With spring just around the corner, a lot of folks are thinking about gardens.  With gardens come pests.  To be honest, I really don’t like to use pesticides for various reasons.  If the situation gets to the point that I can’t control the situation; then and only then will I resort to pesticide use.  I thought I would share with you some of the techniques my wife and I uses to control those little monsters. 

• General purpose insect spray — Grind up 1 whole garlic bulb, 1 small white onion and 1 tablespoon of cayenne pepper.  Place the mixture into a one quart jelly jar, pour in 1 quart of warm water and seal the jar with a lid.  Let the mixture set in the warm sun and cook for about 1 hour.  After an hour strain the fluid from the jar through an old tee-shirt or a piece of cheesecloth into a 1 quart spray bottle.  Place the spray bottle in the shade so it will cool.  After the sun goes down and the concoction cools down, spray your plants, paying attention to the infested areas.  Bugs hate this stuff.

• If you have aphids, fleas, beetles, whiteflies, try this.  Mix up 1 part of ammonia to 7 parts of water and add 1 teaspoon of Dawn dish soap into a one quart spray bottle.  After the sun goes down and the plants cool down, spray this concoction on.  Warning — Always test a small portion of one plant to see if the mixture is correct so the plant is not harmed.  If the ammonia level is to strong it could harm the plant.

• Baking soda is great stuff because it has fungicidal properties.  Mix/dissolve 1 teaspoon of baking soda and 1 teaspoon of Dawn dish soap.  Pour the mixture into a 1 quart spray bottle and fill the bottle with warm water.  This stuff will last a long time on the plant.  Bugs hate it.

• After you work in the garden, always clean your tools with bleach water.  Mixture 1 part of bleach to 10 parts of water.  This practice will help eliminate cross contamination (bacteria and bugs) between garden beds.  This practice is especially important when working with raised beds.

• If you have an ant problem, buy some boric acid and mix it with a little jelly and place around the exterior of your beds.  The ants will go straight for the jelly and take it back to the colony where it will work its magic.

• For ants, aphids, onion maggots, pesky deer and other furry animals, try grinding up some cayenne pepper and dusting your plants with it.  Insects hate it and animals, once dosed will generally avoid that location.

• This is going to sound gross; however, some of my crew chews Skoal tobacco.  If they have to spit out their used chewing tobacco near my office, I have them spit the tobacco into a bucket.  I have the bucket half full of water.  Once the water turns dark brown, I strain it and pour it into a spray bottle.  I know you are thinks, WHY!  Well nicotine is very poisonous and depending on the concentration will kill most soft bodied insects.  Note:  Birds don’t like it either.

Note:  Before using any of the above mixtures or concoctions always test a small area of the plant to make sure the plant will not be harmed by the mixtures or concoction application.  Always wear eye protection and rubber gloves to protect your hands. 

If you would like to share a cleaning idea or concept with the reading audience, call Ed at NWES (208-255-2266) or toll free at 1-877-311-NWES. E-mail them to nwees@hughes. net  or send them to Bonner County Daily Bee, 310 Church St. , Sandpoint, ID 83864, Attn: What Would Ed do?  For more information about Ed’s company, check him out at NWESINC. COM.

Copy written by Edmond E. Madan, certified forensic, fire, flood, mold inspection and remediation contractor. Ed is the president of  Northwest Executive & Environmental Services, Inc.