Bernie Solymár
EarthTramper Consulting Inc.



Ontario’s cosmetic pesticides ban took effect
on Earth Day (April 22nd), 2009.
The ban is part of the McGuinty government’s
toxics reduction strategy to reduce pollution
and protect families from toxic chemicals.
Use of most pesticides in the home and
garden are no longer available
www.Ontario.ca/pesticideban






To control wasps and hornets
To control mosquitoes that can transmit West
Nile Virus
To kill plants that are poisonous to the touch,
(e.g. poison ivy and giant hogweed).
To protect the health of pets (e.g. fleas)
To control indoor pests or pests that can
cause structural damage to the home (e.g.
carpenter ants)
Control of mice and rats in the house



No more use of synthetic pesticides
Look at managing pests using alternative
solutions
Being innovative and thinking outside the box

Integrated Pest Management
– what is it and how to use it

Cultural Management

Biological Control with Natural Enemies

Use of “Natural” Pesticides

Weed Management and Mulching
A pest management philosophy that utilizes all
suitable pest management techniques and
methods to keep pest populations below
economically injurious levels.
Each pest management technique must be
environmentally sound, economically viable and
compatible with the home gardeners objectives.
IPM is a component all types of gardening “organic”, “ecological”, “biodynamic”, etc.
◦ Recognizes there is no “cure-all” in pest control.
 Dependence on any one pest management method may
actually have undesirable effects.
◦ Desire to determine and correct the cause of the pest
problem.
 Understanding pest biology and ecology is essential.
 Manipulate the environment to the crop’s advantage and
to the detriment of the pest.
◦ Recognizes that eradication of a pest is seldom necessary
or even desirable, and generally not possible.
 Some damage is unavoidable and acceptable
Good
Fair
Better
Poor
Best







Pesticides
Cultural
Mechanical
Sanitary
Natural
Biological
Host Plant Resistance
NOTE: Some tactics fall
Into several categories.
1)
Thorough understanding of the crop, pest,
natural enemies, and the environment
….and their interrelationships
2)
Monitoring/detection of pests
3)
Balance cost/benefits of all control practices
3)
Using least disruptive technique to
“manage” the pest
Economic Injury Level
Economic Threshold
Pest
Density
Pest Population
Time


I.D. – immature and adult insects, mites,
diseases, weeds
Biology – lifecycle, crops attacked, behaviour,
when active, alternate hosts, etc.





Many insects overwinter in weeds or plant
debris in or near the garden.
Remove and compost weeds and debris, or
spade them under as soon as harvest is
completed.
Look under mulch material regularly for a
buildup of slugs, snails, and millipedes.
Check transplants before buying or planting –
do not use infested plants.
Bury or compost garden debris in the fall.



Do not grow the same crop in the same area in
consecutive seasons. This helps to
reduce the build-up of soil insects such as grubs,
wireworms, and maggots, and soil-borne plant
diseases.
Avoid planting crops susceptible to grubs where
grass grew the previous year.
If Japanese beetles are a problem, avoid growing
roses and grapes near the garden area, as these
plants are particularly attractive to the beetles.




Healthy, vigorously growing crops tolerate
more pest pressure.
Provide the best possible growing conditions.
Check the fertility and pH (acidity) of the soil
regularly and make appropriate adjustments.
Use mulch (hay, leafmold, etc.) or cultivate
the soil to kill weeds which harbor pests.


Many pests are effectively controlled by
picking them off the foliage and destroying
them.
With perseverance, this works against pests
such as Japanese beetles, Colorado potato
beetles, tomato hornworm.

To reduce disease incidence ensure good air
movement between rows

Plant rows north-south to maximize sunlight
interception

Keep tomatoes and fruit trees well pruned

Keep weeds down

Use companion planting

Provide nectar and pollen sources for predators and
parasitoids

Alyssum, candytuft, marigolds, phacelia, schizanthus and
salvias are good insect plants, as are some common weeds,
such as dandelions, goldenrod, wild carrot, lamb´s quarters
and wild mustard. Plants with small flowers, such as dill,
parsley (a biennial), catnip, lemon balm, thyme and other
herbs provide food for minute beneficial wasps. Daisies,
coneflowers, milkweeds and yarrow are good pollen sources
for lady beetles and other predators.



