I use Sluggo or Escar-Go. Both safe and effective.

Long before other, more effective products were available powdered lime was used as a dust on plant leaves to deter leaf chewing/sucking insects. The benefits were minimal but still better than nothing. Over time the potentially negative effects all the lime had on the soil became apparent and lime use declined as DE (diatomaceous earth) became available.

Today there are many products, much more effective products, available for pest control.

Dave

Ok thanks.

Are there any 100% effective non-poisonous products that generally deter insects, at least ground crawling ones? I know a physical line of lime would stop most from crossing. I say 100%, Because I’ve seen a lot of organic products with insistent believers, yet they do not work well.

Poison for insects but not for humans? Lots of good insecticides have pretty benign MSDSs. Lime dust, in any form, may cause lung, skin and eye irritation.

Nothing is 100% effective - and an organic gardener wouldn't what such a thing as it would kill all the beneficials as well as the pests.

One of the basic tenets of organic gardening is that you only use the least toxic product available for the specific pest.

So exactly what bug is your problem? You mention slugs and snails and theri are quite effective organic products available for both. If it is a physical barrier you are trying to create and no plant that will be directly affected by its use, plain old rock salt - which unless you eat handfuls of it isn't toxic - works. They come in contact with it they shrivel up and die. But it also isn't something you want pets or kids to have access to.

Dave

You might want to read this article before using a snail bait... Slug Bait Warnings

Thanks. This is a high pest pressure area. I don’t even know all the bugs attacking the plants. I have identified snails slugs stinkbugs Catapillar’s aphids wood bugs amoung others.

I have some neem and lemon grass oil (not fresh squeezed can’t get such a thing here) and it does nothing. I have a real pesticide Sumithion but don’t want to use it.

From experience, probably half the peppers will end up with holes in them. If I wait until they turn color, I will likely get none. Landscape fabric seems to be helping so far.

I feel your pain. Living here in south Alabama, USA, it is HOT and HUMID. We've been getting thunderstorms quiet often. Humidity stays in the 60's and 70's. My problem is mostly with bight (tomatoes) and leaf-footed bugs. The heat and humid conditions is like a petri dish for breeding them.<sigh> I wish I knew something great that I could tell you to use, but things that work tend to be on the toxic side of things. BT Bacillus Thuringiensis could be use for the caterpillars and soapy water for the aphids. Stinkbugs are armor-plated, about the only thing you can do other than going nuclear is to target the nymphs. Wood bugs, I dunno.

I hadn't thought about this. For your slugs and snails you could try to combat them with copper. I don't know how big of an area you are working with so copper might be cost prohibitive. It seems as I recall that the "slime" and copper sets up a type of electrical charge that repels the slugs....or something like that. :) Here's a link to some copper tape here in the states, you may find something more local to you. Copper tape to repel slugs and snails. It will at least give you maybe an idea. I was wondering if possibly some old copper electrical wire, possibly flattened a bit with a hammer might could be laid around the perimeter of the garden...????

Certainly you don't want to kill your beneficials but sometimes you have to use a heavier hand than you'd like in order to harvest enough to make the whole venture worth your time. Otherwise you are simply growing vegetables to feed the bugs. But, with the heavier hand still use constraint and moderation.

As I mentioned earlier, soapy water for the aphids, Bt for the caterpillars, and maybe copper for the slugs. The stinkbugs will be the hardest to deal with. I haven't tried it yet, but one trap that I've seen and is *very* interesting is using a 100W halogen light bulb and a 5-gallon bucket. The bucket has several inches of soapy water in it. The halogen bulb is placed in one of the round silver reflector utility-light fixtures. The light fixture is hung at closely at the top of the bucket and switched on at night. The idea is that the stinkbugs will be attracted to the light and fly into it. The 100W halogen bulb is hot and the stinkbugs will be harmed/stunned/etc and fall into the soapy water which they can't get out of. If you do this I'd insure that the electrical connections are well weather-proofed due to the rainy conditions and of course leave it switched off during times of rain. I haven't tried it yet, mostly due to having my garden about 200' from the nearest electrical outlet.

Just reading about the copper vs. slug idea. From what I've read it's really a minimal repellent...most likely not worth the trouble. :(

Ok, one more post and I'm out of here.... :)

I just read a couple of articles that support the idea that chives (also onion and garlic) planted throughout the garden helps repel or reduce the number of slugs and snails.

Thanks DT. I’ll give it some thought. There’s also a lot of beetles. Some plants are too closely spaced, too late this year.

All of the above are good ideas. Just wanted to add that shallow pans of beer will trap lots of slugs. Any old cheap beer will do. You can set several in the areas of slug damage. They love the stuff! They fall in and drown. Just have to remember to check them after rains.