Re: spider mites

In a message dated 99-05-30 00:01:58 EDT, Marge wrote:

>>... I would be pretty chary about using heavy duty insecticides like Sevin 
on a
 food crop like tomatoes. In fact this web site (which has detailed
 information about spider mites and dealing with them) says that Sevin can
 actually cause mite populations to increase due to killing off all their
 natural predators.  You might want to take a look at the site...
 
 http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn006.html
 
 Practicing IPM (Integrated Pest Management) is generally most effective
 against insect pests in the long run because it permits the natural balance
 of pest and predator to occur.  It is quite possible that you are
 increasing the pest population by trying to poison it off because you are
 also killing all predator insects....for more information about IPM, take a
 look at the National IPM Network site:
 
 http://www.reeusda.gov/agsys/nipmn/index.htm
>>
 
Excellent post, Marge!  I couldn't agree more.  

Ninety percent of all insects are beneficial in the garden -- not only do 
they keep pest populations at bay, some mix and aerate the soil, and many 
serve as pollinators. 

Some insects are herbivores that eat plants, but most are carnivores that eat 
the herbivores.  In other words, there are some bugs that eat plants, but 
there are many more bugs that eat bugs.  Using a contact pesticide to kill 
the pesty 10% also kills the 90% that are good for your garden.  

In addition, without insect pollinators many plants would not be able to 
produce seeds.  So, if you want to collect seeds from your plants, be very 
careful about using insecticides.  

I don't use pesticides in my garden and I can attest that the balance of 
nature works wonderfully.  If I see aphids dining on my plants, I wait a day 
or so and, sure enough, along come the ladybugs to solve the problem.  

Insecticides are smelly, dangerous and expensive.  And they are addictive.  
Once you start using them, you become dependent upon them because you upset 
the natural balance that protects your garden.  

The proper and effective use of pesticides is a skill and a science.  For 
instance,  as Marge said, for most insects there is a only very short period 
in their life cycle when insecticides can work.  Untrained users often apply 
insecticides at the wrong time and thus get no benefit yet all of the 
disadvantages.  

I am trained and I still don't use them.  In college I got an A in a 5-credit 
course on plant pest management.   I also prepared for a pesticide 
applicator's license but I never applied because the more I learned, the more 
I became convinced that the use of pesticides in ornamental landscape 
gardening just does not make sense.  

One can argue that there is a time and place for pesticide use -- but not in 
my garden.  

--Janis

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