It's my first year planting veggies in my teeny garden, and I will not put chemical pesticides on my plants! I tried making a 'soup' out of hot peppers and garlic, boy did that start stinking after about a week! Sprinkled cayenne powder - no luck.
Yesterday a very attractive young man at Home Depot (don't judge me!) convinced me to try the EcoSmart organic insect killer. It's raining here so I haven't used it yet.
Just wondering if anyone has had any experience with this product. I'm wondering about the effectiveness, and most importantly, will it make my veggies taste funky?
Thanks!
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webmaster
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Might want to try a bird bath and a bird feeder first to see how that works. 
It's not as intense as acquiring ducks to eat slugs and snails (something a friend of ours with a working backyard farm recently did), but it's a good start for controlling certain bugs in the garden. Some bugs are necessary so you might want to think about planting some plants in a corner just for them.
It's not as intense as acquiring ducks to eat slugs and snails (something a friend of ours with a working backyard farm recently did), but it's a good start for controlling certain bugs in the garden. Some bugs are necessary so you might want to think about planting some plants in a corner just for them.
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rainbowgardener
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EcoSmart insecticide active ingredients are plant oils which block octopamine, which is a neurotransmitter that insects and other invertebrates use.
It is part of the coding system for honeybees, modulates their behavior in the dance in the hive by which they "tell" the other bees where food is. Also affects other honey bee behaviors, foraging, division of labor etc (find all this by googling "octopamine + honey bees" )
Therefore the EcoSmart stuff should be totally safe for humans and other mammals, but would likely screw the honey bees all up so they can't get back to food sources they have located. It would be expected to have adverse effects on lady bugs and other beneficial insects as well: Octopamine regulates an insect's heart rate, movement, behavior and metabolism, interrupting their functioning.
Incidentally cedar oil and peppermint oil are octopamine blockers
Here are the oils that ecosmart lists as their main ingredients
Rosemary Oil
Thyme Oil
Peppermint Oil
Clove Oil
Cinnamon Oil
Sesame Oil
https://blog.ecosmart.com/index.php/2010/02/26/grandma-ecosmarts-natural-pesticide-recipe-revealed/comment-page-1/
I have no experience with it. If you ate the veggies with the ecosmart on it, it would probably taste a bit strange (but wouldn't hurt you), but I don't know if the oil would permeate the veggie (ie still be perceptible after washing the veggie). Probably depend on which veggie and other factors.
It is part of the coding system for honeybees, modulates their behavior in the dance in the hive by which they "tell" the other bees where food is. Also affects other honey bee behaviors, foraging, division of labor etc (find all this by googling "octopamine + honey bees" )
Therefore the EcoSmart stuff should be totally safe for humans and other mammals, but would likely screw the honey bees all up so they can't get back to food sources they have located. It would be expected to have adverse effects on lady bugs and other beneficial insects as well: Octopamine regulates an insect's heart rate, movement, behavior and metabolism, interrupting their functioning.
Incidentally cedar oil and peppermint oil are octopamine blockers
Here are the oils that ecosmart lists as their main ingredients
Rosemary Oil
Thyme Oil
Peppermint Oil
Clove Oil
Cinnamon Oil
Sesame Oil
https://blog.ecosmart.com/index.php/2010/02/26/grandma-ecosmarts-natural-pesticide-recipe-revealed/comment-page-1/
I have no experience with it. If you ate the veggies with the ecosmart on it, it would probably taste a bit strange (but wouldn't hurt you), but I don't know if the oil would permeate the veggie (ie still be perceptible after washing the veggie). Probably depend on which veggie and other factors.
I think part of what Rainbowgardener is saying is that, if you interfere with the honeybees' metabolism, those squash and okra won't get pollinated and there won't be any veggies to eat. You *could* hand-pollinate each and every flower yourself, of course, but do you want to?
And, when honeybee populations are crashing in approx. 35 states and several countries, should gardeners add to their plight?
Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9
And, when honeybee populations are crashing in approx. 35 states and several countries, should gardeners add to their plight?
Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9