organic gardening...fighting the bugs!

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organic gardening...fighting the bugs!
« on: September 10, 2008, 06:16:55 PM » by lovingmomof2

I have what I think is corn worms (tiny green caterpillars with black heads) eating my green bush beans. I have tried soap, water, and Cayenne pepper, but they are still everywhere. Does anyone know of something I can do to get rid of them? There are too many to pick off. I tried that and they just keep coming back.

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Re: organic gardening...fighting the bugs!
« Reply #1 on: September 10, 2008, 06:26:31 PM » by sweetestday

I don't have the answer, but a question for you... Last year I was snapping beans, and got creeped out when there was a huge worm inside one bean. He must have been an inch long and as fat as the bean, and you couldn't tell from the outside of the bean that there was anything inside.
Are your worms eating the inside of the beans, or are they eating the leaves?
And has anyone else ever had a worm inside thier green bean?

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Re: organic gardening...fighting the bugs!
« Reply #2 on: September 10, 2008, 06:44:07 PM » by lovingmomof2

I am not the one you want to be asking questions to, this is my first time gardening. Cheesy

I don't have any beans yet, so the worms are just eating the leaves right now. Undecided

When I was googleling my worms I did find out that there was a worm that would eat a tiny whole into beans and then would live inside them, but I can't remember what type of worm it was.

« Last Edit: September 10, 2008, 10:23:54 PM by lovingmomof2 »
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Proverbs 31:26
"She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness."

Re: organic gardening...fighting the bugs!
« Reply #3 on: September 10, 2008, 11:07:01 PM » by mykidsmom

Have you tried diametric earth? It's a white powder that is nothing buts shards of glass. When the bugs cross it it slits there guts open and they die. To people though you can't feel the glass so it won't hurt you. We sprinkled our plants (mainly squashes) all over the leaves, ground etc. and the bugs were gone in a day. I'm not sure about bugs inside the plants, but it you can kill them before they get in that would help. You could also call your local extension office. They always know organic ways to get bugs off of plants.

hth

patti

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Re: organic gardening...fighting the bugs!
« Reply #4 on: September 11, 2008, 10:40:36 AM » by healthybratt

Diatomaceous earth is what a friend of mine uses on her garden and it works well. I bought some for my cats, carpets to get rid of fleas and was very happy with the results. Check out this link for ordering details.

http://www.welltellme.com/discuss/index.php/topic,19743.msg197205.html#msg197205

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Re: organic gardening...fighting the bugs!
« Reply #5 on: September 11, 2008, 12:05:48 PM » by Whiterock

You have to be careful with DE in the garden because it can also kill beneficial bugs like ladybugs, spiders, predatory wasps, and bees. And seriously doubt that earthworms like it very much. And since the pests multiply faster than the good bugs, it could backfire on you. I would save it, and any other "broad spectrum" bug killers, as a last resort, and I would be careful about putting only where it was needed instead of spreading all over.

WR

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Re: organic gardening...fighting the bugs!
« Reply #6 on: September 11, 2008, 07:40:18 PM » by its_me518

Have any of you heard of using Food Grade Peroxide (diluted with water) to spray down trees and gardens? It is said to be REALLY good for it. It gets rid of all the bad bugs/insects and actually helps the plans grow bigger & healthier & more plentiful. Maybe look into it.

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Re: organic gardening...fighting the bugs!
« Reply #7 on: September 12, 2008, 07:20:14 AM » by lovingmomof2

Quote from: its_me518 on September 11, 2008, 07:40:18 PM

Where would one get food grade peroxide? thanks

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"She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness."

Re: organic gardening...fighting the bugs!
« Reply #8 on: September 12, 2008, 02:11:33 PM » by its_me518

Quote from: lovingmomof2 on September 12, 2008, 07:20:14 AM

Quote from: its_me518 on September 11, 2008, 07:40:18 PM

Where would one get food grade peroxide? thanks

Our health food store carries it, and you could order it on line.

