Clear Your Home of Risky Diazinon and Try Safer Pest-Control Methods
Check your garage or shed for Ortho, Spectracide, Real-Kill or No-Pest. These products, commonly used to combat ants, roaches, and garden and lawn pests, may contain diazinon, a chemical that is being phased out because of its health risks, especially to children, and its impact on the environment.
Diazinon will not be as widely available for nonagricultural uses over the next three years and will be off store shelves by 2004.
But there’s good news.
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Carol Browner said curtailing production of the chemical “will help encourage consumers to move to safer pest control practices.”
There are many organic alternatives to pesticides, but before you experiment, remember that the goal is not to destroy all pests, but to keep their population at a tolerable level and plants healthy.
The first step is to identify the problem. Use a 10-power magnifying glass to look closely at the damage and the suspected pest. If you can’t figure out what the problem is, consult a nursery worker or horticultural consultant.
Once you know what you’re battling, try one of these nontoxic control methods:
* Let nature do the dirty work. Some pests will die during the winter’s cold and rain can wash away fungal problems.
* Use fingers and water. Large insects such as caterpillars can be easily picked off and destroyed, and small insects such as aphids can be smashed with fingers. A stream of water can get rid of many pests such as aphids, thrips and spider mites.
* Consider biological controls. Beneficial insects--ladybugs, preying mantis, lacewings--and other organisms feed on pests. Buy beneficials at nurseries and through mail-order companies, and release them at the correct time of year.
Bacillus thuringiensis is the most widely used biological control in the world. It creates spores that paralyze caterpillars’ guts and cause them to stop eating and die.
* Prepare the soil. Healthy, mulched soil with enough organic matter and the right nutrients results in strong plants, making them less susceptible to illness.
* Spray insecticidal soap and horticultural oils. Both soap and oil clog the breathing apparatus of pests, interrupt other bodily functions and gum up their legs. Although horticultural oils aren’t organic, they are very fine and become inert almost instantly.
To make insecticidal soap, mix a half-tablespoon to 1 tablespoon of a mild liquid dish detergent with 1 gallon of water. Spray the solution on a small section of the plant and wait a half-hour to test for leaf damage. If all seems well, spray the top and underside of plant leaves. Wash the soap off the plants a few hours later if you are concerned about leaf damage.
For a fungicide to rid your plants of rust, powdery mildew and black spot, mix 1 tablespoon of fine horticultural oil and 1 1/2 tablespoons of baking soda in 1 gallon of water. Spray on the upper and lower parts of leaves. Repeat every seven to 10 days.
Two suggestions:
* Use organic pest control solutions with caution. Organic solutions such as rotenone and pyrethrins may be derived from plant sources and don’t persist in the environment, but they are extremely toxic upon application. Follow package directions exactly.
* Don’t dump old or leftover pesticides, herbicides or chemical fertilizers in the sewer system or the garbage. Call (714) 834-6752 for the nearest Household Hazardous Waste Collection Center.
For more information, visit the EPA pesticide site at https://www.epa.gov/pesticides or environmental groups’ sites such as the Environmental Working Group at https://www. ewg.org.