Collars – Newly planted peppers and tomatoes can be
protected from cutworms by placing a collar around
each plant made from cardboard, paper or plastic cup
or milk carton with the bottoms cut off. The collar
should be at least 10 cm tall and pushed 4-5 cm into
the soil. The collar acts as a barrier, keeping them
from reaching and damaging the stems of plants.
Shields – A 15 cm diameter “donut” made from carpet
or tar paper, laid flat on the ground and fit snuggly
around individual transplants will prevent the adult
cabbage root maggot fly from laying eggs at the base
of the plants.
A ring of ashes deters slugs and snails


Visual traps such as yellow, sticky boards are
generally used to monitor insect populations.
Lure traps, such as Japanese beetle and codling moth
traps, contain chemical attractants, called
pheromones.

Bait Traps – mix of banana and beer in a can buried
to soil level can “trap out” slugs

Electronic and ultraviolet traps are not recommended.

Biological control is the use of beneficial
insects, mites, nematodes and diseases to
control garden pests.
Methods:
1. Conserve and attract naturally occurring
beneficial insects and mites.

2.
Purchase commercially available beneficial
organisms and release in the garden.



Predators: eat many prey in a lifetime,
feeding both as young and as adults.
Parasitoids: specialized insects that develop
as a young in one host, eventually killing it.
Pathogens: nematodes, viruses, bacteria,
fungi, protozoans.



• Most adults and larvae feed
on soft-bodied insects. These
may be important in aphid
population control.
Adults are rounded, and
range in size from tiny to ¼
inch long. Color ranges from
black to brightly colored.
Larvae are elongated and
red and black




Most are predaceous on
insects in and on the soil as
adults and larvae.
Adults are most active at
night, dark in color, with long
legs.
Larvae are often in leaf litter
or soil and are elongate.
Some feed on seeds and can
reduce the number of weed
seeds in agricultural systems.
Adults feed on nectar and pollen and are
often found at flowers.
 Some adults eat aphids, insect eggs and
larvae or feed on both flowers and insects.
 Adults are elongate, with red, orange, or
yellow and black patterns on head and
abdomen.
 Larvae are dark, flattened and
elongate. Larvae feed on eggs
and larvae of beetles, butterflies,
and moths in soil, leaf litter or under bark.





Most are predators and live in
leaf litter as adults and larvae.
Prey on small soft-bodied
insects and insect eggs,
larvae, and pupae.
Adults brown or black with
soft, short wing covers.
Larvae are long and thin with
a large head.




Genus Perillus and Podisus
are predators with forward
pointing tubular mouthparts.
Most other stink bugs are
plant feeders.
Shield-shaped, often
brownish, usually less than ½
inch long.
Nymphs are rounder than adults.





This predator about ⅛ inch long
feeds on aphids, thrips, mites,
psyllids, and insect eggs.
The insidiosus species occurs in
Eastern Canada,
These insects are abundant in many habitats.
Adults are oval, black with white markings and a
triangular head.
Nymphs are slightly
pear-shaped and reddish
brown or yellow.




Adults have thin, green bodies and
green wings with lacy veins; many
are not predators.
Larvae are predators, with long,
curved mandibles that they use to
suck the fluids out of prey.
Larvae are about ¼ inch long, look
like tiny alligators, and feed on most
small soft bodied insects. Eggs are
laid on individual silken stalks.
Common in agriculture, gardens
and landscapes.




Most adults eat pollen and nectar.
Adults are black and yellow, often
hover around flowers, and look like
bees (but do not sting).
Most larvae are predators on aphids
and other soft-bodied insects.
Larvae usually have an opaque skin
with internal organs visible, and are usually
green to dark brownish.





Adults eat mainly caterpillars and
feed their larvae beetles, flies, true
bugs, and other wasps.
Adults switch to feed on sugar in late
summer.
While some insects in this family are
aggressive, native species in the
genus Polistes are less likely to sting
people.
Adults are black and yellow and fold
their wings lengthwise when at rest.
Colonies do not overwinter in Ontario.



Feed on pest mites like two-spotted spider
mite and European red mite
Natural populations often present
Can be purchased and placed in perennial
crops (strawberries, raspberries, apple trees)
and annual crops (tomatoes, melons, etc.)




