Safe Insecticide - Natural Products = Safe Products?

Just because something is natural it does not mean it is necessarily safe. People can become far too reliant on 'natural' meaning good. It just isn't always the case. Looking for a safe insecticide is a bit of a misnomer anyway. After all, what destroys bugs has some power doesn't it? The aim of this site is to promote safer gardening and safer use of insecticides and pesticides. Whether your insecticide is natural or not it is still capable of harm to some forms of life, so should still be treated with care.

Safer Insecticide - Natural Pest Repellents

Natural pesticides can actually be pretty powerful ingredients. For example extracts from citrus peels are used in a massive range of products from garden insecticides, pet flea treatments and household cleaners. They smell fabulous as you'd expect and deter a huge range of insects. But those acidic citrus extracts such as Limonene and Linalool are extremely toxic to cats, mildly toxic for dogs and often cause allergic reactions in people too.

I am not saying that natural insecticides are bad or to be avoided. Rather, treat them with respect. Insecticide and pesticide should be the word you notice not natural or organic. If something is fatal to some forms of life it might just be harmful to others including your own too. 

Vegetable oil based soap insecticides are about as non-threatening as you can get. But, soap can be drying and is never good ingested. So even the very safest insecticide needs treating with a little respect. The same is often even more true of a safe manufactured insecticide. Natural does not mean harmless. All garden insecticide should be stored correctly, out of reach of small hands or greedy mouths. Most importantly they should be used with care.

The destruction of beneficial predator insects, pollinators and birds is the absolute last thing your garden needs. Do that and no amount of garden insecticide will redress the natural balance in your backyard. I want every gardener to opt for safe insecticides, but that means using the garden insecticide safely too. It isn't just about the choice of product, it's about how you use, store and dispose of it too.