Neem oil, as a spray and soil treatment, will act as a systemic, with out putting yourself or the environment in jeopardy. It will not cause overnight destruction to pests, but rather acts as an antifeedant/deterant. Best used as a preventative, or in rotation with population knockdown measures. Cold pressed is prime, as some heavily processed oils have the active ingredient Azadirachtin removed, and can be obtained at health food stores/natural pharmacies. Spray water temperature and a good surfactant are important, to ensure proper emulsification and even spread. Warm water (70-80*F ideally) is important, as cold water will coagulate the oil, and hot water will reduce its impact. For a soil drench to combat fungus gnats, root aphids, etc, 5-12ml per litre, mixed with an equal part surfactant (liquid soap, potassium based. Dr.Bonners preferably.) For a spray, I use a 1% concentration with an equal part surfactant Companion planting, trap crops, etc. There are many ways to control pests, a multi pronged approach is best. SM90, with its nose tickling lemony bleach odour, is halfway between neem and Avid. Mainy comprised of canola and coriander oil. It does not work as a systemic, but is good to knock populations down, while rotating with insecticidal soaps and other control measures. Dr.Bonners works wonders on its own, at 1% concentration. Peppermint brings the added benefit of peppermint oil, an insecticide in its own right, and Lavender will act as a deterant. Ensure complete coverage of the plant, with particular focus on the underside of foliage. Spider mite eggs hatch every 3-5 days, an it is advisable to spray every 3-4 days until a measure of control is achieved. As with bringing anything new into the garden, test a small plot or single plant at different concentrations, starting low, and observe results over 3-4 days.

exactly, dan some pesticides ("organic" or not), such as Bt, will only kill certain kinds of insects, but some are universally deadly - so my question is: are insecticidal soaps deadly to all "bugs"?

That's actually a very good question as it strikes at the heart of "organic" vs factory farming. IMHO, organic gardening is more labor intensive and much safer for you and the environment. Visit your local Grocery Store and you'll see the produce department filled with gorgeous veggies. The ones labeled organic will cost more than the factory farmed ones. Also, since the consumer now wants Strawberries in February, etc. A large majority are shipped in from Mexico, Central and South America. Think they don't use various and sundry chemicals? I own a farm, though not doing much with it anymore as I'm retired, am very familiar with the various chemical cocktails Bayer, etc. woo farmers with. If you want to be comfy with chemicals, consider this, Chemicals are very expensive, farmers use the minimal amount to achieve the desired level of control. Contrast that to the "urbanite" who buys something at the local garden center, breaks out the gallon pump up sprayer, probably doesn't read the instructions e.g. "1/2-1 tsp. per gallon of water and proceeds to put in a few "glugs." Hey, this is America, more has gotta be better-right? Guess what, it controls the problem. If you want to use chemicals, READ the instuctions and err on the low side of the application rate. If the instructions say "damp or moisten" DON"T drown the plant! Yeah, more is better. Put another way, At some point you've probably had your M.D. proscribe something and got the explanation that "Drugs aren't good for you, however, we evaluate the "desired result vs the bad result" and you should take this. Words to that..... With the evolution of the Colorado Potato Beetle's resistance to anything else, if you buy potatoes, they've been treated with a systemic. To really understand what a systemic is, consider this: A trench or furrow is dug in your garden, potatoes are placed in it, a systemic is sprayed down the row, "annointing" both seed potatoes and the soil between, row is covered. As the potato grows, it absorbs this, a beetle comes along and proceeds to dine on the plant and dies. One treatment, good for the entire season. So the chemical is spread thoughout the plant, including the potatoes you harvest. BTW, it also stays in the soil, successive planting over succesive years the level increases. A pollinator wanders in and takes nectar from a bloom.....:-( As I said earlier, Organic is more labor intensive and is better for the environment and you. However, with the world population increasing and insects continuing to develop resistance to controls available, more and stronger controls are continually being developed in order to provide enough food. I'm not going anywhere with this particuarly, just wanted folks to understand what systemic means and if you choose to go that route, understand what you're doing and exhaust mechanical means as described above, sprays, pinching, barriers, etc. before chemicals are used. Be well,

Thanks for your help! Dave, I found this article and was wondering if you've tried these two methods? I'm wondering if I should just abandon the chemicals and go organic, as I'd hate to kill bees with the Sevin: Insect and Mite Control To manage problems with aphids and mites, try a pesticide made with rhubarb leaves. Simply boil rhubarb leaves in water for 20 minutes, and when cool strain into a spray bottle. A mild dishwashing soap can be added as well. For managing leaf-chewing pests, mix up mashed chili peppers, chopped onion and a head of minced garlic. Allow to steep in water for 24 hours before straining and spraying tomato plants. To curb attacks from tomato hornworms and other leaf cutters, make a mash of marigold leaves and flowers, and soak in water for 24 hours. Strain the solids, and add another 1.5 quarts of water plus a pinch of liquid castille soap before spraying. For problems with beetles, caterpillars, whitefly and any soft-bodied insect pest, use a mix of water, cayenne peppers and chopped horseradish root. Fungal Prevention Fungal diseases, like powdery mildew, can be prevented using a spray made of baking soda or potassium bicarbonate, horticultural oil and water. If you don't have horticultural oil, citrus oil or molasses makes a good substitute. In addition, milk deters powdery mildew. Mix 1 part of milk to 9 parts of water in a spray bottle for easy application. Cornmeal also can be used to manage fungal infections. Mix 1 cup of cornmeal with 5 gallons of water, strain, and then spray on tomato plants. For warding off early blight, mix 2 tablespoons each of cooking oil, organic baby shampoo and baking soda with 1 gallon of water, and then spray both sides of the leaves for best prevention. http://homeguides.sfgate.com/homemade-organic-pesticides-tomatoes-47644.html