Kitchen Garden Forum

I am prompted by a thread in General Chatter viewtopic.php?f=8&t=9558 to wonder what insecticides people regularly use and for what pests.

I don't use any pesticides at all since I stopped using derris against cabbage white caterpillars years ago. Maybe I'm just lucky not to have too many insect pests. I would rather have a little damage than put insecticide of any sort on leafy food crops.

I am not trying to be controversial or "political" here (as if ). I just think that other people's practices and experiences, as well as views, could be informative.

Hi Alan,
Only in extreme situations do I use an insecticide and this is generally a preparation I make for myself. Nicotine used and always against something that I know cannot be cured any other way. Now I know the Nicotine policeman will have something to say about this. But hey who cares! And for those who care I have used 1.5 litres of made up solution of insecticide only once in the last five years. This means about 5cc of Nicotine against an outbreak of White Fly. I prefer prevention methods to using insecticides.
JB.

Hi Alan, I have only been growing vegetables for the last four years and last year was the only time (so far) I have had to resort to a non-organic control. Can't remember the make, but it was used to deal with a particularly heavy infestation of greenfly on my pepper plants that defied all natural methods of control. So far this year there hasn't been a problem but should it rear its ugly head I will be trying SB Plant Invigorator at the first signs.

Diane

Hi Alan,

Last year I used washing up liquid once, and that is as insecticidal it gets with me

I prefer netting against caterpillars, and don't worry about whitefly at all.

I'm with Alan on this and like PJ have found netting has helped a lot.

Hi Colin,
The only reason I got White Fly on my Brassicas was because I failed to note that the anti White Fly netting had been torn away in a very high wind.
Hi PJ,
I think you need to read up on White Fly because you should be worried by them especially on young brassica plants.
JB.

Hi Johnboy,

Although I get loads of White Fly every year, they have never caused any loss of plants, nor have I been disappointed in the crop. That is over a period of almost 40 years.

I'm Sorry PJ I find that very hard to stomach. White Fly can totally decimate young brassicas and the flies also carry and transmit diseases and viruses.
JB.

Well normally I don't bother, but I logged on today to see what suggestions there were on the site for bean weevils. I normally tolerate them but this year, despite the fact that the Broad Beans are at least 6 inches high, they are really making a mess of them and starting to look as if they are not going to make it. I see Johnboy uses Nicotine but I am not a smoker so suggestions please. And the peas and mangetout aren't very happy either.

Pea and bean weevils are our bugbears as well and I use that environmentally friendly stuff (can't remember the name and the tin is on the allotment, so can't look) which 'suffocates' them. The problem is always worst in dry springs of which we seem to have had a row recently, including this year. The broad beans seem to be able withstand the onslaught, the peas less so.

That's the only insecticide I use. We never get blackfly on the broad beans nor many greenfly on other plants, and in the greenhouse I always hang two sticky yellow cards.

Colin Miles wrote:I am not a smoker so suggestions please

Hi Colin, I guess we can still buy some tobacco & use JB's method (without having to inhale)

In agreement with you on this Alan. I waited till things struck a natural balance and don't use any pesticides, but I do use prevention, fleece, enviromesh,against cabbage whites and thrips. My ducks are good predators of slugs and snails, I put wilted lettuce leaves down with a few organic slug pellets before planting out tender plants and that generally takes care of any the ducks might have missed. There are loads of natural predators in the garden, like garden spiders lace wings and ladybirds, slow worms frogs toads etc, because I don't use pesticides and kill them off. Yellow sticky cards in the greenhouse but they are well away from the plants. I concentrate more on prevention and maintaining deep healthy soil with plenty of humus to retain moisture, with mulch to keep it moist. If plants are less stressed they are less susceptible. last year i almost removed a tips on my cherry that had a few greenfly then stopped when I saw ladybirds tucking into the few that were there.

Hi NB,

Yellow sticky cards in the greenhouse but they are well away from the plants.

I find this quite a strange practice and almost a waste of time and money actually bothering to use the yellow cards.
You may have been wondering about my use of Nicotine and I would like to assure you that I only use this when a breakdown has occurred in my protection scheme. The last time I used any Nicotine was when a very heavy wind damaged my anti White Fly netting and before I even knew of the damage the WF were onto my crop. I then repaired the damage and then having trapped the WF into the enclosed area covered with fleece and sprayed at late dusk when the Bees had gone to bed. I did the same four days later and had a complete kill. No other insect was killed in the operation to my knowledge. I think that this is a responsible use of an insecticide but of course there will be those who will think differently and of course they are entitled to their opinion.
JB.