1. Natural Pest
Control in the
Garden
April 1, 2013
Bart Renner
North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service

2. Backyard Unicorn production

3. Components of a unicorn
April
Fools!!!

4. What does natural Pest Control
Mean???
• Generally considered the management of garden
pests without the use of conventionally
manufactured chemicals, hormones and antibiotics.
• Not necessarily “Organic”
• Does not mean you can drink it
• Make sure you still use “PPE” (personal protective
equipment)!!

5. Biological Pest control
• Using other living
organisms to controls
pests
http://ferrebeekeeper.files.wordpress.com/2
011/10/braconid.jpeg

6. Integrated pest management
http://www.sustainablefood.com/promote/uploads/images/IPM.gif

7. “Many Little Hammers” approach
Soil fertility
Biological control
pesticides
intercropping
tillage
Cultural control

8. Copper sulfate
• Naturally occurring salt
• Used to control mildew, leaf spots, blights and
apple scab
• Can also control grape diseases (Bordeaux
mixture)
• Also an effective algacide

9. Serenade- fungicide
• patented strain of Bacillus
subtilis
• Kills microbes on contact
• Controls Fire
Blight, Botrytis, Sour
Rot, Rust, Sclerotinia, Powd
ery Mildew, Bacterial Spot
and White Mold.

10. Insecticide/ fungicide: NEEM Oil
• Azadirachtin and liminoids, both from the seed
kernels of the neem tree fruit.
• Disrupts the insects hormonal system, causing
them to not reach maturity
• Generally will not harm beneficials
• Washes off in the rain, breaks down in sunlight

11. Methods for controlling fungus:
1. Avoid contaminated material
2. Plant resistant varieties
3. Fungicides
4. Scouting and monitoring

12. Early blight
• Fungus that
affects tomatoes
and potatoes
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/04/Alternaria_solani_-_leaf_lesions.jpg

13. Early Blight
on tomato
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8e/Alternaria_solani_-

14. Early blight
on potato
http://www.plantpath.wisc.edu/wivegdis/ima
ges/potatoeb.gif

15. Late blight
http://nysipm.cornell.edu/publications/blight
/

16. Fusarium
Wilt
• Affects
tomato, tobacco, le
gumes, cucurbits,
sweet potatoes
and banana, to
name a few.
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/fletcher/programs/tomato/diseases/fusarium_wilt_race_3_Polk_1.jpg

17. Verticillium wilt
• Similar to Fusarium
• Affects
basil, beans, strawber
ries, peas, and
watermelon
http://easyguidetoorganicgardening.com/organicgardening/wp-
content/uploads/2011/07/tomato_verticillium_wilt1-300x212.jpg

18. Verticillium wilt
http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/IPM/images/t
omatoes/diseases/tomato_D32a-
Verticillium-021-OMAFHRT_zoom.jpg

19. Downy mildew
http://www.shouragroup.com/Images/galler
y/vegetables%20big/squash_downy_milde
w.jpg

20. Downey Mildew
http://blogs.cornell.edu/ccesummerinterns/f
iles/2011/07/100_3776.JPG

21. Powdery
mildew

22. Insecticidal soaps
• Sodium or potassium salt combined with fatty acids
• Penetrate insect’s cells and cause them to collapse
• Must come into direct contact with pest, no longer
effective when dry

23. Insecticide: Pyrethrins
• Natural organic compounds normally derived
from Chrysanthemum cinerariifolium
• neurotoxins that attack the nervous systems of
all insects
• Break down with light and air exposure
• Careful of the bees!

24. Insecticide: Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis)
• Generally a powder that is sprinkled on plant, must
be eaten by insect
• Bt releases toxins in the stomachs of susceptible
insects and makes them stop eating
• Very host specific, will not harm humans or pets
(can be irritant on skin).

25. Insecticide: Horticultural oil
• Highly refined petroleum oil- coats and suffocates
insects
• Adelgids, aphids, caterpillar
eggs, leafhoppers, mealybug, mites, scale, spider
mites, thrips and whiteflies

26. Insecticide: Diatomaceous Earth
•Absorbs lipids from the waxy
outer layer of
insects' exoskeletons, causing
them to dehydrate.
•Effective against a wide
variety of insects when applied
properly
•Not effective when wet

27. Insecticide: Milky spore
• Bacteria (Paenibacillus popilliae), which
dwell in soil.
• Cause the “milky spore disease” in
Japanese beetle larvae
• Very specific to larvae
• Cold and drought tolerant

28. Flea beetles
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2d/Phyllotreta.vittula.jpg

29. Thrips
http://utahpests.usu.edu/admin/images/uploads/UtahPests/small-fruit-advisory/2009/05-15/IMG_3915.jpg http://www.jasons-indoor-guide-to-organic-and-hydroponics-gardening.com/images/thrips-in-
stages.jpg

30. Cucumber beetles

31. Pests: Cabbage worm
• Click here for more info
Images:
1. https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSHqOKFxDpH8Y-2Iys0hnksmshn6KLKP3N7XmSgldXWlIGalK-CIw
2. https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT_OyMHleZwMQY4g2l2CFT-uuVd1NoVfWUN_Y1UbEF_c2mkGyr5Lw
3. http://milkingweeds.blogspot.com/2008/06/cabbage-worms.html

32. Pests: Cabbage maggot
• Click here for
More info
Images:
http://www.uri.edu/ce/factsheets/sheets/cabbagemaggot.html

33. Pests: Aphids
• More info
Image:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aphid
http://schools-wikipedia.org/wp/a/Aphid.htm
http://www.extension.iastate.edu/news/2005/jun/072801.htm

34. Colorado Potato beetles
Images:
http://livingwithinsects.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/colorado
-potato-beetle-larvae.jpg
http://faculty.evansville.edu/ck6/bstud/say1.jpg

35. Japanese beetles
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fc/Jblarva.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/ca/Jbadult.jpg

36. Release of biological agents to
control pests.
• Can be
complicated and
needs to be done
under survellance
• Click here to view
common biological
controls in North
Carolina
Photo: Fire ants trying to avoid
the sting of a phorid fly. Photo courtesy of Bugwood Network

37. Pesticide Safety
• 3 modes of
exposure:
• Dermal, inhalatio
n, ingestion

38. Further resources
• NCSU plant disease clinic