Your organic pest control kit

These handy items will help in dealing with most pest problems in your patch. They are available at garden centres and from online suppliers.

– Pest exclusion netting

These fine weave nets are used for covering vegetable crops and fruit trees to exclude a range of pests that fly in and chew, pierce or lay eggs.

– Pest exclusion bags

Used to cover individual fruits that are susceptible to insect damage. Commercial bags are available, or you can make them yourself from remnant fabrics, paper bags or newspaper.

– Horticultural soap

For controlling aphids, mites, whitefly, fungus gnats, thrips and mealybugs. Spray both upper and underside of leaves to the point of runoff. Do not apply when temperatures are above 30°C.

– Horticultural oil

Controls mites, aphids, scale, whitefly, mealybugs and citrus leaf-miner. Spray both upper and underside of leaves to the point of runoff. Apply 2 or more sprays 5 days apart. Do not apply when temperatures exceed 35°C.

– Bacillus thuringiensis (Dipel)

Affective in controlling caterpillars as well as cabbage white butterflies. Spray both upper and underside of leaves to the point of runoff. Repeat spray every 7–10 days.

– Pyrethrum

Controls ants, aphids, beetles, caterpillars, earwigs, grasshoppers, green vegetable bugs, leafhoppers, whitefly and thrips. Use as a knockdown insecticide when pest populations are high. Must contact the insect. Apply early morning or late evening to avoid killing bees and other pollinators.

– Wettable sulfur

Controls mites. Add wetting agent to improve coverage. Maintain agitation of solution during spraying. Spray both upper and underside of leaves to the point of runoff.

– Lime sulfur

For controlling mites, and scale. Spray both upper and underside of leaves to the point of runoff. Don’t spray when temperatures exceed 32°C, during freezing weather, when plants are suffering from moisture stress, or within 14 days of an oil spray. 

All these methods are fantastic organic pest control solutions!

For more growing tips and ideas subscribe to ABC Organic Gardener magazine and get it delivered to your door.

This article first appeared in our Winter 2024 issue (OG 150).