One Simple Thing You Can Do: Pest Control

Pest Control

Something's eating your precious flowers.  You reach for the pesticide--but wait!  Although only 2% of the insects you find in your yard are harmful to your plants, pesticides don't discriminate.  They will kill every insect, both the beneficial and harmless bugs!  When used in industrial spraying, they are known to harm farm workers and people who live nearby, who get unintentional exposure to spray carried by the wind.  Closer to home, you and your kids can be exposed to them through contact with a treated lawn, or through contaminated water.  According to the U.S. Geological Survey, "Before the mid-1970s, it was thought that soil acted as a protective filter that stopped pesticides from reaching groundwater. Studies have now shown that this is not the case."  Pesticides have been linked to cancers such as acute childhood leukemia, prostate cancer, and soft tissue cancers.  Some pesticides are neurotoxins which are contributing to the demise of bees in great numbers (50% of colonies have disappeared in 2013), known as Colony Collapse Disorder.  And of course, we don't want these chemicals running off into the creeks and oceans and harming aquatic wildlife, either. 

So what can we do?  Go Organic:  In the store, and in your own yard. 

By eating organic, and supporting farmers who produce organically, we are not only preventing our own ingestion of poisons, but preventing the use of thousands of gallons of chemicals on an industrial scale.  Nowadays, organic products are getting more affordable much of the time.  Often, though, they are still more expensive.  You may not always think you can afford to buy organic, and that is of course up to each individual to decide.  But an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and personally I'd rather pay for good food than doctor's bills.  You do get what you pay for.  Americans spend less for food than any other country--and a lot of us are eating very low quality nutrition!  So even if you don't manage to buy all organic all of the time, perhaps you can consider it whenever possible.  Less poison is better!  And if there's one way to vote that still counts in this world: it's with your dollars. 

Going organic in your yard is easier than you think.  
First, bear in mind that weak plants are tempting prey to pests.  Selecting the right plant for your space/environment can be key.  Also healthy soil will mean healthier plants.  (You can benefit your soil greatly by composting.)

Good old biodegradable soap and water, or even just a blast of water alone, can do wonders to knock out aphids.  If you do require more, Flows to Bay has partnered with stores through the "Our Water Our World" program "to make less toxic pest control and gardening products more available to consumers...Participating stores provide fact sheets and 'shelf talkers' [labels on the shelf underneath the product] to make it easy for you to choose a less or non-toxic product."  Check out this fantastic website, it has all the info you need:  http://www.flowstobay.org/cs_pest_control.php  Here you can find a map listing all the participating stores. The website also lists beneficial insects, pesticides you should avoid, and links to lists of good products.  

Finally, if you have any pest or gardening questions, contact your local UCCE Master Gardener Helpline--it's free!  It is staffed 2 days a week by UC-trained volunteers dedicated to teaching & training home gardeners.  Find out more at: SMSF-Mastergardeners.ucanr.org

May you enjoy some healthy eating and gardening!