Organic farming pest control has a new name for the twenty-first century: integrated pest management or IPM. It is so named because there is no one perfect way to deter or destroy pests. Not only is controlling pests organically more work than spraying them with toxic chemicals, it involves putting together multiple strategies for a management plan.

You have to have three separate focuses for successful organic farming pest control. Insecticides which are organic is one area. There are many sprays and dusts that you can make from household and farm products which can deter pests. Cultural management is another area. This involves crop rotation, developing a schedule of spring, summer and fall plantings, and deciding which cover crops to grow. The area of biological control is also part of pest management. This can involve bringing in other insect predators, fungi or bacteria to battle the unwanted pests.

IPM requires excellent cost analysis skills to see which organic pest control methods are the most effective financially. It also means making drawings of your garden or crop-producing fields and indicating on these the best locations for specific vegetables or fruit trees. You need to have a written record of such endeavors as companion planting and crop rotation. You need to also keep a log of what pests you have, when they came, and what methods you used to address the problem.

Let’s take a look at some of these methods of organic pest control and how they work:

Aluminum mulch

Insects are easily confused. That’s why reflective mulch is able to do its job of deterring insects. This mulch is plastic (polyethylene), and covered with a coating of aluminum. That makes the surface very shiny, so it is able to take the ultraviolet light that comes from the sun and reflect it back to the sky. The insects are confounded by the brightness and that stops them from being able to land on the leaves of the plants. Several insects can be controlled by this method, including thrips, whiteflies and aphids.

Foliar sprays, insecticidal soaps

Natural insect sprays

Sprays do not need to contain lethal doses of toxins in order to control pests. There are many organic substances which can be used to keep insects and other pests at bay. For instance, pyrethrins are compounds which come from chrysanthemums, and these are extracted to make oils and powders. Another organic insecticide is rotenone, which is derived from a tropical plant. Rotenone has been used for decades, but there is now some concern about its own toxicity, and whether or not there is a link between the plant extract and Parkinson’s disease.

Pyrethrins can be used to control such insects as stink bugs, squash bugs, blister beetles, Colorado potato beetles, harlequin bugs, cucumber beetles, flea beetles, bean leaf beetles, thrips and others.

Another foliar spray that comes from a tree is neem oil. The neem tree originated in Southeast Asia. This oil works to control a wide assortment of insects, including Japanese beetles, aphids, crickets, flea beetles, stink bugs, whiteflies, cabbage worms, thrips, harlequin bugs, grasshoppers and others.

Soaps for insects

Many of these same insects can be repelled or killed by the use of insecticidal soaps. These can be purchased from organic supply stores or you can try some homemade versions. The easiest one is just to mix water and dishwashing liquid in a spray bottle and spray it onto the leaves of the plants. Don’t forget the undersides of the leaves either. Because insects don’t like hot and spicy foods, you can add garlic, onions or peppers to the mix. Just boil these vegetables in water for at least 15 minutes and then add the water to your spray bottle. A lot of insects will be deterred by the smell.

Insects are not all bad

When you use synthetic pesticides, you not only kill the insects which damage the plants but all the other insects as well. Many of these insects are very helpful in the garden and if, given the chance will pursue and devour the problem insects. You may have many beneficial insects in your garden already, or you may want to import more to deal with an infestation. There are companies which do nothing but breed insects to sell.

If you have aphids or spider mites, increase your population of green lacewings and ladybugs. Aphids, thrips, corn earworms and spider mites can all be eaten by minute pirate bugs. When it comes to caterpillars, corn rootworms, stinkbugs, corn borers and cutworms, give soldier beetles a try. Tachinid flies are pursuers of armyworms, cutworms, stinkbugs, caterpillars and corn borers.

It doesn’t matter if you have a tiny garden out back of your home or acres of vegetables which you sell commercially, pests can be organically controlled. You can buy soaps and sprays or make up your own–all without using pesticides which will harm life on earth. Start by making a commitment to grow foods organically, and then set up your own integrated pest management plan.

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When I was a kid, I developed an allergy to peanut butter, something I loved to eat by the spoonful. While others ate it, mixing clumps with strawberry jam and putting it between two slices of bread, I stood by drooling; then, with a sense of defeat, I went to stick my head in my Easy Bake Oven. To me, there was nothing worse than being five years old and having a peanut allergy; it‘s the equivalent to having a wine allergy when you’re over 21.

