Conscious Choice: Natural Pest Control

September 1999 | Sensible Home

Natural Pest Control

by James Dulley

Dear Jim: I once had a beautiful flower garden but insects are eating it and my kids get lots of bites. I want to avoid using harsh insecticides or electric zappers. What low-cost, earth-friendly options are there? —Sue R.

Dear Sue: Depending on its size, an electrocution-type bug zapper can use from 100 to 200 watts of electricity. Using one just at night from spring through fall can push up your electric costs by $60. Using a common non-selective zapper can also be counterproductive. There are many beneficial insects that prey on bad insects. The electrocution device does not distinguish between them. Concerning the environment, using extra electricity creates air pollution from the generating plant and contributes to global warming.

You can either buy beneficial insects inexpensively or attract them naturally to your garden. Since most of your children’s bug bites are probably from mosquitoes, introducing dragonflies, bats, and toads can make a significant dent in the mosquito population.

You can buy special "bug blends" of flower seeds that will attract "good" bugs to your yard. A seed pack to handle a 250-square-foot area costs about $3. Most of the plants are perennials, so you only plant them once.

Instead of expensive and dangerous insecticides to combat tiny pests like aphids and spider mites, consider using beneficial insects. A single dragonfly can eat 100 mosquitoes and larvae in 30 minutes. You can attract them by placing three-foot high poles in sunny spots in your yard. They like long pieces of bamboo. Dragonflies do not bite people. Green Lacewings (aphid lions) can rid your garden of aphids — and a thousand eggs cost only about $6. The tiny Spider Mite Predator bug will consume ten adult mites or 20 eggs daily. Beneficial Nematodes ($14 per one million) control fleas and grubs. The Praying Mantis is an excellent predator insect to have in your yard. Egg cases cost about $3 each and contain 50 to 200 eggs. These hatch in the spring. It’s a great project for your children to watch the eggs and the baby bugs develop.

Toads and bats also eat thousands of mosquitoes per night. To attract toads, break a hole in the side of clay pots and place them upside-down in shady areas. For $25, you can buy a completed bat house or build your own from scratch. A good bat house has many vertical narrow slots inside with an open bottom. One house can be a home to 20 bats. Various birds are also effective for controlling bugs. Design the birdhouse for the specific species you want.

Write for (or instantly download) Update Bulletin No. 540, list of mail-order good bug suppliers, pest/good bug selector charts, and bird and bat house plans. Please include $3 and a business-size SASE. James Dulley, Conscious Choice, 6906 Royalgreen Dr., Cincinnati, OH 45244.

Recommend this page to a friend

Top Ten pages recommended to friends: