations is
Sabadillia. Although it causes discomfort, it is not toxic. However, you should
take care not to breathe it in when using it. A mask should be worn.

Dried peppers can be ground and mixed with water to make a spray. This is used
as a natural insecticide. However, it too can cause eye and respiratory
irritation. The crucial time to be concerned is when you are grinding the
peppers.

Termite control products that contain nicotine sulfates are actually more toxic
to mammals than synthetic products are. These natural insecticides should be
used with caution by an experienced exterminator. Some people use nicotine
either in a commercially made product or they make it on their own from tobacco
leaves. They use this natural insecticide for many different insects. The
trouble is that it is toxic to people. You can't breathe the vapors. You'll
want to avoid letting it touch your skin.

On the other hand, many a natural insecticide is completely harmless to people
and pets. Boric acid is so safe that it can be used in areas where children
play. It is toxic only to insects. Diatomaceous Earth is a very popular natural
insecticide that is safe for all mammals, including people. Bacillus
thurengiensis, Bt, is safe for use on plants as well. It does not harm humans
or animals.

Orange, lime, and grapefruit oils are being developed as products to be used as
natural insecticides in Third World countries. They are very good at killing
many different insects. At the same time, they are completely non-toxic to
humans. The natural insecticide from the neem tree is not just non-toxic. It
has actually been used as an antiseptic. It has also been used by herbalists to
treat many diseases. It has been used for over forty years.

If you use a natural insecticide that contains harmful ingredients, you need to
be sure to use it properly. If it is a commercial preparation, follow
instructions on the label and use in recommended amounts. It is also important
to be aware of how long you need to wait between use of the product and
harvesting the crop.

Some kinds of natural insecticide are harmful to people and/or pets. Some are
not. The key is to know which natural insecticide you are dealing with. Then,
be sure you know everything about it.

How to Use Non-Plant Natural Insecticide

Often, a natural insecticide can be used rather than a man-made chemical
solution for unwanted insects. Many of these preparations are made by using
plants and plant derivatives. However, there are some non-plant kinds of
natural insecticide.

Oils are commonly used as a natural insecticide. Some of the common oils used
are mineral oil and different cooking oils. If cooking oil is used, liquid soap
is added to the mixture. Either way, the oil is diluted with water and sprayed
on the plant as a natural insecticide. The insects and eggs will be suffocated
or dehydrated.

It certainly isn't pleasant to collect animal urine, but you can use it for a
natural insecticide. You mix it with soil and let it set for a couple of weeks.
Then, you dilute it with water and put it only on mature leaves. Never use this
natural insecticide in full sun.

Chalk is an easy type of natural insecticide to use. You should soak it in
water. The soaking time varies depending on what grade you use. Construction
grade chalk soaks for twelve hours and natural chalk soaks for days. You can
only use this preparation on mature leaves.

If you have a source of fresh, unpasteurized cow's milk, it can be used to make
a natural fertilizer. It is combined with flour and water and sprayed on the
plant. It kills many insects and their eggs.

Boric acid is, of course, a good all-around natural insecticide. It is used as
a powder, or in a solution as a spray. It kills roaches, silverfish, termites,
and many other insects. It is not a danger in any way to people working with it.

One way to protect your plants from the ravages of destructive insects is to
use lime around the base of the plant. This is a form of natural insecticide.
The lime powder not only repels most insects, but it suffocates the ones that
try to come through anyway.

You can use a spray made of glue for a natural insecticide. The glue used is
just the common household glue kids use in elementary school. You mix it with
water and spray it where mites are a problem. The sprayer will become clogged
if you don't wash it, so do that afterwards.

To get rid of ticks in your yard, you can use a CO2 trap. This is a natural
insecticide that employs the use of dry ice to trap ticks. A piece of flannel
is used under the dry ice for the insects to gather on. This method gets rid of
ticks in a seventy-five square foot area of yard.

A natural insecticide called milky spore is used for grubs. It comes in the
form of granules. It is said that one treatment lasts for decades. It kills
only the grubs. It leaves beneficial insects alive.

There are many types of natural insecticide. Some of the non-plant kinds are
often called remedies. However, they work to kill insects and they come
directly from nature. It seems that they are indeed natural insecticides.

How Natural Insecticide Kills Insects

A natural insecticide will kill insects, that much is certain. Natural
insecticide has been used for centuries, at least. If you are a curious person,
you might like to know how natural insecticide kills insects.

Diatomaceous Earth is a natural insecticide made of the skeletal remains of
plankton. What it does is to puncture the bodies of the insects. Then, it
dehydrates them. When this natural insecticide has done its work, unwanted
insects will dry up and practically blow away.

Rotenone is a natural insecticide, as well. It is made from the roots of the
derris plant. It does its killing by poisoning the stomachs of insects.
However, it is slow-acting and needs to be reapplied often for maximum effect.