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Re: organic gardening...fighting the bugs!
« Reply #9 on: September 12, 2008, 09:01:50 PM » by cjanderin

Find out what the natural predator of your pest is and then get some for your garden.

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Re: organic gardening...fighting the bugs!
« Reply #10 on: September 13, 2008, 01:07:13 PM » by daisey

Azure Standard sells food grade Hydrogen Peroxide. I used it this summer and was really impressed with the results. We sprayed our plants as they came up and we could definitely tell which parts of the garden we sprayed and which we missed. I think it did help with pest because our corn didn't have any worms etc. The only thing it didn't help with was the grasshoppers. We had so many of them we finally had to spray with Tempo and even that had to be reapplied. We didn't spray the garden just around it. I definitely will be using Hydrogen Peroxide again next year.

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Re: organic gardening...fighting the bugs!
« Reply #11 on: September 13, 2008, 06:53:47 PM » by healthybratt

Quote from: Whiterock on September 11, 2008, 12:05:48 PM

I just read about beneficial nematodes. I'm pretty intrigued. You can read more about it and other stuff here.

http://www.arbico-organics.com/organic-pest-control-grub-beetle-control.html

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Re: organic gardening...fighting the bugs!
« Reply #12 on: September 15, 2008, 02:07:19 PM » by lovingmomof2

Quote from: lovingmomof2 on September 10, 2008, 06:16:55 PM

Here is what I am doing and seems to be working for now. I used tweezers to pick off all the caterpillars and put them in a container away from my garden. I then sprayed my garden with peppermint water and soap/cayenne pepper water. I still get caterpillars, but no where near as many as I did have.

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Proverbs 31:26
"She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness."

Re: organic gardening...fighting the bugs!
« Reply #13 on: February 21, 2009, 04:08:21 PM » by thus_I_fight

Quote from: daisey on September 13, 2008, 01:07:13 PM

What is the ratio of peroxide/water? How often do you spray? We really want to keep our garden organic, but we get overrun with squash bugs every year. I'd like to try this.

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Re: organic gardening...fighting the bugs!
« Reply #14 on: February 21, 2009, 05:50:49 PM » by mykidsmom

Azure is not listing H2O2 on their website right now. Does anyone know if they've stopped selling it? I was going to call them on Monday to find out but I'm curious if anyone here knows. I placed an order and was wanting it both for the garden and internally. I can't seem to find it anywhere right now! Undecided

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Re: organic gardening...fighting the bugs!
« Reply #15 on: March 12, 2009, 08:03:06 AM » by lovingmomof2

I was out double digging a new garden plot when I ran into a HUGE fireant pile. What can I do? I don't want to use regular bug sprays, this is where I want to plant my food.

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Proverbs 31:26
"She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness."

Re: organic gardening...fighting the bugs!
« Reply #16 on: March 12, 2009, 09:04:19 AM » by petrimama

I once read that garlic deters most pests in a garden. Supposedly, leaving a few cloves scattered about will help, but after a couple of weeks or a very heavy rain they need to be replaced. I've never tried it. I wonder id sprinkling tansy would work, too? ~L

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Re: organic gardening...fighting the bugs!
« Reply #17 on: March 12, 2009, 09:27:49 AM » by ladyhen

Quote from: lovingmomof2 on March 12, 2009, 08:03:06 AM

I was out double digging a new garden plot when I ran into a HUGE fireant pile. What can I do? I don't want to use regular bug sprays, this is where I want to plant my food.

I've had success enticing ants to relocate by slowly pouring boiling water into their entry a couple of times a day. Of course, you may need too keep this up for awhile until they find an 'appropriate' place to live.

I've heard of using cornmeal dusted with boric acid to kill some insects; don't know if that would work with ants.

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Re: organic gardening...fighting the bugs!
« Reply #18 on: March 12, 2009, 10:21:58 AM » by hi_itsgwen

I've also heard cornmeal (swells in their stomachs is the rumor I've heard) or boiling water for ants.

