NATURAL BORN PEST KILLERS

NATURAL BORN PEST KILLERS
Home Remedies for Natural Pest ControlBy Eric Vinje, Planet Natural
Not everybody likes cucumbers. You may be interested to learn that ants hate cucumbers, especially cucumber peels. You'll especially appreciate that fact if you want to get rid of them. Just spread some cucumber peels - the more bitter, the better - where ants enter your home and they should get the message. Consider cucumber the "anti-welcome" mat for ants.

Cucumbers are one example of natural pest control. It's using natural and generally non-toxic ingredients to repel or get rid of pests including ants, wasps, mites, moths, flies and other insects.

People are slicing up cucumbers instead of spraying Bug-Be-Gone because they don't want toxic chemicals in their homes or in their garden sheds. There is growing evidence that synthetic pesticides pose a health risk to humans and animals.

Here at Planet Natural, we have a whole slew of natural pest controls, including Orange Guard ($8.95) which uses d-limonene, or orange peel extract, to control insect pests; Safer BioNeem ($12.95), which uses the active ingredient of neem oil - azadirachtin - to kill insects before they become biting or reproducing adults; as well as a variety of traps including the Disposable Yellow Jacket Trap ($4.95) and Apple Maggot Trap ($15.95).

For those willing to invest some time and effort at crafting their own remedies, we've gone on to list a variety of remedies to help you battle pests on the home front and in your garden.

Barriers act like barbed wire to keep crawling pests, such as ants, out. These include garlic - grind it up with water and apply - cayenne pepper, cinnamon, powdered charcoal, bone meal, talcum powder or chalk. Keep in mind that different pests have different aversions, so you'll have to see what substance works best with the ones trying to sneak into your home.

Another way to think of barriers is to grow certain plants around the periphery of your home. They not only look nice, but will also deter pests. Plants known to repel ants and aphids include: spearmint, peppermint and pennyroyal.

You can use the same trick for fly control. Just substitute the above plants with mint and basil which repel flies, but smell good to humans.

Boiling water is excellent for ant control or if you see where they are creeping into your house, squeeze some lemon into the hole or crack.

Barriers also work for snails. They dislike sand, lime, copper or ashes, so use these borders to keep snails away.

Baking soda and powdered sugar mixed in equal parts is a good roach killer. Just spread around the area where you see roaches and soon you won't see them anymore. (Boric Acid, while slightly more toxic, is naturally occurring and is another way to get rid of them.)

Here's a really sneaky way to get rid of fire ants. (All's fair in love and the war against insect pests.) The only way to get rid of an infestation is to assassinate the queen. Wait until a dry spell is about to end. Sprinkle instant grits on the fire ant hill. The workers will carry the grits to the queen for her royal meal. She'll eat the grits and when it rains, she'll drink. And that's what will kill her. The grits will expand in her stomach and she'll "bloat" to death. Once she's out of the way, the leaderless ants will die off. (This suggestion came courtesy of the Tightwad Gazette II book.)

Cloves smell better than moth balls and are a natural deterrent against winged pests. You can also create a water trap by filling a small basin with water and leaving a night light suspended over it. Moths will be attracted to the light and will end up crashing and burning and falling into the water. Add a little dish soap to break the surface tension of the water.

Corn Gluten Meal may not sound very appetizing, but it's a natural, preemptive strike against weeds. Apply it early in the spring before weeds sprout. Corn gluten meal is a byproduct of the corn milling process and is a natural fertilizer.

Diatomaceous earth is made up of the fossilized remains of diatoms, single-cell organisms. The glass-like nature of diatomaceous earth makes it one of the oldest forms of insecticide. The sharp surfaces cut through the insect cuticle and the insect dies of dehydration. Diatomaceous earth kills earwigs, ants and box elder bugs. Since it's non-discriminate when it kills, be sure to only apply it just to the ground surface where you think insects are overstaying their welcome.

Grind rosemary leaves into a fine dust and sprinkle it onto your pet or its bedding to ward off fleas.

Ivory liquid dishwashing detergent can act as a natural insecticide. Dilute with water until it is a 1 or 2 percent solution and then spray on plants.

Need neem oil? Neem oil - made from guess what? - neem seeds, prevents fungus growth, and repels and kills insects, including mites. While it fights many scourges, it's nontoxic to birds, mammals and most beneficial insects. One word of caution - it can sometime affect bees so use it as a spot treatment to minimize contact. Neem oil is usually sold in a concentrated form, to which you add water.

