If you have spent much time in Yardener's Helper enjoying the fascinating files that deal with controlling the many pest insects found at times in the home landscape, then you understand that there is seldom just one technique or just one product available to control a particular pest. This section of Tool Shed offers you information on the entire range of products that are available to control or dispatch pest insects.
In many cases, there are "How To Choose" files or "How To Use" files linked to the insect control product files; you might find them helpful in making your decision about your tool of choice.
In the meantime, there are several new exciting organic insect controls you need to know about:
Spinosad - New Microbial Lawn & Garden Insect Spray
Spinosad is a relatively new insect killer that was discovered from soil in an abandoned rum distillery in 1982. Spinosad can be used on outdoor ornamentals, lawns, vegetables and fruit trees. It is expected to replace Bt.
Spinosad must be ingested by the insect, therefore it has little effect on sucking insects and non-target predatory insects. Spinosad is relatively fast acting. The pest insect dies within 1 to 2 days after ingesting the active ingredient. Will not persist in the environment. Sunlight and soil microbes break it down into carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen.
Insects Controlled by Spinosad
On Trees - Gypsy moth, bagworms, tent caterpillars, leafrollers, webworms,
Fruit Trees - codling moth, borers,
Roses - Japanese beetles, thrips, spider mites
Vegetables - Colorado potato beetle larva, whiteflies, squash vine borer, leaf miners, tomato caterpillars, cabbage caterpillars, cucumber beetle,
Lawns - armyworms, fleas, ants, fire ants,
Also - sawflies, gall midges, stinkbugs, harlequin bugs, fruit flies, loopers, and more.
Azamax Is A New Effective Organic Anti-feedant
AzaMax is a natural product with a broad spectrum of pest control and broad plant applications. It contains Azadirachtin A&B as active ingredients and more than 100 limonoids from it's special technology. The special feature of AzaMax is that is does not use hard chemical solvents and fully uses food grade formulation ingredients. AzaMax is an antifeedant and insect growth regulator which control pests through starvation and growth disruption.
Azamax effectively controls many pest insects including those few not controled by Spinosad. Azamaz will control spider mites, thrips, fungus gnats, aphids, whiteflies, leaf miners, worms, beetles, leafhoppers, scales, mealy bugs, nematodes and other soil borne pests.