Kevin

For a general purpose insecticide soap that kills aphids, spider mites, and similar stuff, I usually start off with Dr. Bronner's peppermint soap, diluted to a tablespoon per qt. That I get at the grocery store. If that don't get 'em, I move onto Safer Insecticide Soap - that has Pyrethrum and that you can get as well at most nurseries.

If there is one general pesticide you can use, try one containing Pyrethrum. There are several out there.

Yep. Although there are a couple of semi-broad pesticides that are no brainers like BT, neem oil, and pyrethrins to have around, it all depends on what you're growing and what pests attack those plants.

To go organic(which, I myself, am far from getting to Xanadu), takes a concerted effort of Integrated Pest Management and organic remedies.

Here's what I've learned --

1) Plant plants to attract predatory insects because buying predatory insects to only see them in your garden for a few days and then move onto the neighbors becomes costly and frustrating.

2) Pests tend to attack unhealthy plants. So, keep your soil healthy. Also, compost teas and worm castings have supposedly shown to have good effects on deterring pests.

3) BT, neem oil, spinosad(bad for bees), insecticidal soaps(homemade or commercial), and pyrethrins are all OMRI listed and pretty effective for MOST veggie pests.

4) When it comes to powdery mildew and other fungal problems, it's best to nip it in the bud BEFORE you see symptoms. So, when it STARTS getting hot and HUMID, start treating plants that are susceptible with acceptable fungicides such as baking soda solution, milk solution, neem oil, sulfur dust/spray, or copper spray. Note: The neem, sulfur, and copper are also good for mites.

5) Most of what I mentioned can be bought at your local big box store like Home Depot, Lowe's and Walmart, but I had to go to local nurseries to get things like the sulfur and copper. Also, if you like saving a buck like I do, I like to buy in bulk, so online might suit you better for larger bottles.

6) Keep asking questions in this forum -- people like kimmsr, gardengalPNW, rhizo, ken adrian, jean001 and the many others I haven't mentioned are full of info to get you on the right track.

They make it sound easy -- I have found out that it isn't. It might be that I might be going half-ass about my organic endeavors. Or, it might be that with my limited space to grow those "beneficial" plants to attract the good bugs along with the fact that pests are a year-round problem here where I am, makes the organic route very trying.

Anywho... Good luck. :)

Kevin

Before turning to organics I used to have infestations of aphids, thrips, spider mites, and scale. Haven't seen any since 2002. I have seen tomato hornworms...once, about 5 years ago. I sprayed them with BT Worm Killer. BT is a disease that causes immediate paralysis in caterpillars and some other larvae. I gotta say it was very satisfying to see these finger-sized caterpillars freeze in space.

This goes to woohooman's point number 2. We have a man in San Antonio who used to perform soil experiments. He demonstrated to me the importance of good soil with this test. He grew three plants (gardenias???) in three pots in his greenhouse. One plant had Walmart generic soil. The other two had the same soil with small percentages of compost (10%) and some rock dusts he was trying. The three plants were about 10 inches tall and the canopies were all touching each other. Only one plant had aphids and it was covered with them. The aphids ignored the other plants even though they were in direct contact. To me that was incredible testimony to the importance of soil health.

To woohooman's point number 1...there is a plant called butterfly weed that will attract so many aphids you can hardly see the plant. When you get large populations of prey, then the predators will come in. The predators will stay as long as the population of prey sustains them. If you spray to kill the prey, that also kills the predators. Because you need food for any species to come in, the aphids will return to the garden first and not attract more predators until the aphid population is large enough. People plant the butterfly weed some distance away from the garden. The plant is called butterfly weed because it attracts butterflies (not that great) and because it really looks like a weed.

wayne_5: it is important to know that traditionally the word manure means anything that gets put on the soil to amend it. Today we use it differently than they did have back then. Back then they would have used the word dung to refer to what we now call manure. So they might have "manured" the soil with dung, compost, ammonium sulfate, sulfur, or other chemical fertilizers.

Are the same predators that go after aphids the same for whiteflies. Also, why would I want to attract MORE butterflies?? I already have problems with hornworms and cabbage loopers.

Kevin

Guess what? The same is happening to my heirloom purple tomatos. I've laways been against spraying but I don't think I have a choice. The size of the worms in about half the fruit are just incredible!! HELP!!!

Firstly, volunteer tomatoes, from my experience, don't do all that well anyhow, but a few maters is a few maters.

Secondly, Spray with BT diligently. it's not harmful at all -- it's just a bacterium that is harmful to butterfly/moth larvae. I've had GREAT success with it.

You can always try the most "organic" method which is companion planting -- grow umbrella flowering plants such as carrots, parsley, cilantro, dill, allysum et al to attract parasitic wasps that lay eggs into the worms and kills them.

I have found spraying with BT the best way to control them with my limited space.

Kevin

Tell me how it's done then. In Michigan, where the ground freezes, you probably kill off a lot of the grubs, but I just tilled an area that I've been amending for five years and had my summer veggies. I found at least 6 dozen grubs in a 9x13 area.

Are there ANY butterflies or bees or ants RIGHT NOW in Michigan that you see? Well, there's plenty where I'm at. We just had a week of 80 degree days.

I'm not trying to be confrontational. In fact, I totally believe you. I just think that people in the north don't realize how much of a year-round pest problem people from more southern latitudes have to deal with.

By the way, the only pesticides I use are BT, neem oil, Ivory soap mixtures, sulfur dust, and DE. I did try some spinosid this past summer though.

Kevin

How large of an area would be needed to create an insectuary that would support a small backyard. Also, can ii be built off to the side/away from where I grow my veggies? How far away?

Also, can you give me a list for some no brainer IPM plants that attract the beneficials to keep the populations of whiteflies, aphids, caterpillars/worms, earwigs, mites et al at an acceptable level?

Kevin