What are some of the alternatives to synthetic chemical pesticides?
Botanical pesticides Because botanical pesticides are derived from natural plant material they are perceived to be safe. However, “natural” does not mean “nontoxic.” It is important to be aware that they are still pesticides and fall under the same federal and state regulations as synthetic or chemical pesticides. All pesticides require an EPA pesticide registration number that can be found on the product label. Some examples include ryania, sabadilla, rotenone, neem, pyrethrum, and pyrethrins. Microbial insecticides These products combat insects with microscopic living organisms: viruses, bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and nematodes. Most affect a single species or group of insects, often with minimal impact on beneficial insects and other nontarget organisms. One example is Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), a bacterium that is used to kill the larval stage of the gypsy moth. Another example is Beauveria bassiana (Naturalis-O”, Botanigard”) a fungus used to control aphids, whiteflies and other