Lucky for me, I’m not allergic to wine. I’ve self-tested with hundreds of bottles and I can confidently declare that I would definitely know by now. Definitely.. But, many others aren’t that lucky; some people have wine allergies, an allergy that hinders their ability to savor one of life‘s greatest pleasures.. This allergy leaves people with an empty wine glass, an empty wine cellar, and a unyielding impulse to look up to the sky and scream, “Make me allergic to diary, make me allergic to cats, make me allergic to my siblings, but please don’t take away my Cabernet.”

While no one wants a wine allergy, those who have one are forced to take it seriously. This is particularly true if they are allergic to sulfites, compounds often used as a means to preserve wine by helping it to avoid oxidation and spoilage. Unfortunately for those with allergies, sulfites are added to a vast majority of wines. Because of this, checking the label doesn’t just become a matter of hoping to find the best tasting wine, it also become a matter between being well and being ill.

When someone who is allergic to sulfites drinks wine containing this compound, they run the risk of experiencing an allergic reaction – an allergic reaction to wine makes a wine hang over look like a walk in the park. Some people may experience sneezing, or hives, while others may have difficulty breathing and need emergency medical attention. Sulfites can also cause anaphylaxis, the most severe of allergic reactions.. During this kind of reaction, a person’s blood pressure dangerously drops and their bronchial tubes narrow, making it increasingly harder for them to breathe.. If left untreated, this can lead to death in a matter of minutes. For these reasons, many people with sulfite allergies avoid wine altogether: not even the greatest wine in the world is worth compromising health.

However, luckily for those affected by sulfites, organic wine has come to the rescue, wearing a red cape and giving those allergic to regular wine a second chance.

Organic wine doesn’t necessarily mean “sulfite free,” a tidbit of information extremely important to those sensitive to even the most minute levels of sulfites. In fact, wines are rarely sulfite-free; sulfites occur naturally in wine. However, conventional wines go above and beyond the naturally occurring sulfites, adding many more sulfites to their finished product. Organic wine, on the other hand, tend to believe that the naturally occurring sulfites are enough – they don’t want to compound the situation.

The true definition of organic wine depends on where the wine is produced. For wines produced in America, the National Organic Program, the federal agency overseeing the production of organic food, has mandated that any wine claiming to be “organic” must not contain any added sulfites. Wines merely claiming to be made with “organic grapes,” however, aren’t subject to these regulation.. Along these lines, wines that are produced outside the US are governed under their own regulations: these wines generally have added sulfites, but the amount is roughly a third of the amount found in conventional wine. Thus, for those with sulfite allergies, it’s important to read the label very carefully.

Drinking organic wine isn’t just limited to those with sulfite allergies – it’s not a secret club people are allowed into by submitting their medical records.. Many people simply find organic wines better tasting, healthier, and good for the environment.

Organic wine is composed of grapes that are grown in an organic vineyard with organic farming techniques. Essentially, this means that the grapes were grown in a manner void of artificial fertilizers, pesticides, or herbicides and full of natural fertilizers.. These vineyards also contain cover crops between their vines and work to attract beneficial insects, insects that will feed on harmful pests. Though no scientific provides credence, there is strong speculation that drinking organic wine instead of conventional wine decreases the chance of a hang over. This has led many people down an organic path, a path paved with the healthiest of soil.

Though not widely available, organic wine has recently begun to gain in popularity. Sommeliers are finally beginning to get the hint as bottles of organic Pinot Noir approach, tapping their fingers and impatiently saying, “Ahem.” Still, organic wine remains harder to find than conventional wine – many restaurants do not serve it and some liquor stores have either no collection or one that is minimal.. But, rest assured, there are places to find it, and soon they’ll be more..

Online is a great place to start, booming with shops that will ship organic wine to your house. Organic food stores – such as Whole Foods – have also jumped on the organic band wagon, obviously needing a ride from drinking too much. Along these lines, there are certain liquor stores that do carry a large selection of Organic wines.. To find one in your area, try calling around, doing an Internet search, or going to http://www.wine-searcher.com.

It might take a little research, but you’ll be rewarded once you are cradling that bottle of organic wine in your hands with a straw in your mouth. Then, it will all be worth it…naturally.

About The Author

Jennifer Jordan is the senior editor at http://www.savoreachglass.com. With a vast knowledge of wine etiquette, she writes articles on everything from how to hold a glass of wine to how to hold your hair back after too many glasses. Ultimately, she writes her articles with the intention that readers will remember wine is fun and each glass of anything fun should always be savored.

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