Fruit flies are wine connoisseurs. Okay, maybe they are not wine snobs, but they have been known to quaff a few drops here or there. They particularly like Chardonnay or so we hear. Use that knowledge to your advantage: fill up a saucer of some cheap white wine and add a little detergent to it. Leave it around for the flies to sip and die on. This solution brings knew meaning to the expression "rot gut."

A natural fly catcher related to wine is to put something sickly sweet like mango peels in the bottom of narrow-necked wine bottles. The flies can fly in, but can't fly out.

You can even make your own fly paper. Boil water, sugar and corn syrup together. Spread the extra-sticky mixture on brown paper grocery bags and voila you have your own fly paper which will trap flies.

For mosquito control the aged old custom of burning citronella candles will help repel the pesky critters.

To get rid of slugs and snails, invert a flower pot near a shady plant. Use a stick to prop up the flower pot or place on irregular ground - whatever will give enough of an entrance way for slugs and snails. They will crawl under the rim to avoid the heat. Check the flower pot at the end of the day and remove the slugs and snails.

Vinegar is a great herbicide. Fill a spray bottle with vinegar - white is best since it won't stain, you certainly don't want to use expensive, aged Balsamic vinegar on weeds - and spray the vinegar on your unwelcome flora on your porch, patio or back yard. It's one of the few things that will work against noxious weeds such as Canadian Thistle. All vinegars are diluted, so try and buy the highest concentration you can at the supermarket.

Using organic lawn fertilizers will not only keep it green, it will make it healthy and more equipped to defend itself against weeds and pests. Organic fertilizers, such as bat guano, grass clippings, alfalfa meal, fish emulsion and worm castings, work well.

While natural pest control products are a step up from most commercial insecticides, you should still be restrained about using them. Don't just leap at something that cures the symptom - look for the underlying or root cause and seek a solution for that problem. Overuse can end up creating new problems - getting rid of one pest in exchange for another.

That said, natural pest control can be a great non-toxic solution to keeping your garden and home pest free.

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Mealybug Destroyer

First used as a biological control agent in the late 1800's, both the adult and larval stages of this beneficial insect attack and feed on all stages of mealybugs. The mealybug destroyer (Cryptolaemus montrouzieri) is a small (1/5 inch long), redish-brown lady beetle with dark-brown wing covers. A voracious feeder, "crypts" as they are often called, will also eat aphids and soft scales making them ideal for use in greenhouses, interior plantscapes, orchards and ornamental gardens.

Adult female predators lay yellow eggs among the cottony egg sacks of mealybugs. Eggs hatch into larvae in about 5 days, depending upon temperature. The three larval stages last from 12-17 days during which time the larvae feed on eggs, young crawlers, and the sugary liquid excrement, often called honeydew produced by the pest. Pupation occurs on sheltered plant stems or on greenhouse structures. Adults emerge after 7-10 days and live approximately two months. There are usually 4 generations each year.

Looking for effective mealybug control? I suggest the mealybug destroyer. They work, and unlike many pest controls, don't harm the environment.

While this predatory beetle thrives on high mealybug populations, they are best released in early spring when the first pests are observed. The mealybug destroyer is most active at 70° Fahrenheit or higher and should be released at a rate of 0.5 per sq. ft. of planted area or 2-5 beetles per infested plant. In orchards release 1,000-2,000 adult beetles per acre of mature fruit trees. Mealybug destroyers should be shaken out close to mealybug infestations at dawn or dusk when they are least active. Repeat as necessary, usually once or twice a year.

Often after release, the mealybug problem appears to be worsening before it improves. This is because C. montrouzieri larvae are covered in a white, woolly material and are very similar in appearance to their prey.

Note: Used by the citrus industry in California, this predatory insect is credited with the complete control of the citrus mealybug.

Tip: Ants feed on the honeydew that sucking insects (aphids, mealybugs, thrips) produce and will vigorously protect these pests from their natural enemies. If possible, control ants prior to release.

