KUSA - The bugs are back. We worry about most of them far more than we should. In many cases, simple natural remedies are far more effective in controlling them than using chemicals.
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Too many of us freak out at a simple outbreak of aphids or white flies. Don’t resort to pesticides unless it’s a life-or-death situation.
Let’s start with those. Some insects can kill trees; the best example of the worst damage is the pine beetle ravaging Colorado forests. On the plains, tussock moths may attack spruce trees, while borers often target ash trees and lilacs. The plants that are most vulnerable are those already stressed by drought or over-watering. They’re equally bad.
These insects can kill valuable specimens. Your best defense is to care for your trees properly. Use a systemic pesticide as needed. These pesticides are applied at the base of the plant and watered in. The plant absorbs the pesticide through its roots and spreads it throughout the plant. Insects that chew on treated leaves or bark will die. For specifics on your particular plants, check with a nursery professional. Get pro-active if you have plants that are vulnerable.
For everything else you can relax a bit. Nature has a way of correcting itself if left alone. Birds, bats and the “good” bugs such as ladybugs, spiders and predator wasps are on your side. If you reach for chemicals every time you see an aphid on a rose, you’ll upset the balance, killing beneficial insects as well as the harmful ones.
If you want to take a more active approach, use soap. Our grandmothers and great-grandmothers regularly tossed their soapy dishwater onto their gardens. I never really wondered about this as a child, helping my grandma dry the dishes, but now it makes perfect sense. Soap kills bugs as effectively as any poison. It softens their hard exoskeletons and they literally melt away.
It’s easy to combat insect problems with soap. Mix about a tablespoon of liquid soap with water in a quart spray bottle. Use an all-natural soap such as Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soap. Detergent soaps should be avoided since they may have a photo-toxic reaction on the leaves and burn them.
Spray the undersides of leaves where insects tend to congregate. Lurking there will be aphids, white flies and spider mites. You must hit the insects directly. Several treatments may be required as eggs hatch.
Sometimes you can’t find the culprits that are chewing on your leaves. Leaf cutter bees actually saw off pieces, leaving a scalloped look to rose and redbud leaves in particular. Since they don’t actually chew–just cut–insecticides don’t work to prevent this. Learn to live with it. Leaf cutter bees use the leaves create little beds underground. They are harmless.
Sometimes you’ll see caterpillar damage on some plants. If they’re in the carrot family, such as dill, fennel, Queen Anne’s lace or carrots, leave the caterpillars alone. They’ll soon turn into beautiful yellow swallowtail butterflies. Caterpillars on tomatoes or geraniums aren’t so welcome. You can hand pick and squish them, or employ some children to do it. This was one of my chores as a boy. I became an expert at spotting them.
Before you get out the bug spray, think twice about the implications. I haven’t used sprays for twenty years and my garden is a picture of health. It’s alive with birds, bees, butterflies and bats. Given the chance, your garden will work out its own balanced ecosystem. And if you need to intervene, do it in an environmentally-friendly way.
