I found this article in Harris' Gardening Almanac, pg. 54-55. I thought I would post it here for those of you interested in organic methods of controlling insects in your cottage & veggie gardens rather than poisoning them. Here are a few of the ideas found in the article:

Try these alternatives to commercial chemical products

by N. E. MacDougald

Borax - Cockroaches & ants hate it. Sprinkle 1/4 tsp around affected plants or areas. Caution: too much Borax is toxic, so stick with the tiny amount given and keep out of reach of children and pets).

Liquid garlic - Sprayed on plants & in orchards, it keeps birds away.

Garlic Barrier - Peel and mince a head of garlic; add to a quart of water; let it sit a few hours. Strain and spray. (I use this method. Can be used year round, if needed. Does not affect taste of fruit. You can also add crushed mint- repels aphids and ants.)

HOMEMADE PESTICIDES

Diluted vinegar - also called acetic acid-is a fine organic weed killer. Dilute it to 5%, 10%, or 20% strength with water----yes, the stuff you use to clean floors---and pour it into a spray bottle or if you need to cover a large area, a backpack sprayer. Vinegar acts as a defoliant, not a poison.Spray it onto the plants you want to kill, but wait for hot, sunny weather for best results. Spraying on cool, overcast days will have no effect. (note: If you use 5% apple-cider vinegar that you use for cooking, you need not dilute it.)

Dishwater - is an effective and virtually free insecticide. Put your (used) dishwater in a watering can and use it on mums and hostas. For a stronger insecticide, add three tablespoons of dishwashing detergent to a gallon of water and use it weekly.

Saltwater spray - is as simple as it sounds and works on cabbage worms and spider mites. Dissolve a couple of Tablespoons of salt in a gallon of water, mix and spray.

Spearmint-hot pepper-horseradish spray - is effective on a variety of insects. Mix the spearmint leaves horseradish, onion tops andpeppers together with sufficient water to cover everything. Strain the solution. After mixing all of these, add a half-gallon of water and 2 Tablespoons of liquid dishwashing detergent. Dilute this solution 50/50 with water. Use to spray most plants safely. You can store this solution for a few days in a cool place.

Ingredients:

1/2 cp. of hot peppers

1/2 cp. fresh spearmint

1/2 cp. horseradish, roots and leaves

1/2 cp green onion tops

2 Tbsp.liquid dishwashing detergent

Water (as needed to dilute).

This last one is my favorite organic solution that I have used since the 70s. I predominantly use it for spraying roses, strawberries and all fruit-bearing vines, bushes, brambles and trees, but it can be good for anything bothered by Japanese beetles, mites, thrips, aphids, ants, and etc. Grasshoppers don't like it either. It softens the exoskeletons of hard-shelled insects, which causes them to die.

(Note: For Tent caterpillars, I simply use a torch and burn them out of my trees. It is very effective!)

Beneficial Insects..................................Controls

Aphid midges................................Aphids

Beneficial wasps............................Green Peach & Apple Aphids

Dragonflies.................................Mosquitoes, Gnats

Ground Beetles..............................Cabbge-root maggots, cutworms, snails, slug eggs, armyworms,, tent caterpillars

Lacewings...................................Aphids, scale, sm. caterpillars, thrips

"Ladybugs"..................................Aphids, mealybugs, spider mites

Mealybug destroyer..........................Mealybugs

Minute pirate bug...........................Thrips, mites

Parasitic wasps.............................Whitefly, aphids, some pest caterpillars

Predatory mites.............................Fungus gnats, thrips, spider mites

Rose beetles................................Root maggot

Scale predator beetles......................Soft scales

Spined soldier bug..........................Colorado potato & Mexican bean beetle

Syrphid flies...............................Aphids

Tachnid flies...............................Tent caterpillars & armyworms

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These things will not kill 100% of the insects - they are not poisons, but it will keep them in-check for a more natural solution to pest infestations in the garden.

~Annie