Related Sites:
• Learn more about mealybugs here.
• Midwest Biological Control News - University of Wisconsin, Madison
• Cryptolaemus montrouzieri - Cornell University
• Natural Enemies Gallery - University of California Statewide IPM Program
• Researchers Discover Sex Potion to Ensnare Mealybug Pests - USDA (ARS)

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Praying Mantis

The fascinating praying mantis (Tenodera aridifolia sinensis) gets its name from its motionless raised front legs, which it uses to hold its prey. A ferocious general predator, it will attack just about any insect in its path, which unfortunately includes other beneficial insects.

The praying mantis will only complete one life cycle per season. It usually takes two to three weeks of warm temperatures for the mantis egg cases to hatch. The tiny nymphs emerge through the narrow slits of the egg case and immediately disperse into the foliage. One egg case will yield approximately 50 to 200 predators. Unless you can find the small nymphs (1/8 inch), it is impossible to tell if the egg cases have actually hatched. In 5 or 6 months, they become a full sized adult (up to 6 inches) and females will deposit 1 to 5 egg cases on bushes and flower stalks. The female dies shortly after this. Egg cases are very hardy and overwinter - subzero temperatures won't harm them. They hatch out in the spring, completing the life cycle.

Use 3 egg cases for smaller areas (under 5,000 square feet) and increase the amount accordingly for larger areas. If immediate release is inconvenient, you can keep the egg cases in the refrigerator for up to one week, but they must be in a ventilated container. DO NOT FREEZE. To release, simply tie the praying mantis egg cases to twigs or branches about three feet above the ground. Birds and rodents will feed on them, so placing them in a container with holes large enough for the young nymphs to escape (1/4 to 1/2 inch diameter) will provide protection.

Note: It is not recommended to keep mantis as pets in terrariums or other small indoor enclosures. Young nymphs are very aggressive towards each other and tend to become cannibalistic - give them plenty of room.

Interesting Factoid #1: It has been discovered that the mantid uses an ultrasonic detecting ear as its main tool of defense. According to research, the ear is tuned to the same frequency that is used by bats (a significant mantis predator) for echolocation. The mantid uses its sensitive ear primarily while flying. When it hears a bats signal, it curls its abdomen up and thrusts out its forelimbs, creating an aerial stall, which sends the mantis plummeting safely to the ground. Experiments show a relationship between the volume of the bats signal and the mantis flight pattern. The louder the signal, the more erratic the pattern.

Interesting Factoid #2: Many people believe that the female mantis always bites the head off her mate, BUT it's not true. It happens more in captivity, and even then she eats her mate only 15% of the time. The male can complete fertilization without his head.
Related Sites:
• Click here for more praying mantid information.
• View a picture of a praying mantis eating a hummingbird.
• Praying Mantis Extension Fact Sheet - Ohio State University
• Natural Enemies Gallery - University of California Statewide IPM Program
• Meet the Good Bugs - This Old House

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(NaturalNews) The root of good and bad health resides in the gut. This is a centuries old maxim of both Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and India's Ayurvedic medical practices.

Over the last few decades, renegade MD's, holistic practitioners, chiropractors, and alternative health nutritionists have realized this basic truth as well. This ancient health maxim has even been determined to affect mental health, where the gut is tagged as a second brain.

Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride has embraced this wisdom and developed the GAPS (gut and psychology syndrome) diet, which has a proven track record of returning autism spectrum children to normalcy. For starters, she experimented on her autistic son and cured him.

Dr. Campbell-McBride and others have determined that high fiber foods wind up feeding pathogenic bacteria if they greatly outnumber probiotic bacteria. This is the case with Candida overgrowth and other parasitic or pathogenic bacteria situations.

Once there is a serious intestinal flora imbalance, fibers feed the bad guys. Then, initially abstaining from plant fiber foods is recommended.

When the beneficial probiotic bacteria to pathogenic bacteria balance is restored to around 80/20, then a high fiber diet is a good idea again. If that's not an issue and you're doing okay using a diet with various fibrous plant foods, disregard abstaining from high fiber foods.

All this requires paying attention to your body's reaction to the foods you eat.

Five food suggestions for healing the gut

[1] If you think your gut bacteria ratios are heavily out of whack, eliminating high fiber beans and grains may be necessary for a while. One way to reduce fibers is to rely heavily on soups, good dairy, free range eggs, and meats from grass-fed livestock.

But you can stick with veggies by juicing often with a slow speed masticating juicer that separates the liquid from the pulp.

