Winter Pest Management
What are pesticides? Pesticides, or commonly called insecticides, are substances that may help in controlling pests and insects. There are two different types of insecticides that can be used to aid in the prevention or maintenance of insect infestations. Contact and systemic insecticides are the two forms that can be used. Continue reading to learn more about winter pest management!
Contact Insecticide
Contact insecticides are like a topical ointment, much like Neosporin. The insecticide is sprayed on top of the plant or topically. The substance attacks the insect on contact and can be washed off by routine watering or rainwater. Examples of contact insecticides include insecticidal soaps and Neem oil.
Systemic Insecticide
Systemic insecticide is generally placed at the soil line of a plant. Once watered in, the insecticide is then absorbed through the plant’s root system and is spread throughout the entire plant. When an insect lands on your plant and wants to have it for dinner, the systemic insecticide will not allow him to get past the first bite. Systemic insecticides are best used to prevent future infestations.
Which One is Better?
Both contact and systemic insecticides serve a purpose. When choosing the one to use, it is important to know what you will be using the insecticide on. For example, if you use a systemic insecticide on a plant that flowers, all insects that use the pollen will be affected by the systemic insecticide. In other words, the systemic insecticides kills all insects, to include beneficial insects such as bees and butterflies.
Systemic insecticide should not be used on edible plants. For example, vegetables, fruit trees, and herbs should not be treated with systemic, but rather topical insecticide. As a general rule, we recommend using an organic insecticide for all edibles.
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