On May 14th, the corn, tomatoes, zucchini, cucumbers, borage, sunflowers, and pumpkins were coming up beautifully. As I was weeding, I noticed something had started chomping away on my beautiful babies. As I got closer to my cucumber and zucchini, I noticed these little buggers...
 |
| Cucumber Beetle |
 |
| Squash Beetle |
Now, don't let the names fool you. These beetles love a lot more than just squash and cucumbers. I found them on the tomatoes and corn also. Even though my borage was growing a nice barricade around my garden, they were not mature enough yet to flower out and attract those pesky critters. I was not about to let my helpless, young plants get ravaged by those hungry nuisances! So what could I do?
 |
| My poor cauliflower! |
 |
| Nooooo!!! How could they??? 😢 |
I got on the internet and researched organic pesticides. I found a product called Neem oil. Neem oil is a naturally occurring pesticide found in seeds from the neem tree. The main active element in neem is azadirachtin, which acts as a repellent and decreases insect feeding. It also interferes with the insects' hormones and hinders them from growing and laying eggs. This oil is also broken down in the soil pretty fast, so it doesn't harm our environment. It's not toxic to birds, plants, or bees either. I purchased a bottle of Garden Safe Neem Oil at Walmart for under $10. A little goes a long way when mixed with water. For the first round of treatment, I decided to use a weak mixture and spray lightly. I did not know what to expect and did not want to burn up my babies. So I sprayed, crossed my fingers, and waited...
No comments:
Post a Comment