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Re: organic gardening...fighting the bugs!
« Reply #19 on: March 12, 2009, 10:28:22 AM » by daisey

Sorry I didn't get back to answering the Hydrogen Peroxide questions earlier................the ratio is 5 to 16 ounces of 35% mixed with 20 gallons of water per acre). You can achieve the same beneficial effect with your house plants by adding 1 ounce of 3% hydrogen peroxide (or 16 drops of 35% solution) to every quart of water you give your plants.
About Azure........I emailed them to see if they had Hydrogen Peroxide and they have it but there is a problem shipping it. If you live close enough you could pick it up..........sorry to say that isn't an option for me. Undecided

Keep us posted on results...........oh, I sprayed my garden about every 2 weeks to begin with then tapered off. I maybe should have kept it up but somehow loose momentum as the summer goes on.
HTH

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Re: organic gardening...fighting the bugs!
« Reply #20 on: March 25, 2009, 11:27:47 AM » by lovingmomof2

I am planning/working on planting a sunflower house for my kids this year. Does anyone know some plants that I can plant that fireants are scared of? I read about the garlic and don't mind trying that in my food garden, but I really don't want to have to replace cloves of garlic all around the yard. I heard of peppermint, but I don't know if that works for fireants.

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Proverbs 31:26
"She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness."

Re: organic gardening...fighting the bugs!
« Reply #21 on: March 25, 2009, 12:47:22 PM » by hi_itsgwen

Oh..oh...pick me, pick me!!!! I just read about this (thanks to WR!)
Here is what her post said:

Quote

Malcolm Beck, organic farmer extraordinaire and owner of Garden-Ville Inc., did some experiments that showed that molasses is a good addition to organic fertilizer (more on fertilizer in the next issue).

When using molasses in the fertilizer spray for his fruit trees he noticed that the fire ants moved out from under the trees. "I got an opportunity to see if molasses really moved fire ants. In my vineyard, I had a 500 foot row of root stock vines cut back to a stump that needed grafting. The fire ants had made themselves at home along that row. The mounds averaged three feet apart. There was no way a person could work there without being eaten alive! I dissolved 4 tablespoons of molasses in each gallon of water and sprayed along the drip pipe. By the next day the fire ants had moved four feet in each direction. We were able to graft the vines without a single ant bothering us."

This gave him the idea for developing an organic fire ant killer that is 30% orange oil and 70% liquid compost made from manure and molasses. The orange oil softens and dissolves the ant's exoskeleton, making them susceptible to attack by the microbes in the compost, while the molasses feeds the microbes and also smothers the ants. After the insects are dead, everything becomes energy-rich soil conditioner and will not harm any plant it touches. It can be used on any insect including mosquitoes and their larvae.

Break a small hole in the crust in the center of the mound then quickly!!! pour the solution into the hole to flood the mound and then drench the ants on top. Large mounds may need a second application.

If you want to, you can add vinegar to the above mix, and it become a weed killer. Molasses works by causing baterial bloom (fast growth of microorganisms) that rot the crowns of the plant. The orange oil is a surfactant. And the vinegar kills top growth. Some strong vinegar products can be effective against woody weeds if used appropriately (not near streams). Read package directions carefully. These products work by reducing the ph level so that no plants will grow in the treated soil. To bring soil ph back up to growing quality, sweeten the soil with lime.

Just don't spray the molasses mix directly onto the sunflowers, as it will cause bacterial bloom that will mess them up. But using it in the soil shouldn't be a problem.

