Alternatives to Chemical Pesticides

Often, when we see a pest, such as an unwanted species of wildlife, an insect, a slug or a snail, we feel no qualms about eliminating it, typically by using a chemical pesticide or poison. This is an anthropocentric approach; it reflects our assumption that God has made us lords of his creation to do with it as we please. This view, as we’ve argued in What is the meaning of dominion?, is profoundly misguided. And It also profoundly damages the environment and endangers human health, as we’ve argued in Are we the pests we’re getting rid of?. Fortunately, there is an abundance of alternatives to the use of chemical pesticides.

Coexistence: Redefining a pest

“Pest” is a highly subjective category. Very much like one person’s weed is another’s flower (or food source), one person’s pest or nuisance is another’s delight. That subjectivity calls for careful reflection: is the living thing that we consider a pest really a pest, and must it be eliminated? Is coexistence possible?

For example, while it is generally recognized that ladybugs are beneficial because they consume aphids, the larvae of ladybugs, which are even more voracious consumers of aphids, are often misidentified, labeled as pests, and eliminated. Similarly, spiders are able to survive in a home or yard because they find an abundant food source. Given that spider bites are far less common than we think, a sounder strategy is to concentrate on eliminating the insects on which spiders feed. In the meantime, they can be viewed as rendering a public service by consuming the insects that you really don’t want.

Coexistence is particularly appropriate in human-wildlife interactions. Often, we view such creatures as squirrels, chipmunks, racoons, and possums as a threat. Yet, attacks and bites are comparatively rare and most commonly result from inappropriate interactions. Each creature has an important role to play in sustaining viable ecosystems, making coexistence important. The possibility of children coming in close contact with these creatures is often seen as a mitigating circumstance that justifies their extermination. But at the same time, their presence affords parents a wonderful opportunity to teach their children about the glory of God’s creation and the respect that we should show to all living beings.

Encourage predators in a balanced ecosystem

Often, “pests” are allowed unfettered access to our homes and yards because we’ve created an ecological imbalance by eliminating or discouraging the creatures that feast on them. Birds, for example, eat a large variety of insects, as do frogs and toads, and possums eat slugs and snails, as well as small rodents and many insects. By creating a friendly habitat for these predators, as well as by planting Insectary plants to attract beneficial insects, you can establish your yard or garden as a wildlife preserve and refuge that attracts diverse wildlife rather than repelling it, and in the process restore the natural balance that results in predators consuming your pests rather than having chemicals kill them. For more information, see How to Turn Your Yard or Garden into a Certified Wildlife Habitat.

Repelling rather than killing

If an animal, insect, arachnid, or mollusk truly is a pest, repelling it, rather than resorting to chemical extermination, a far better alternative. Repellants are often species-specific, but they aim at creating either a border that pests are unwilling to cross or a larger environment that pests find inhospitable. Repellants, rather than killing their targets, simply encourage them to go elsewhere.

Relying on repellants is an important strategy that recognizes the intrinsic dignity of all life forms, and that also recognizes that every life form in its proper context can serve a critical role in maintaining a healthy ecosystem. The following are some repellants that are effective against unwanted creatures:

• Slugs and snails.
  • Place wide copper tape around the area to be protected.
  • Create a border of diatomaceous earth, which is available in plant and garden stores. For slugs and snails, it is a true repellent: slugs and snails simply prefer not to cross over it.
  • Create a beer trap using an inexpensive canned beer. Rather than killing the slugs and snails, relocate them to a more suitable habitat, such as a forested area where they can perform an important service by eating decaying vegetation.

More Information: Organic Slug & Snail Control:

• Squirrels, rats, and mice.
  • Install a rodent repeller, an electric or battery-operated device that emits a high-pitched sound (inaudible to humans and even to dogs) that rodents find sufficiently annoying that they choose to settle elsewhere.
  • Use peppermint oil or peppermint plants to repel vermin. For a variety of applications, see DIY peppermint oil rodents and mice repellent.
• Insects generally.
  • Salt (preferably Himalayan pink salt) mixed with water can be sprayed on the soil to form a border around a protected area. It can deter slugs and spider mites.
  • Orange citrus oil, when added to water, can repel slugs, cockroaches, and ants.
  • Some compostable food products, besides fertilizing the soil, also repel insects. These include coffee grounds, banana peels (for aphids), cucumbers (for ants), and garlic (for beetles and spider mites).
  • Neem oil, a traditional repellent whose bitterness drives away most insects.
  • A border of chrysanthemum flowers can form a border that repels some insects. It can also be used as an organic pesticide (see below).
  • Garlic spray, which produces an odor much less noticeable to people than raw garlic, but no less noticeable to insects, who find it unpleasant.
  • Pepper spray made from cayenne or habanero peppers blended with water. Many insects find it even less pleasing than humans who despise spicy food. In addition, it can repel mammals such as squirrels and rabbits.
• Flies and stinging insects.
  • Eucalyptus oil, when sprayed in an area that attracts flies, wasps, or other stinging insects, serves as a natural repellant.
• Fleas
• • Black walnut oil capsules or liquid can be an effective flea repellant for dogs. Monitoring the dosage carefully is important since an overdose can be toxic.

Killing with organic pesticides

In some cases, you may choose to kill rather than repel pests. The following are some eco-friendly ways to do that.

• Insects.
  • Diatomaceous earth, when applied to an area frequented by insects, erodes the protective layer on an insect’s shell, leading to dehydration and death. It is an effective way of dealing with ants, fleas, and a large range of other insects.
  • Chrysanthemum flower spray, a spray made from dried, ground, and boiled chrysanthemum flowers. The resulting spray contains pyrethrum, a neurotoxin that immobilizes insects, leading to death.

Be curious!

If possible, avoid the use of chemical pesticides at all costs! Their long-term side effects – damage to the soil, to water, and to non-targeted species – as well as the danger they pose to human health make them highly undesirable. We’ve listed some alternatives here, but in fact the number of safe and effective substances for repelling or eliminating pests is virtually unlimited. Once you’ve decided that a “pest” is indeed a pest that you can’t live with, simply do a web search to find an effective and safe means of ridding yourself of that pest.