Rotenone also seems to keep insects away from plants. It will keep the insects
from growing and will stop them from eating if they are not adequately
poisoned. Sabadillia also kills by stomach poison.

From Ecuador and Kenya comes a species of chrysanthemum that yields a natural
insecticide called pyrethrum. This natural insecticide destroys insects by
paralyzing them. It works instantly and it works on most types of insects.

The only problem is that the pyrethrum will often wear off. The insects will
come around after awhile. They are not killed after all. For this reason, it is
often combined with a poison that finishes the insects off.

Natural insecticides used in the termite control industry work in a different
way. They cause the termite to lose their appetite. In fact, they can't eat at
all.

The natural insecticide will cause the termite to be disoriented due to damage
to its nerve endings. (People and animals do not have these same nerve endings
and so are safe.) Due to all these problems, the termite will eventually die.

A bacterium, Bacillus thurengiensis or Bt, is another natural insecticide that
is popular these days. It is best used when the eggs of insects are just
hatching. The young come out, eat the toxin, and are poisoned. They will stop
eating and die of starvation.

Neem preparations get rid of insects in many ways. This natural insecticide
repels the offending bugs by means of an active ingredient that mimics an
insect hormone. It makes it hard, if not impossible, to digest food. It stops
their cycle of reproduction. It works well on insects that chiefly eat leaves.

Some non-plant natural insecticides do their work by dehydration, as
Diatomaceous Earth does. Chalk dries out insects on contact. Mineral oil either
dries out or suffocates its victims.

A mixture of cow's milk, flour and water can be used as a natural insecticide.
It is very good at killing the eggs of the insects. It also destroys insects
themselves, by suffocation.

Corn meal can be sprinkled around plants to kill insects. If a tomato hornworm
happens to eat some, the cornmeal will swell up in the insect's stomach. The
insect will explode.

There are all kinds of ways to kill insects. Some are by simple poisons. Some
ways are more exotic ways. It may not really be important to know how a natural
insecticide kills insects; only that it does.

Attacking Insects with Natural Insecticides

Some people have the mistaken idea that all insects are bad. An abnormal
paranoia of anything that creeps and crawls or slithers can sell a lot of
chemicals and natural insecticides. The market feeds off people's fear of
insects. Parents teach their children to be leery of insects. While it's true
that there are many insects that can cause harm, they usually do so as a way to
protect themselves and preserve their species.

Attacking all insects is irrational. It would cause a huge imbalance in nature
if we didn't have insects. It's even necessary to feed off the predatory
insects to keep the insect population under control.

If you need to attack insects, at least do nature the justice of attacking the
ones that are only a threat to you or your plants' survival or health. People
who are allergic to certain insects have little choice but to rid their homes
and property of them. A wasp or bee sting could put some people in the hospital.

Some insects that are beneficial and do not cause harm to us will cause harm in
some form to our plants. Butterflies are beautiful creatures, but gardeners and
fruit crop growers may not appreciate their caterpillars! Beneficial insects
that don't hurt us or our crops are ladybugs and some species of wasps.
Honeybees can sting when threatened, but without honeybees, our honey supply
would suffer. People aren't the only ones who benefit from honey. Insects and
other animals benefit as well.

If you must attack insects, natural insecticides can be safer for our
environment than the chemical poisons that line the shelves of our stores.
Natural insecticides are made from oils, flowers, seeds, and sometimes even
bacteria.

Neem comes from the Indian lilac tree. It prevents feeding and is a growth
regulator. Pyrethrum is one of the most popular natural insecticides for
attacking insects. It is used to paralyze and must be applied directly. It's
contained in many pet shampoos for flea and tick control. Nicotine is well
known as a tobacco product, seen mostly in a negative light because of the harm
it causes lungs when smoked. It can also help control some insects. Rotenone and
sabadilla dust can be considered exotic natural insecticides because they are
made from plants that exist in other countries. Sabadilla can wreak havoc on a
honeybee population, though, and is a short-term insecticide.

Boric acid has been used for many years to help control nasty little roaches.
Ants have been an age-old problem because of their ability to bite and take
over our kitchens. Wasps that do sting cause allergic reactions, fear in small
children and many adults because of their aggressive nature. People usually use
some form of spray to attack them so they don't have to get too close and risk
their painful stings. They've been attacked by hairsprays and soap solutions.

People who live in rural areas can be quite creative in their attempts to
attack insects with homemade insecticides. Some say cinnamon placed around a
central air unit can keep the ants from entering and invading the points used
to help run the units. Whatever your preferred method of attack, please be sure
to use caution and consideration.

