My girlfriend says stomping them is better for the environment.
2006-12-11 11:32:03 · 3 answers · asked by alterper 1 in Home & Garden ➔ Garden & Landscape
Your girlfriend is right. Poisons not only affect the caterpillars; they can also poison pets, birds, beneficial insects, and other wildlife, plus they leach into the water table.
There are a few other environmentally sound methods besides actually capturing the caterpillars and stomping on them. Many will die if they are sprayed with an insecticidal soap solution (which you can either buy, or make yourself with some liquid soap mixed with water in a sprayer.) There are also products made from disease spores which only affect caterpillars. These are Bt products (for Bacillus thuringiensis). When you spray it on the caterpillars, they get sick, stop eating, and die.
If you and your girlfriend are interested in natural gardening products, check out the Gardens Alive! online catalog. They have the products I mentioned (their Bt caterpillar product is called Green Step Caterpillar Control) and many more.
2006-12-11 12:28:26 · answer #1 · answered by sonomanona 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
She's right. Hand picking them (use gloves if you're squeamish) and dropping them into water with a few drops of detergent in it is way more enviromentally friendly.
2006-12-11 12:01:36 · answer #2 · answered by sassy sue 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
depends on what kind of pests you have . but there are plants that naturally keep bugs away.ask at your local nursery.
2016-05-23 07:03:26 · answer #3 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