Try Organic Gardening

Your organic garden will not grow and flourish on its own, but needs much care and attention to detail. But apart from all the garden maintenance that is required, there are also garden pests like the pharaoh caterpillar to treat.

The organic gardening pharaoh caterpillar has a soft-body and therefore it is often prey to other creatures like birds, small mammals and other insects. These caterpillar-eaters usually keep populations in check, but sometimes numbers can still get out of control. When this happens there are a few things you can do to slow their destructive paths without using garden pesticides.

Begin with a physical attack. Early morning or late evenings are the prime pharaoh caterpillar’s hunting times. Wearing gloves, look on the underside of leaves and flick off anything that looks like an egg cluster. If you find an adult pharaoh caterpillar pick it off and drop it into a bucket of soapy water to kill it. This method is time consuming and there is no guarantee that you will find them all.

It is true that the fastest way to get rid of pesky pharaoh caterpillars is to use pesticides. They are detrimental not only to your unwanted guests, but also to your health and the health of the environment.

Organic pesticides, like Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), are the best, safest and cheapest alternative to toxic pesticides. Unlike their chemical counterparts, they are environmentally friendly and are safe to use around your family and pets. What is also great about this organic pesticide is that it only kills the pharaoh caterpillars and not your beneficial insects, like ladybugs.

Bacillus thuringiensis is an effective biological control against all caterpillars, especially the pharaoh caterpillar. During spore production, Bt produces crystals on the plant, when digested by the caterpillar it paralyzes this pest and kills it. Bt is sold as a liquid concentrate  which you have to mix with water, as per directions, and then spray it only onto the infected plants. Bt is reasonably priced, safe, easy to use and can be found at any garden centre.

Insecticidal soaps also work wonders as long as you spray it directly onto the pharaoh caterpillar. It is deadly to these unwelcomed insects, but harmless to birds, dogs, and cats, which is ideal if you are a pet lover.

A garlic-based insecticide will also remove the pharaoh caterpillars from your plants as it leaves a bad taste in their mouths. Garlic-based insecticide is not a preventative. It acts on contact, which means that it must touch the pharaoh caterpillar in order to be effective. Unfortunately, garlic-based sprays lose their scent in minutes, so frequent spraying is a necessity.

Keep your organic garden truly organic by staying clear away from harmful and toxic pesticides. For more information about organic pesticides, ask your local garden supplier for more solutions of organic pesticides to get rid of pharaoh caterpillars safely and effectively.

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