Natural insect control has gone mainstream. An increasing number of homeowners, gardeners and homesteaders are teaming up with Mother Nature to kill and control insect pests. Using natural insect control can take many forms. But natural insect control typically involves encouraging Mother Nature to fight insects by using organic and environmentally friendly control methods.

The growing interest in less chemically intensive, natural and organic living has resulted in a dramatic increase in eco-friendly product choices. The products below prove that you can kill insect pests without resorting to using harsh chemicals.

Mother Nature’s mosquito control uses BTI to kill mosquitoes

Homeowners looking for an effective way to control pesky, disease-spreading mosquitoes don’t have to resort to harmful chemicals. Female mosquitoes lay their eggs in pools of standing water. That’s why the first step in controlling mosquitoes is to eliminate standing water wherever possible.

In warm weather, mosquitoes can develop from eggs to adults in a little more than a week. It is important to empty out birdbaths, pot saucers and kids’ swimming pools. Also, unclog rain gutters to reduce the areas where mosquitoes can lay eggs.

Where standing water remains or can collect after a heavy rain, use BTI. This naturally occurring bacterium (BTI is short for Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis) attacks only mosquito larvae. It’s deadly to mosquito larvae but harmless to other living things. BTI is the active ingredient in Mosquito Dunks®, the top-selling biological mosquito control in North America. The BTI in Mosquito Dunks® kills mosquito larvae before they can become flying, biting, disease-spreading adults.

Just float chemical-free Mosquito Dunks® in ponds, birdbaths, outdoor tubs, water gardens or wherever water collects and remains for periods of time. It will save you hours of time outdoors, and removes the need for drastically harmful pesticides. Mosquito Dunks® are approved for use in organic production, and they are also approved for use in fish habitats and animal watering troughs. Each biodegradable Mosquito Dunk® will treat up to 100 square feet of surface water for about 30 days. Mosquito Dunks® are available at home centers, hardware stores, garden centers and at Amazon.com and www.summitresponsiblesolutions.com.

Kill webworms and caterpillars with natural BTK

Caterpillars and webworms can quickly devour plant leaves–and sometimes entire plants. Fortunately, there’s a new, organic way to control caterpillars and webworms on fruit trees, shade trees, shrubs and garden plants.

Summit® Biological Caterpillar & Webworm Control is a 100% natural alternative to chemical insecticides. The active ingredient is Bacillus thuringiensis subspecies kurstaki (BTK), a naturally occurring bacterium that effectively kills caterpillars and webworms. Best of all, BTK has no effect on birds, earthworms or ben­eficial insects such as honeybees and ladybugs.

Unlike chemical insecticides that kill all insects, BTK kills only the caterpillar stage of specific pest insects. Summit® Biological Caterpillar & Webworm Control is organic, so it gives gardeners and market farmers an effective, 100% natural way to kill damaging caterpillars.

When webworms and caterpillars eat foliage sprayed with Summit® Biological Caterpillar & Webworm Control, they immediately stop feeding until they die of starvation. The spray can be used weekly to effectively control leaf-feeding caterpillars including bagworms, tent caterpillars, tomato hornworms, cabbage loppers, imported cabbage worms, spring cankerworms, fall webworms, gypsy moths, and more.

Just mix Summit® Biological Caterpillar & Webworm Control concentrate with water accord­ing to label instructions and spray on vegetable plants, trees and shrubs. Apply thoroughly to cover all foliage surfaces. Apply at the first sign of infestation and repeat at weekly intervals as needed to maintain control.

Summit® Biological Caterpillar & Webworm Control is available as a concentrate (just add water according to label instructions) and in a ready-to-use hose-end spray bottle. This product is available in retail stores and at Amazon.com and SummitResponsibleSolutions.com.

Light-weight, organic horticultural oil kills insect pests

Now there’s a light-weight horticultural oil that can be used any time during the year to effectively control insect pests on even sensitive plants such as roses, impatiens and ferns.

Summit® Year-Round® Spray Oil is an environmentally responsible insecticide that kills a wide variety of insect pests including aphids, whiteflies, spider mites, mealybugs, scale, thrips, fungus gnats, leaf beetle larvae, lace bugs and more.

Because of its low toxicity, organic Summit Year-Round Spray Oil can be used on garden plants and fruit trees right up to the day of harvest. Use this odorless spray on trees, shrubs, flowers and vegetable plants. Also use Summit Year-Round Spray Oil on houseplants indoors and in greenhouses. 

Horticultural oils have a huge advantage over chemical-based pest control products. Chemical pesticides can become less effective after repeated use. However, there is no known build-up of insect resistance to horticultural oil sprays.

Many pesticides kill insects with toxic chemicals, but Summit Year-Round Spray Oil literally smothers insects to death. The oil spray blocks an insect’s breathing holes (called spiracles), causing insects to die from asphyxiation. Summit Year-Round Spray Oil is OMRI Listed® by the Organic Materials Review Institute and approved for use in certified organic production.

Summit® Year-Round® Spray Oil concentrate is available in three different sizes—one pint, one quart and one gallon—and a handy one-quart bottle with a built-in hose-end sprayer is also available at garden centers, home centers, hardware stores and online at Amazon and www.summitresponsiblesolutions.com.

Need help controlling ticks and fleas? Then read How to Kill Ticks and Fleas.