{"id":16897,"date":"2020-02-07T22:19:23","date_gmt":"2020-02-08T01:19:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/?p=16897"},"modified":"2024-12-15T00:18:08","modified_gmt":"2024-12-15T03:18:08","slug":"eco-friendly-pest-control-raleigh","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/north-carolina\/raleigh-nc\/eco-friendly-pest-control-raleigh\/","title":{"rendered":"Eco-Friendly Pest Control in Raleigh"},"content":{"rendered":"

No one wants ants or termites crawling around inside the walls of their homes. And you certainly don’t want wasps hovering around the back door or aphids making a meal of your roses.<\/p>

But you also don’t want to contaminate the earth or your backyard with harmful chemicals. The cure doesn’t have to be worse than the problem if you practice eco-friendly pest control in Raleigh.<\/p>

\u201cThink about the bigger picture,\u201d says North Carolina State University Cooperative Extension agent Jeana Myers<\/a>. Make sure what you put on your property stays on your property.<\/p>

Looking at the Big Picture<\/h2>
\"Jeana
Jeana Myers<\/figcaption><\/figure>

Ridding your yard of every pest isn\u2019t only impossible, it\u2019s undesirable. The type of pest control practiced now is called integrated pest management.<\/a> Managing pest problems in a responsible way, can protect the ecosystem, cut down on expenses, and promote local wildlife.<\/p>

IPM considers the pest’s life cycles, cultural practices, non-chemical control methods, and traditional pesticides to manage bugs. \u201cThe first thing we always tell people is the key to reducing pest issues is to keep your plants stress-free,\u201d says Myers.<\/p>

Proper irrigation, fertilization, and picking the right plants for the right place are also big factors in how successful and healthy those plants will be. The aim, she says, is to create a \u201cmore complete and intricate ecosystem, which is more resilient and reduces the need for insecticides.\u201d<\/p>

Pesticides Are Poison<\/h2>

The extension agents point out a simple breeze can send those poisonous chemicals<\/a> to nearby rivers and streams. Myers says she often gets calls from people who think their neighbor’s insecticides are harming their landscapes.<\/p>

Pesticide sprays often kill everything they contact, including beneficial insects and essential pollinators like bees.  And they don\u2019t agree with humans either. The toxic chemicals pose health threats if ingested, inhaled, or come in contact with your skin.<\/p>

Waterways and groundwater are often polluted when people incorrectly dispose of pesticides. If you need to get rid of unused pesticides, call (919) 733-3556 to reach the state Department of Agriculture\u2019s pesticide disposal assistance program.<\/p>

Good Bugs Vs. Bad Bugs<\/h2>

\u201cIf you do spot a problem, you want to identify whether it\u2019s a problem that really needs to be treated,\u201d Myers says. The only thing Myers sprays in her own backyard is her cabbage, which is susceptible to cabbageworm, and even then, she uses an organic spray.<\/p>

Not all bugs are bad. In fact, the majority are beneficial<\/a>. \u201cYou\u2019re really working to try and nurture a wide variety of insects,\u201d says Myers. In a healthy backyard, 90-95 percent of those bugs will be helpful. Mother nature has a way of helping the good bugs take out the bad.<\/p>

Good bugs<\/h3>