Rainy River..

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.

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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.

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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.

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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. 

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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. 

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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. 

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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. 

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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.

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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.

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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?

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