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Re: organic gardening...fighting the bugs!
« Reply #22 on: April 29, 2009, 10:30:11 AM » by thus_I_fight

Quote from: daisey on March 12, 2009, 10:28:22 AM

Keep us posted on results...........oh, I sprayed my garden about every 2 weeks to begin with then tapered off. I maybe should have kept it up but somehow loose momentum as the summer goes on.
HTH

Well, I didn't find any food grade peroxide locally, but I was able to get some 35% through a beauty supply store. But it had a bunch of other stuff added, various alcohols. I've used it a couple times, but I'm uneasy about putting all the extra stuff on the plants. The 3% apparently just has purified water and peroxide, so wouldn't that be better to use? Why is food grade better? I'm thinking right now I'll just use the 3%.

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Re: organic gardening...fighting the bugs!
« Reply #23 on: April 29, 2009, 01:14:57 PM » by daisey

Quote from: thus_I_fight on April 29, 2009, 10:30:11 AM

Quote from: daisey on March 12, 2009, 10:28:22 AM

Keep us posted on results...........oh, I sprayed my garden about every 2 weeks to begin with then tapered off. I maybe should have kept it up but somehow loose momentum as the summer goes on.
HTH

I just had food grade on hand that is why I used it. I think as long as you aren't drinking it the 3% would be good enough for the garden. How is it working? We are longing for warm weather so we can start working the garden up and get it ready to plant!

Spring is slow coming this year.

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Re: organic gardening...fighting the bugs!
« Reply #24 on: April 29, 2009, 05:31:24 PM » by thus_I_fight

Oh, well if it doesn't matter then I'll just stick with the 3% stuff. What we've planted is doing very well so far. The strawberries seem to be booming this season. I don't know if that's because of the peroxide, but it's nice to see. We're itching to get the rest of the garden planted, too, but are having to hold off because of all the rain.

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"I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The LORD God is my strength, He will make my feet like deer's feet, and He will make me walk on my high hills." Habakkuk 3:19

Re: organic gardening...fighting the bugs!
« Reply #25 on: April 29, 2009, 07:43:48 PM » by Farm Wife

Does the hydprgen Peoxide work on slugs?

« Last Edit: April 30, 2009, 09:26:12 AM by Farm Wife »
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Re: organic gardening...fighting the bugs!
« Reply #26 on: May 05, 2009, 03:43:51 AM » by thus_I_fight

Quote from: Farm Wife on April 29, 2009, 07:43:48 PM

Does the hydprgen Peoxide work on slugs?

I haven't found anywhere that says it does. But, apparently, beer traps in the garden work for killing slugs. I found that tip several places online.

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"I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The LORD God is my strength, He will make my feet like deer's feet, and He will make me walk on my high hills." Habakkuk 3:19

Re: organic gardening...fighting the bugs!
« Reply #27 on: May 21, 2009, 08:06:27 AM » by lovingmomof2

Quote from: hi_itsgwen on March 25, 2009, 12:47:22 PM

Oh..oh...pick me, pick me!!!! I just read about this (thanks to WR!)
Here is what her post said:

Quote

I tried this and now I have several more fire ants and fire ant piles in my sunflower house bed. Does anyone have any more ideas that are safe around children? The reason I planted this sunflower house to begin with was so we could play in it and have fun.

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Proverbs 31:26
"She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness."

Re: organic gardening...fighting the bugs!
« Reply #28 on: May 21, 2009, 10:05:45 AM » by ladyhen

Quote from: lovingmomof2 on May 21, 2009, 08:06:27 AM

Does anyone have any more ideas that are safe around children? The reason I planted this sunflower house to begin with was so we could play in it and have fun.

Try sprinkling corn meal around the ant hills. I have heard that they take it into their homes and eat it and die. Don't know for sure that it works; I'm putting it on my ant hills today. Wink

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Re: organic gardening...fighting the bugs!
« Reply #29 on: May 21, 2009, 04:05:25 PM » by lovingmomof2

I have tried corn meal with no luck several times. I was out looking at my sunflowers and noticed that they are covered in fireants. I think I am going to go to the store and get the most toxic fire ant killer I can find, we just won't be able to play in our sunflower house, but at least if we bump into a flower we won't get eaten alive either.

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Proverbs 31:26
"She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness."

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