Helpful Information about Natural Insecticides

Did you know hot sauce mixed with garlic and water can chase away those
annoying caterpillars who have been feeding on your precious plants? You may
appreciate butterflies, but not their babies. So, maybe you just want them to
relocate to another area. Many natural insecticides are used as repellants
rather than as a way to kill insects.

Spider mites hate the mixture of hydrated lime (1/4 c.) and water (add a small
drop of soap to help it stick). Be careful not to use too much or the lime
could hurt your plants.

Tomato leaves mixed with water can repel insects. Soaps are used in several
different types of mixtures. But soaps are washed away with rain or automatic
sprinklers.

If you choose to use nicotine, be aware that it can be deadly as a concentrate
to more than just those pesky aphids. It's not only dangerous as harmful
cigarette smoke, but it can be beneficial if used properly on plants. For us,
the concentrates can cause convulsions and death. So, don't let that toddler
grab your supply by accident. It's usually mixed with sulphur and is not
recommended for use on edible plants.

Horticulture oils suffocate insects by covering them with an oily film. If that
sounds barbaric, just think of the damage that can be done to crops and gardens
and even humans by an overpopulation of insect pests. Insect pests can spread
diseases and famine.

Homemade sprays can be a great economical alternative to bought sprays. You
must know how to adequately measure, store, and use them even if they are
homemade and seemingly harmless.

Of course, you can try tricks to rid your problem areas of insects. Like the
ants that want to crawl into your hummingbird water. Maybe it doesn't bother
the birds, but if it bothers you, you could be imaginative and not have to use
any pesticide that may endanger your tiny visiting birds. But tricks aren't
always enough. Sometimes you need to use more than one method to keep insect
populations under control.

While you don't have to be scared of insects, you do have to be sensible to
keep from becoming overrun with them. You should also be a responsible parent
and teach your children how to safely combat insects. What your children learn
can benefit the next generation. It helps to encourage their interests while
they are young and willing to absorb what their parents have to say. Even if
they seem to totally ignore all you've taught them as teenagers, they will many
times come back to their senses as they grow older. One day, they'll be sharing
their insecticide information with their own children or grandchildren.

Teaching about the safe use of insecticides and natural insecticides is the
gift that keeps on giving. Your child may want to use this information to
obtain a career later in life that revolves around insects, gardening, farming,
or science. Nature will thank you for your contribution by continuing to thrive
because of your responsible actions.

The Future of Natural Insecticide

Natural insecticide has gone in and out of favor in the past. At first, of
course, that was all there was. Then, when chemical insecticides came around,
people saw them as the wave of the future. They were all too anxious to try
them. However, it may be that natural insecticide still has a place in
agriculture and homes now and in the future.

Bacillus thurengiensis, Bt, has been developed as for use as a natural
insecticide. It is made from a bacterium that works with the bacteria in an
insects gut to poison the insect. It will need to be used in new ways.

Farmers will need to change natural insecticide usage from one to another to
another. This will help to keep the insects from becoming resistant to any one
natural insecticide. They will also need to introduce natural predator insects
to help with the job. It will also help if they plant more than one crop. In
the meantime, Bt has been so successful that biogeneticists have been working
to put its genetic material inside of the vegetables instead of on them. This
allows the vegetables to grow strong and insect-free. Corn has already been
bioengineered this way. It is called "supercorn" and it is already in
supermarkets.

Is this natural insecticide? It depends upon how you look at it. Many people
think that, while it uses a natural insecticide as its basis, it is highly
unnatural. They wouldn't think of eating supercorn.

One natural insecticide may have a use outside of the insect-destroying
business. Diguelin is a natural insecticide that has been used in South America
and Africa. It has been discovered that it is effective in slowing or stopping
the growth of lung cancer in humans. It is thought that it will have important
implications in the treatment of certain types of lung cancer. Many countries
in Asia, Latin America, and Africa are banding together to implement a new type
of insect control. This is called Integrated Pest Management. Rather than use a
natural insecticide made from a plant, a bacteria, or a mineral, IPM is based
on using other insects.

These insects are natural predators of the harmful ones attacking crops. With
the use of such methods, ordinary natural insecticide methods will likely be
ignored in these areas, at least for awhile.

Plant terpenoids are being investigated for different uses in natural
insecticide. Some of these substances can be used to repel unwanted insects and
attract beneficial ones all at the same time. Molting can be prevented by use of
certain plant-derived steroids.

Other plant terpenoids can be used to over-excite the nervous systems of
insects. They can disrupt their mating habits and even make them sterile. The
only problem with the development of these plant terpenoids is that companies
are looking to make synthetic versions of them. They will no longer be natural
insecticides.

Many people are concerned about the environment. They want to use natural
insecticide to protect the safety of their food and the world around them.
However the power of modern agribusiness is overtaking these people. If natural
insecticide is to be a viable solution, changes have to be made.

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