Day active hunters in plants or on the ground.
Do not make a web, but stalk
and pounce on prey.
Jumping spiders -Distinctive eye
pattern with a front row of four eyes
and two pairs behind the front row in a
perpendicular line.
Crab spiders - The front two pairs of legs
are enlarged and extend to
the side of their body, giving
them a crablike appearance.





Parasitize larvae of beetles, caterpillars, flies and
sawflies.
Braconids -Adults usually are less than ½ inch long
with an thin abdomen that is longer than
the head and thorax combined.
Ichneumonids - attack
specific insects, but some species of
most types of insects are attacked by
this family.
Common hosts include beetles,
caterpillars, and wasps.
Adults are usually slender
with a long ovipositor.




Most are internal and
external parasites of butterfly,
moth, bee, and wasp larvae.
Some attack larvae of beetles, flies, moths, or
grasshopper eggs.
Bee Flies - Adults are short, very hairy,
medium to large flies with
long, thin mouthparts.
Tachinids - Adults are often dark, thick bodied
hairy flies that look
like houseflies but with stout
bristles at the tip of their
abdomen.


Pesticides in the home garden should be used as a
last resort only and, of course, in a manner that is
legal.
Pesticides should be used only when there is no
risk of environmental damage or when benefits
outweigh the risks.

Use pesticides only when other control practices
aren’t available, economical or practical.

Must monitor pest populations in the field.
◦
◦
◦
◦
Identify the pest
Are they causing visible damage?
Life stage susceptible to pesticide?
Crop stage and preventable loss?



Most common is the bacterium Bacillus
thuringiensis, better known as Bt.
The "kurstaki" strain of Bt (Btk) kills
caterpillars, such as gypsy moth, hornworms
cabbage loopers, and cabbageworms.
GMO crops – i.e. Bt sweet corn




To be effective, Bt must be eaten by the pest.
Susceptible insects stop eating soon after ingesting Bt, as
it destroys the lining of their gut. Death often follows in a
few days.
The primary advantage of Bt is its highly selective action.
Most Bt products only kill caterpillars that eat it. This
means that most beneficial insects are spared the adverse
effects. Bt is considered quite safe to humans, and most
products can be used right up to harvest.
Bt does have some limitations, however. Because it must
be eaten, thorough coverage of the affected plant is
critical. Bt also breaks down rapidly upon exposure to
sunlight and water, rarely lasting more than a few days.
What's more, Bt kills not only the larvae of pests, but also
the larvae of butterflies. Know the insect you are spraying
for and keep away from plants where butterfly larvae feed.




Insecticidal soaps are applied as dilute sprays
(1 to 3 % concentration) and work primarily by
damaging the cell membranes of insects and
mites.
A wide range of insects are sensitive to soaps -primarily small, soft-bodied species such as
aphids, whitflies, leafhoppers and spider mites.
Effects are rapid, usually resulting in death of
susceptible insects within a few minutes after
exposure.
Soaps are sometimes sold in mixtures with other
insecticides, such as pyrethrins, to increase their
effectiveness.




The selective action of soaps and their high degree of
safety to humans are their major advantages.
Generally, they have a minimal impact on beneficial
species. (One significant exception is that soaps kill
predator mites, often an important control of spider
mites.)
One of the main limitations of soaps is that they work
strictly on contact and have no residual effects.
Also, soaps are more sensitive to certain
environmental conditions than other insecticides are.
For example, the minerals in hard water react with
soaps to reduce their activity. And soaps may be less
effective if applied during periods when they dry very
rapidly.

Pyrethrum
The most widely used of the botanical
insecticides are extracts from the flowers of
the pyrethrum daisy, Chrysanthemum
cinerariifolium. Powdered pyrethrum flowers
are rarely sold for pest control, but there are
numerous products containing the extracted
active ingredients, pyrethrins and allethrins.



Pyrethrins have a rapid "knockdown" effect they have,
which causes most flying insects to drop almost
immediately upon exposure.
Pyrethrins are also highly irritating to insects and can
therefore be used as a "flushing agent" to disperse
pests. They also rapidly degrade when exposed to
light or moisture and so do not persist for long in the
environment.
Most insects are highly susceptible to pyrethrins, so
quite low concentrations are applied. At the same
time, pyrethrins are quite non-toxic to most
mammals, making them among the safest
insecticides in use.





