New York Nutritionist: Are Organic Pesticides Safer and Greener than Synthetics?

While organic pesticides may be less harmful than strong pesticides, they also have their share of dangers. Pyrethrum, made from mums works effectively on wasps, aphids, scale and whiteflies. However, many companies mix it with other synthetic pesticides and sometimes these are carcinogenic. A New York Nutritionist will tell you that while insecticidal soaps kill pests, they also can harm beneficial insects as well as aquatic creatures.

Bacillus thuringiensis, Bt for short, is a bacterium that you find in the soil. The bacterium create a crystal substance that's toxic to beetles, mosquitoes, flies and unfortunately caterpillars. The term unfortunately fits when you consider all types of caterpillars from tomato worms to one that turns into a monarch butterfly. Neem, another organic pesticide and fungicide kills populations of insects by blocking the growth hormone, which affects their development. While Neem works well, it's also toxic to people and aquatic animals. A New York Nutritionist will inform you that one organic pesticide in particular, Rotenone, may cause symptoms in humans similar to Parkinson's Disease.

If you're a little confused at the results and wondering why everyone tells you to garden organically for a greener planet and safer environment, there's a reason. A New York Nutritionist will inform you that organic gardening is about raising healthy plants so there's no need to use pesticides. It's using growing practices that keep your plants strong enough to ward off an insect attack. It’s also about using avid insect hunters to eat the bugs when they attack.

There are beneficial insects that are predators. A New York Nutritionist will advise you to purchase ladybugs, not because they are cute, but because when you release them, they hunt for sources of food. Most frequently, they lay their eggs on a plant infested with aphids. In about a week, the eggs hatch and they feed on mites, insect eggs and soft-bodied pests. After a month, the larvae go into the pupae stage and emerge in a week as adults. Larvae eat as many as 400 aphids before enter the pupae stage. Once they emerge as adults, its estimated on adult will eat more than 5,000 aphids. You can see how effective these hungry but beneficial creatures are.

A New York Nutritionist will tell you that lacewings, praying mantis and beneficial nematodes are all friendly to us, but not to bothersome insects. One of the most interesting are the braconid and trichogramma wasps. These tiny creatures aren't like wasps that chase you, but less than 1/50th of an inch in size. The trichogramma wasp lays eggs inside the eggs of their host, never allowing the creatures to develop. The braconid, lays eggs inside the host, such as the horned tomato worm. The larvae literally eats the host alive. If you've ever seen a tomato worm that looks like it has rice attached to it, that's a braconid having lunch on the job site.

Keeping gardens free from debris goes a long way in preventing insect invasion. Some weeds attract insects and plant waste does too. A New York Nutritionist will also stress that making sure you feed your plants adequately and give them plenty of room to grow and water can keep them healthy enough to fight off an invasion if one occurs.

Organic gardening practices also include companion planting. This means you place plants close to each other that are beneficial to one another. Marigolds help deter insects and help when you plant them between vegetable plants. Herbs not only attract beneficial insects, they deter harmful ones. An New York Nutritionist will tell you that when you plant rosemary or thyme near cabbage, you deter the cabbage moth. If you want to eliminate bean beetles, plant nasturtium or rosemary near it.

Overall, a New York Nutritionist will inform you that although organic pesticides have some potential danger, they are less hazardous than their synthetic counterparts; organic gardening is all about using other natural methods to control pests. If you end up with pests, start with the least dangerous option, a heavy water spray or insecticidal soap.