Organic Pest Control: Is it Better? Healthier? More Expensive?

Many people enjoy pointing out that, on our planet full of carbon-based life forms, a huge range of things are technically organic, since they are made of molecules with at least one carbon atom. But for the purposes of pest control, organic is defined as “using a means of control that does not use man-made chemicals.” Organic pest control typically involves natural substances that range from soaps, salt and vinegar to pyrethrum and lime sulfur.

The National Pesticide Information Center says that it is more important to consider the toxicity of a substance than it is to consider whether or not it is organic. A number of chemical pest control agents are minimally toxic to humans and disperse quickly to prevent dangerous exposure.
Some organic pesticides carry risks. For instance, plant oils used in some organic pesticides irritate eyes and other mucus membranes. A number of people may find that they are allergic to these ingredients.
Organic pesticides sometimes contain metallic substances like sulfur and zinc. These can contaminate surface water and damage equipment when not used properly.
In some cases, the question becomes, “safer for whom?” Pyrethrins are extracted from chrysanthemums, with only a small level of toxicity to humans. However, they kill both beneficial and harmful insects alike. Also toxic to fish and amphibians, pyrethrum-based pesticides should not be used in areas where they may wind up in waterways or storm drains. Vinegar, while harmless to most humans, can affect many different kinds of plants if used as a herbicide. While pre-emergent chemical herbicides affect only a blossoming plant and soon dissipate, substances like salt can stay in soil for extended periods of time and inhibit growth of both desirable and undesirable plants alike.
Research into organic pest control continues to develop just as conventional pest control research does. Certain once-popular organic options have been discontinued because of newly understood dangers. While tobacco was once widely used to inhibit garden insects, even tobacco dust is now forbidden in organic agriculture because of toxicity. Arsenic and strychnine were also used in the past but are no longer recommended for organic pest control.
Many consumers look to organic pest control out of concern for declining bee populations. Just because a product is organic, however, doesn’t mean that it’s safe for bees. The following organic pest control agents have been shown to be unsafe for bees:

Many consumers look to organic pest control out of concern for declining bee populations. Just because a product is organic, however, doesn’t mean that it’s safe for bees. The following organic pest control agents have been shown to be unsafe for bees:

• Diatomaceous earth. This soft sedimentary rock is made of small crystals that lacerate insects’ bodies. While it can effectively kill pests like cockroaches and fleas, it can also harm bees.
• Pyrethrins. All pesticides in this family are harmful to flying insects.
• Rotenone. Derived from the seeds and stems of plants in the same family as the jicama vine, this substance is harmful to bees and fish. It is also mildly toxic to humans and has been tenuously connected to the development of Parkinson’s disease.
• Spinosad. Made from the soil bacteria Saccharopolyspora spinosa, this substance is harmful to all insects, including bees.

There are, however, a number of organic pest control methods that can be used without risking bee populations. A few that have low toxicity or are non-toxic:

• Boric acid
• Kaolin clay
• Neem oil
• Limonene, a solvent derived from the skins of citrus fruits.
• Ryania, an insecticide made from the ground stems of a tropical plant.

If you are looking for ways to control pests around your home and garden while also controlling your risk, it may be better to consider the pest control options known as “minimum risk pesticides.” While they may not be organic, they are the options that are the least toxic. These pesticides, because of their low risk, do not need to be registered with the EPA before sale. To qualify as a minimum risk pesticide, a product must satisfy all of these requirements:

• contain only the active ingredients on the minimal risk list.
• contain only other ingredients that are on a list of safe additives.
• make no misleading label claims.
• must identify all ingredients on the product label.
• must not claim to control pests that can impact anyone’s health.

Minimum risk ingredients include: garlic oil, cedar oil, citronella, corn gluten meal, lemongrass oil, mint oil, egg solids, salt, soybean oil, zinc metal strips and thyme. While many of these are ingredients that can be produced organically, they need not be organic to make the minimum risk list.