Organic Pest Management Strategies

• The main advantage of organic pesticides is that they harm pests and not your health.Raupe und Erbse image by Sebastian Hehn from Fotolia.com
  
  Since synthetic pesticides can be toxic, many gardeners opt for natural pest control methods. According to "The Organic Gardener's Handbook of Natural Pest & Disease Control," there are four main organic methods of pest control: pest removal, barrier creation, biological controls and organic pesticides (sprays and dusts).
  
  

Pest Removal

• Some organic farmers use industrial vacuums to remove pests.catepillar image by Tony Fortunato from Fotolia.com
  
  The most direct way to control pests is to handpick them off plants. This is effective when pest populations are low. The best candidates are caterpillars, Colorado potato beetles and slugs. The removal of adult pests and eggs reduces the chances of infestation. If a part of a plant is heavily infested, you might have to prune it. You can also shake the plant to remove pests.
  
  

Barrier Creation

• Block ants with a barrier and reduce aphid infestation.ant image by Ekaterina Shvigert from Fotolia.com
  
  You can create barriers out of various materials, such as plastic, paper and even copper, to keep the pest away from the host. To protect pear and apple trees from maggot and codling moth damage, place plastic or paper bags over the fruit. Since flies lay eggs close to the food sources of larvae, a barrier made from paper will keep egg-laying flies from the soil around the plants. Keep slugs and snails at bay with copper strips, which react with slime to create an electric shock. To keep crawling pests off plants, place bands of material that are unattractive or abrasive around plants or trees. Use covers made from polyethylene or spun-bonded polyesters to protect foliage.
  
  

Biological Controls

• According to "The Organic Gardener's Handbook," the Baltimore oriole can eat 17 tent caterpillars a minute.oriole image by Earl Robbins from Fotolia.com
  
  Biological controls are natural enemies of plant pests used to minimize pest populations. For example, ladybugs eat aphids, songbirds eat insects, and toads consume slugs and cutworms. In addition to insects, birds and amphibians, certain microbes can be used for biological control. According to "The Organic Gardener's Handbook of Natural Pest & Disease Control," the three main microbes used in gardening are bacillus thuringiensis, bacillus subtilis and beauveria bassiana. These come in a spray form.
  
  

Organic Pesticides (Sprays & Dusts)

• Oils found in lemon peel are toxic to many insects.Lemon with peel image by Marek Kosmal from Fotolia.com
  
  The main difference between an organic pesticide and a manmade pesticide is that synthetic pesticides tend to last longer than organic (naturally occurring) pesticides. There are three types of organic pesticides: plant-derived, mineral-based, soaps and oils. The following are commonly used organic pesticides: bicarbonate (baking soda), bleach (sodium and calcium hypochlorite), Bordeaux mix (copper sulfate and hydrated lime), bug juice (a solution of pulverized pests), copper sulfate, diatomaceous earth, garlic oil and extracts, hot pepper spray, kaolin clay, lime sulfur, soap sprays, spinosad and tomato leaf spray.