[2] At first, it may be necessary to use high quality probiotic supplements. But fermented foods and beverages should be added with gusto. Miso, Kimchi, live yogurts, kombucha, water kefir, and milk kefir are excellent sources of beneficial bacteria.

Amazingly, probiotic microbes also chelate heavy metals and eliminate them with the stool. Just make sure you use water that's been de-chlorinated and de-fluorinated for water-based beverages.

Though not required, raw milk is ideal for milk kefir and homemade live yogurts. Fermented foods and/or beverages are vital additions to anyone's diet. Read more here: (http://www.naturalnews.com/027554_kefir_water_grains.html) and/or here: (http://www.naturalnews.com/033675_fermented_foods_probiotics.html)

[3] Intestinal villi are tiny tubular protrusions on your gut's inner lining responsible for absorbing nutrients from food particles. Leaky gut syndrome and Celiac disease nullifies them. Here's an easy, tasty Ayurvedic remedy to recover your intestinal villi.

A couple hours after your last daily meal, take a tablespoon of organic raisins mixed with a tablespoon of organic raw sesame seeds. Chew the mixture well before swallowing on a daily basis. That's it.

[4] Coconut oil, preferably organic cold pressed, contains medium chain fatty acids that are easily converted into energy. It is also anti-microbial and anti-fungal, another remedy for getting rid of your gut's bad guys.

When it comes to fats, another source recommends trying for 1:1 omega-6/omega-3 fatty acid balance. Chia seeds form a soothing soluble fiber gel while providing omega-3, and of course krill and fish oils do also. Cold pressed virgin olive oil is a great source of omega-6.

[5] High quality marine phytoplankton in liquid form is probably the most nutrient packed green micro-algae superfood around, even outdoing chlorella and spirulina.

You'll get plenty of protein and more from any of those even while avoiding or restricting high fiber foods. But the right phytoplankton is the most super superfood according to Health Ranger Mike Adams. (http://www.naturalnews.com/023853_marine_phytoplankton_microalgae.html)

Sources for this article include:

Dr. Campbell-McBride http://www.gaps.me/

The Paleo approach http://paleoparents.com/2012/what-should-you-eat-to-heal-a-leaky-gut/

More food suggestions http://chriskresser.com/9-steps-to-perfect-health-5-heal-your-gut

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Benefits from poultry manure — no chicken feed

M. J. PRABU

Cheap, effective: At present India produces about 6.25 to 8 million tonnes of poultry manure annually.

 

A GOOD and fertile soil is often compared to a womb. Often farmers do not realize that a soil with poor fertility and poor yield are directly linked.

“Except a few, there are many farmers in the country who do not show interest in testing their soil for micronutrient deficiencies.

In general, farmers apply micronutrients only when crops show deficiency symptoms, while micronutrient deficiencies decrease yields before symptoms appear,” says Prof. D. Narahari, formerHead, Poultry Science, Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Chennai.

Several research

“Based on several research works and surveys, the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank have stated that enriching the soils with micronutrients, by using organic fertilizers, not only impacts plant deficiencies, but also on humans and animals, through the food chain,” says Prof. Narahari.

Even in the case of those who use chemical fertilizers and sprays, farmyard manure or vermicompost forms the basic input for their fields before sowing and is a long standing practice.

Soil rejuvenation

For centuries now,farmers accept that organic manures of cattle, poultry and green leaves wastes (mulching) rejuvenates their soil physically, chemically, and biologically.

“Farmers in developed countries are now more aware and are switching over to organic manures resulting in more than 10 per cent drop in chemical fertilizer production.

On the contrary, we in India are ignoring the benefits of organic fertilizers and importing huge quantities of chemical fertilizers,” says Prof. Narahari.

Confined to pockets

Though cattle compost manure is known to our farmers not many are familiar with poultry manure; because modern poultry farms have emerged in India just four decades back, though confined to a few pockets.

Most crops, especially paddy, sugar cane, plantation crops, floriculture and horticultural crops respond well to poultry manure.

However, it is not that advisable for leguminous crops. Crops absorb the nitrogen in poultry manure similar to urea.

So they need lower doses and proper irrigation.

Cage manure

According to Prof Narahari, for best results apply deep litter poultry manure at half to one third doses and cage manure at one third to one fourth doses of the cattle manure and water the crop immediately.

