Earth Day was established on April 22, 1970. Inspired by the environmental activism of the 1960s, Senator Gaylor Nelson and graduate student Denis Hayes organized the first Earth Day celebration. Since then, millions of people from all walks of life have participated in this annual global attempt to bring awareness to the need to safeguard the planet by fighting for a better future. What better day to adopt environmentally friendly pest control methods in your house and yard? Following are suggestions for eco-friendly pest control solutions from the One Man and a Ladybug team.
What’s Wrong With Traditional Pest Control?
All chemical pesticides contain toxins that attach to soil and/or dissolve in water. These substances are carried (via runoff) to streams, lakes, ponds, and wells, contaminating groundwater and causing harm to animals and plants. Pesticides are also harmful to humans with exposure symptoms ranging from mild skin irritation, to allergic reactions (headache, nausea, dizziness) to severe reactions (convulsions, coma, death). There is a lot wrong with traditional pest control!
Natural Pest Control Options
Many pest control methods are less toxic and environmentally damaging to animals, aquatic life, humans, and groundwater than traditional pesticides. There are many eco-friendly pest control solutions to choose from.
- Sticky traps (lightweight cards with an adhesive layer) catch garden and house pests. Place them adjacent to your walls or near the plants you wish to protect.
- Snail and slug traps (usually a shallow dish containing beer) are an eco-friendly pest control method that attracts snails/slugs, keeping them away from your garden plants.
- Bed bug traps keep pests from entering your home. These eco-friendly pest control traps are non-toxic and are placed near furniture legs, under beds, and by the front door to stop bugs before they get to you.
- UV light traps attract mosquitoes, gnats, and fruit flies and use a fan to pull them in and catch them on sticky paper.
- Ultrasonic mole repellers are solar-powered and help keep moles from making hills on your lawn via high-frequency sound and ground shocks that chase them away without harming them. They’re safe for pets and humans.
- Microbial insecticides are specific to a particular pest, harmless to beneficial insects, and non-toxic to mammals and humans. Use them to treat hornworms, cutworms, and cabbage loopers.
- Insecticidal soap is available at nurseries/garden centers and targets soft-bodied pests (whiteflies, aphids, earwigs, thrips, mealy bugs, etc.) by penetrating their outer shell and damaging their cell membranes. Be aware that these soaps are non-selective so they may harm beneficial insects too.
- Insecticidal oils coat pests cutting off their air supply. They kill immature insects and eggs (aphids, mealy bugs, spider mites, psylla, etc.). Be aware that they may harm beneficial insects and some plants/trees.
- Diatomaceous earth is composed of microscopic, fossilized shells of algae that penetrate the body of an insect causing it to leak body fluid. It’s used for soft-bodied pests (trips, aphids, caterpillars, whiteflies, slugs, root maggots, snails, etc.). It can harm beneficial insects as it is non-selective.
- Neem oil acts as a repellent, poison, and deterrent. It slows/stops the growth of some insects and sterilizes others. It works on a range of pests (thrips, aphids, whiteflies, loopers, mealy bugs, leaf minors, etc.). It is non-toxic to animals and humans.
- Botanical insecticides kill on contact and are used to control sucking and chewing insects. However, they are non-selective, toxic to fish, and moderately dangerous for mammals and humans.
Rather than reaching for toxic, harmful pesticides, try an eco-friendly pest control solution and support the mission and ideals of Earth Day.
Not up to the task of capturing/eliminating home and/or garden pests? Has your pest infestation become too large for you to handle? Contact One Man and a Ladybug. Our trained, licensed, and environmentally friendly technicians are here to help you with pest problems in your home and yard. Pest prevention is also our specialty. We have the tools to stop pests in their tracks!
