The choice is a false one. Today's pest control strategies are far more sophisticated than a simple question of organic versus "chemical" can pry out. Now I don't even live in FL but I do know a great deal about pest control. Sometimes very toxic things are used, but in a very controlled manner. Other times, rather benign materials are used in a manner which lays waste to an insect or mite pest of some kind. It's simply not an either/or kind of thing, nor should it be, IMO.

+oM

There are so many bugs on so many plants that it's difficult to narrow this down. For lawns I think one must use some sort of pesticide on St. Augustine lawns, if not the chinch bugs will kill much if not all of it. I think most people use some sort of chemical pesticide. Bahia lawns are more resistant to insects. They get mole crickets, but I don't think they will kill the lawn. I remember one time I applied a chemical pesticide to kill the mole crickets and the dead and dying crickets were then eaten by birds. I felt very bad about that. I don't spray my bahia lawn any more.

For most of my plants I can kill scale, mites, white flies and other critters with an organic horticultural spray. One needs to get the back of the leaves also and a repeat application might be necessary.

For ants I use Amdro. I have an exterminator company that sprays the outside and inside of my walls. I know they use different kinds of chemical pesticides.

I remember when I used to grow a lot of roses and they were hit by chili mites. The only thing that worked for them was a pesticide using spinosad--at least I think that was the name of the chemical used.

In the past I have used Thuricide to control caterpillars that were consuming my small oak trees and azaleas. I believe that Thuricide is organic.

Presently I pick off and kill milkweed bugs that pester my milkweeds. I have to be persistent, but I get most of them.

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Thuricide is Bacillus thuringiensis, a bacteria which infects caterpillars and causes them to get sick and die. As such, it is harmless to you and me and the dog, but be aware, many of our butterfly friends would indeed be killed (in their larval stage) in areas where this item gets used. Still a great tool, one just needs to know of all the factors involved.

+oM

depends on what bug you are trying to kill.

What is the bug that odor of the bug smells very bad? Is that Aphid?

Have you ever used garlic soapy water to get rid of Aphids?

Have you used baking soda and cooking oil to kill Aphids?

Thanks

I'm not sure about aphids but I've had pretty good luck spaying water bottles that have a few drops of peppermint and eucalyptus oil in them. I use them on indoor and outdoor house plants to keep pests away. Both oils have a bunch of other uses too.

In regards to ornamental and even certain edible plants, immiploprid (generic term) is a good choice, especially as a soil drench where you want even the new growth protected from aphids, scale insects and other such pests without affecting the honey bee populations. It works as a systemic and is taken up into the entire plant. The label now includes quite a few vegetable plants and is very safe for consumption. If it's sprayed of the foliage of plants with flowers and you're concerned about the bees, wait until just before dusk to spray. Foliage uptake is quicker but will not protect any new growth that appears after the spray. I've used it on my tomatoes, greens, etc. both ways with good success. The beneficial insect population is not affected as I keep plants nearby my plantings, in fact, they thrive. Granted, the treated plants don't produce many insects for the beneficials to eat but they're on stand-by to fill in the gaps. As with all pesticides, no matter what designation they have, READ & FOLLOW THE LABEL!

should have noted the plants I keep nearby my veggies are attractive types for beneficial insects

The actual spelling of that chemical is imidacloprid. It is one of the neonicotinoid insecticides. Somewhat ironically, since I rose to the defense of these compounds in an earlier thread here, the above post has some troubling wording. First, imidacloprid is a systemic insecticide. As such, and this from me, the guy who still believes these chemicals have their place, I would not consume fruits or vegetables from plants which had been so treated, at least not without knowing the details. And any bee, butterfly, or other pollinator that would drink an nectar from such treated plants would receive a dose of the chemical. that's not good for them! Insecticides kill insects!

The bit about timing your sprays to be done when bees are less active is a good one. But there's just a mess of half-truths and straight misinformation in the above post....sorry to say. And the apparent fact this is from someone "in the business" is quite troubling.

+oM

The bugs are Stink bugs, which get their name from the unpleasant odor they produce when they are threatened. How do you get rid of stink bugs? Thanks

Bravo, Michael. Whether one labels you a this or a that, what you have written consists entirely of good sense. And lest we forget, there were indeed smart hippies! But I digress. The simple fact about insects is that the vast majority of species are either neutral to actively beneficial to mankind, although the pathways by which this is so can be complex indeed. I'm a "all life is related" guy and really, we have much, much more in common with the other animals and even plants than most people realize. Heck, I've seen it said more than once that humans share some 90% of their genetics with yeast. Yeast!

I come into very regular contact with the orb-weavers this time of year. Those are some striking and I suppose, fearsome-looking creatures, with their vivid coloration and impressive size. Yet, I've learned that they are not at all dangerous to the vast majority of us. I run into them-literally-this time of year when I'm out in our stormwater site prairie plantings. They really like those settings. And it is good to see them doing great work in controlling grasshoppers, which also get quite numerous here at the tail-end of summer.

Great post, bud. The world needs to clone you! And good luck with that niece. I know the type.

+oM

There are indeed smart hippies. There are a lot of 'common sense' practices that are being championed by the eco-hippy types. The problem that can come up is that sometimes they can be so over-the-top that it is hard to take them seriously. Even as open-minded as I try to be, sometimes I have to just stop an 'instructional' video because I really just don't want to watch someone who doesn't look like they've washed their hair since the last rain storm roll around in the mud. That's one more reason I have enjoyed my gardening programs from overseas. Many of the eco-hippy methods are almost mainstream in other parts of the world.

(Disclaimer: No negative tone should be read into my use of the term 'Eco-Hippy'. I am just using the term as a descriptor of a certain type of person.)

I totally get you, bud. In fact, I could elaborate quite a bit on your concept but I'm feeling merciful here this morning and won't soak up all that bandwidth! But in the main, much of what was once "countercultural" is now mainstream, and not just in distant corners of the earth. It sneaks in when nobody is looking and even those who would never have aligned themselves with the "movement" or whatever it was subconsciously adopt many of its practices and beliefs. And not just in horticulture. I'm talking the very zeitgeist of the civilization itself.

Woops, I did it again!

+oM

I spray my plants ( indoor and out ) with a spray bottle of water, eucalyptus and citronella oil. no problems