Annual plants are those that complete their
entire life cycle in less than a full year.
Grow from seed, develop into a mature
plant, set flowers and seeds, and finally
die after the seeds are shed.
Two types: Summer annuals germinate
from seeds in the spring, live through
the summer, and set seeds in the fall.
Winter annuals germinate from seeds in the fall,
live over the winter months, and set seeds the
following spring.
Any program to control annual weeds should be
designed to either eliminate the young seedlings
or at least prevent the development of seeds.

Biennial plants require two growing
seasons to complete their life cycle. These
plants enter a non-flowering stage during the
first season after germination of the seed.
The root system on the young plant stores
food and overwinters. During the second
season, a new plant grows from the root and
develops flowers that set seed to reproduce
the plant. These types of weeds are best
controlled in the young growing stages of the
first-year plant.



Perennial plants are able to live for two years or more. Each
year they are able to flower and set seed.
Some perennial plants reproduce
and persist by vegetative structures
such as bulbs, tubers, budding roots,
rhizomes, and stolons. These multiple
reproductive mechanisms make perennial
plants especially difficult to control.
In addition to destroying the top growth, which will prevent
seed development, you must also eliminate the underground
vegetative portions to assure any degree of success in
reducing their population.




Avoid using manures or compost containing viable
seeds that might germinate into weeds.
Keep all weed growth in surrounding areas under
control to prevent seeds from blowing onto the
property.
Remove seeds and vegetative parts from your tools
and equipment before working in a clean area of the
property.
Check nursery stock for weed seeds or vegetative
parts of perennial weeds before you set new plants
on the property.


Cultivating the soil and/or mowing are two
effective weed-control practices that either
destroy the entire plant or prevent the
development of seed for the following
generation.
Hand weeding (pulling or hoeing), however,
still might be the most practical method of
weed control available to the individual.





Broad-spectrum herbicide
Acts by absorption,
moving to root and
blocking transport system
within plant.
Can take 7 – 10 days to see results
On soil contact breaks down very rapidly
Extremely low mammalian toxicity





A mulch is any kind of material applied to the
soil surface for protection or improvement of the
area covered.
The value of any mulch material is measured in
how well it improves crop quality.
The most common reason for using a mulch is to
eliminate weeds or at least retard their growth.
Where a mulch layer is sufficiently deep, few
weeds will grow.
In addition to controlling weeds, mulches also aid
the optimum development of the plants that
grow in the mulched areas.




Reduce evaporation thereby conserving moisture,
which is particularly important during droughty
periods of the growing season.
Mulches help maintain a uniform soil
temperature - insulation to keep the soil warmer
during cool spells and cooler during the warm
months of the year and retard freeze-thaw cycles
during winter and reduce heaving of perennial
plants. (i.e. Strawberries).
As mulch materials gradually become mixed with
the soil, they increase the water-holding capacity
of light sandy soils and increase the aeration of
heavy clay soils.
Organic mulches serve as "food" for many
microorganisms in the soil.






Mulch materials such as hay and straw can introduce additional
weed seeds into the planting area.
Wood chips, fresh sawdust, crushed corncobs, straw, and shredded
bark, require the addition of fertilizer to reduce the chance of
nitrogen deficiency in the growing plants
Uncomposted organic mulches can heat up quickly when damp. This
heat, created by the decomposition process within the mulch layer,
can "cook" the bark or stem of a plant if it comes into direct contact
with the mulch.
In Fall improper hardening-off may occur to trunks of fruit trees.
Plastic films, especially when very large areas are mulched, can
cause problems - the amount of water that actually enters the soil
as rainfall or irrigation might be reduced.
Mulches around fruit trees provide an ideal haven for voles, which
can eat the bark at the base of a tree.

Apply early, before weeds start to actively grow or very
small to smother.

However, delaying application of mulch also allows the soil
to warm slightly, which aids in active root development.


To function properly, a mulch layer should be from 2 to 3
inches deep. This depth will easily smother young weed
seedlings, prevent evaporation of soil water, and allow
water penetration to the soil below. Thinner layers will not
be adequate. Thicker layers tend to waste mulch and are
no more effective in most cases.
Don’t let mulch contact the stem or trunk of the plant. May
encourage bark to rot and creates conditions that favour
disease organisms (e.g. Anthracnose of raspberry).