The poultry manure can be pelletized and packed in 5-25kg capacity bags, as in the case of developed countries, for use in home gardens and nurseries.

Farmers with farms close to poultry farms use poultry manure regularly for their crops, with good returns.

Poultry manure is a more concentrated source of crop nutrients, especially NPK and calcium. Being naturally organic, it does not need composting and can be applied directly to the fields from the farm.

“The fertilizer value of one tonne of dried cage poultry manure is equivalent to 100 kg urea, 150kg super phosphate, 50kg potash, 125kg calcium carbonate, 30 kg sulphur, 12 kg sodium chloride, 10kg magnesium sulphate, 5kg ferrous sulphate, 1kg manganese sulphate, zinc sulphate and other trace minerals each and is available at a cheaper rate than other market available inputs,” explains Prof. Narahari.

Foreign exchange

At present India produces about 6.25 and 8.0 million tonnes of poultry manure, sufficient to fertilize about 3.56 million hectares of land annually, if properly utilized it can help save billions of foreign exchange, by replacing huge imports of chemical fertilizers.

 

 

For more information, contact Prof. D. Narahari, former Professor and Head, Poultry Science, Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal sciences University, Chennai, email: narahari.devareddy@gmail.com, mobile: 94448-10639.

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Farmers can save and earn more through vermi technology

M. J. Prabu

 

“group of farmers from different villages were selected and given training”

Whatever be the crops, after harvesting the residue left in the field poses a major problem as removing it requires manpower and money.  In some places farmers simply burn the dried leaves, stalk in the field itself as it is an easy option. But over time this practice makes the land barren and kills several beneficial organisms that aid good growth.

Cost reduction

“And today with the cost of fertilizers hitting the roof it will be advisable if farmers can effectively use these wastes to make some sort of manure like vermicompost and put it back to the soil. By doing so expenses can be reduced and soil fertility be upgraded,” says Dr. V. Kantharaju, Programme Coordinator, Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Gulbarga, Karnataka.

A group of farmers from different villages were selected and given training by the KVK staff on vermi composting methods.

Awareness

The farmers were also made aware on the importance of natural farming through vermicomposting methods and how this could help them cut down expenses in buying fertilizers.

Since this method helped them save some money several farmers willingly took it up.

“Also the income obtained from such activity can be reinvested by the farmer in enhancing his farm resources and infrastructure for higherreturn. He can go for crop diversification and better income,” says Dr. Kantharaju.

“For farmers, seeing is believing. When they heard about other farmers doing well in this line, they started visiting our KVK office and expressed willingness to try the same.

“Today we have been able to help such farmers in setting up their own small vermicomposting units and manufacture their own inputs,” says Dr. Kantharaju.

Loan

A dryland farmer, Mr. Shivanand in the region who underwent a similar training, started his own unit in small way. In due course, with help from KVK staff, he got a loan of Rs.4 lakh from a local bank.

“I constructed 48 pits from the loan amount and today am able to produce 100 tonnes of compost a year. 50 tonnes was used for my personal use and the remaining sold at Rs.300 per quintal. The worms were also sold for Rs. 300 a kg,” says the enterprising farmer.

Production doubled

Within a year he doubled his production to nearly 200 tonnes. He also started to enrich his compost with neem cake, Trichoderma, Pseudomonas, Rhizobium, and Azospirillum.

The farmer also developed a diversified cropping pattern using the vermicompost from his own unit.

He planted papaya in five acres, musk melon in one acre, and cucumber in some remaining area. With continuous guidance from the expert team who periodically visited him, he earned Rs. 3 lakh from papaya, Rs. 1.5 lakh from water melon, Rs. 1.5 lakh from musk melon, and Rs. 1 lakh from cucumber. He constructed a new home, purchased land worth Rs. 5 lakh from the income.

He has also employed about 10 permanent and temporary labour to look after the daily work in the production unit.\

Better revenue

The success of Mr. Shivanand spread like wild fire and several people are visiting his farm to learn how he has been able to succeed in terms of revenue.

Mr. Shivanand has also been conferred several awards.

Readers can get in touch with Dr. V. Kantharaju, Programme Coordinator, Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Aland road, Gulbarga: 585 101, Karnataka, email: kvkglb.in@gmail.com and kantharaju74@gmail.com, Phone: 08472 274596, Mobiles: 9448584749 and 9480696315.

 

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