By David Lambert


You have been working for a long time in the garden of your dreams, just waiting to be rewarded with nature's bountiful harvest, and you can't wait to grace your families table with fresh fruit and veggies. Who will get more enjoyment from all this hard work?

Unfortunately there are hundreds and thousands of all types of insects and other critters of all sizes that have their eyes on your garden crop as well. The insects and other critters will also look at your garden that you have spent so many hours slaving over all season long and hear the dinner bell ringing.

One of the most challenging aspects of outdoor gardening, and one that defeats more than a few new gardeners, is the never-ending onslaught from these insects and critters.

You can easily wipe out insects with a wide variety of pesticides that have spawned an entire industry in bug and animal control. What is troubling is that the effective use of inorganic chemicals is frequently done at the expense of the environment and even risking the health of your family.

Pesticide - How Are They Defined?

Any pest, such as an insect, microbe that is either killed or disrupted as a result of chemical usage, that chemical is considered a pesticide. Whenever we hear the word pesticide, we instantly think of chemical or man-created pesticides. These chemicals do their jobs very well, but can be harmful.

With the whole Eco-friendly movement, and more issues expressed toward family health and protection of our fragile environment, there has been a big movement toward the natural pesticides as an substitute to their inorganic counterparts.

Organic or natural pesticides are produced from plants or from a natural mineral as a natural defense mechanism directly from mother nature.

Organic Pesticides - Are They really Safer?

Most pesticides derived from organic sources are much safer to use than their inorganic counterparts, with few if any exceptions. However note that even if they are derived from natural sources they can still be very toxic if ingested. Inorganic chemicals used for pests can be very harmful and even fatal to wildlife and humans. Their overuse can result in the pollution of waterways and water-tables. It has been proven that long term exposure to some of these chemical pesticides can result in increased risk of cancer and birth defects.

For these reasons, many gardeners are switching to organic pesticides for pest control since they are more often than not much safer and more environmentally friendly than conventional chemicals. Since organic pesticides are nearly always just as effective as their inorganic counterparts, they are repeatedly the first choice for the Eco-friendly minded homeowner.

What Are The Advantages of Organic Pesticides

Just keep in mind that the organic versions of these pesticides are more environmentally friendly for both the family and the environment. There are some other virtues that make the use of organic compounds very attractive. They very rarely cause any contamination due to the fact that they break down naturally. When applied correctly, they can be very effective.

Here Are Some Disadvantages of Organic Pesticides

Even though the organic pesticides are good at what they do best, they are not perfect. One concern is that they don't last nearly as long after application. Another fact is that they are quite often more expensive than conventional pesticides, and for serious problems, they may not be 100% effective.

Organic Pesticides - A Sampling

To find out the options that are available to substitute for inorganic substances, be sure to visit the article Organic Pesticides. Most are available as commercially-produced products, and some can be homemade to keep costs down.




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