Tuesday, April 26, 2016

Natural Pesticide

Natural Pesticide:

In a world where a newborn’s cord blood assessment, only a few minutes old, reveals approximately 270 different chemicals, a child who has not even had a chance to live for 24 hrs, it is paramount to assure that (s)he is exposed to as little chemicals as possible.

I garden, I have free range chickens and ducks and live on a farm. One of the lucky Orange County residents who is fortunate enough to find a place to call home in the suburb, close to the city and practice and yet, far enough to stay clear of the hectic city life. Dealing with weeds and pests is a daily agenda for me so I have made it my mission to learn more about the natural ways to combat the unwanted!! The first thing to emphasize is that no matter what, you simply do NOT give in to the chemicals; that means that you pretend to live as if the chemical alternative is not an option. You will be amazed at how quickly, with the help of internet and wonderful consumers and advocates for ‘clean’ living, you can find the alternative. You have to be patient. The chemical alternatives are there with ONE purpose and only ONE agenda-- to kill the weed or the pest no matter what. They do a great job performing that goal but at what cost?!!

So in my farm, I use old card board boxes, spread open the veggie garden to keep the weeds out when resting the soil. The winter rain makes them a great compost after all. I use a combination of vinegar, epson salt and mild dish soap to spray the weeds that grow on my patio. By the way, many weeds host the perfect ground for Lady bugs which are perfect for Aphids who can attack my roses or other plants including my Citrus trees.

For pests, I actually acquired two kittens that do an amazing job scaring, key word: scaring because they have not mastered the art of hunting yet, the pests. Ants are a big problem and I use borax mixed with sugar water at the point of entry to the house. My goal is to keep them live outside while we have the inside as our territory. I consult my all time favorite Facebook reference, ‘Ask the Bugman’, who is a wealth of information, a very generous individual out of New Mexico who generously offers his help to EVERYONE, free of charge (yes nice people do exist). He explains in detail the purpose  of each pest, how to naturally deal with them and simply a great reference to consult when need be.

I hope you find this blog helpful and remember to share it with your friends as together we WILL make a difference.


Dr. Mamak Shakib

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