well the weather has been unusually abnormal this year, we never got a prolonged freeze, hence the increase in insects. My concerns is 1) you have no control as to where the fog will go (wind, etc) leaving a hap hazard coverage at best. 2) is that the fogger will also kill off benificial insects as well. and 3) the effect it would have on animals (ie local wildlife and people) thats why foggers useually say leave room until fog has settled. I know you wont stand there while using it but if the wind takes it into neighbors yard where kids or pets might be. Just my thoughts. I would say that the only way it could be remotely effective is if you can enclose the area being treated with some sort of enclosure to keep the fog localised.

The fog solution is pyrethrin, supposedly safe for mammals, but obviously would kill beneficial insects. I would do it just before dark, when the bees are gone, and the beetles active. My garden is surrounded by a 3 foot tall utility fence, so I could easily wrap it in construction plastic to hold the fog in. Also, my yard is not small, so my garden isn't all that close to neighbors, and I have no neighbors with kids or pets. Heck, 2 of the 3 houses bordering my yard are unoccupied, and the other is an 83 year old man, who never comes out. I'd just like to know if that fog stuff actually kills bugs, because a fogger is $60. Thanks for the input.

Joe

Depending on how large your garden is, you're probably better off using one of those gallon sprayers(I use a Hudson usually with just insecticidal soap)using the pesticide of your choice. I think you'd get more bang for your buck.
Sorry you're having such an infestation. I thought I was starting to see CBs, but they turned out to be four-lined plant bugs. That was a relief, but they were still doing some damage to some of my plants along with climbing cutworms and grasshoppers(and the JBs have recently arrived). I've never seen so many bugs at one time since I've been gardening in WI(almost 10 years). But, I'm also seeing more beneficials than previous years.
Hope you're successful with whatever you decide to do.

I have an infestation of white flies. I have been spraying neem weekly, but it hasnt seemed to make a dent. I honestly havent seen a lot of damage to the plants yet, but a cloud of any kind of insects makes me pretty nervous. A fogger is an interesting idea, but I think unless you are actually tenting the whole garden is isnt going to work as well as a sprayer like noinwi suggests.

I have no idea if this might be the exception to the rule.

But, from my own experience, the cheapest version of any machine/device never works like it's supposed to or as well as the more 'premium' versions. If the fogger you're looking at is the cheapest, you can pretty reliably count on it not doing the job near as well as you think/hope it will.

Rather than buy one, I would check around to see if you can rent one (few places I can think of it that might rent them are places that rent power tools/equipment, pest supply companies, maybe even exterminators themselves). At least for the first time you're going to use one. Then you can at least judge whether or not it's going to be as effective as you need it to be.

I've never tried this, but if I had as many beetles as you describe I would 'borrow" a couple chickens and let them roam in the garden area and see if they would feast on the buggers without wrecking all my plants.

I am new to vegetable gardening this year.

I have used the fogger for a couple years with great success in controlling mosquitoes and flies. I am interested in a DIRECT answer to your question.

First: will the fogger be a problem for my vegetable garden?

second: will it control the pests that may ravage my garden?

For those “experts” responding, guessing and suppositions are not helpful!

As said above, a pyrethrin fogger will kill insects. Good ones and bad ones. It won't hurt you (though pyrethrin allergies have been noted, and it can be mildly toxic as an irritant), and it won't hurt vegetables. That being said, pyrethrins also decay rapidly in the environment. As such, don't use it when bees are around, when they are likely to come in contact with the vapor. Nighttime spraying is recommended for this reason.

Will it control the pests that may ravage your garden? It will help control them. It won't eliminate them. The best strategy for pesticide application depends on the target insect.

No guesses or suppositions here. But one needs to know what you're fogging. Are we really talking about pyrethrins?

Yeah just call orkin. Its only $40 for them to come and PROFESSIONALLY mosquito fog your yard. They use chemicals you can't get in home depot that WORKS and last. No I do no not work for orkin nor am I advertising for them. I just want people to know this is a true solution.