I received some emails from people about my using the milk solution for the fungus problem. Seems a lot of people are interested in decreasing or eliminating pesticides from their food where and whenever possible.Here's some reasons to consider stopping or at least decreasing pesticide use in your garden:
- Pesticides are toxic to many forms of life. Beneficial insects such as ladybugs and honeybees can be killed by pesticides which can lead to worse insect problems in the future.
- Pesticide residues can accumulate in the food chain. These traces may cause damage to birds, fish and other forms of animal life. In many cases these side effects are not immediately apparent, but may show up later, for example, in the abnormal eggs of birds that have eaten pesticide-laced insects.
- Children are especially at risk from pesticides and are much more susceptible to these chemicals than adults. Kids have more skin area relative to body volume than adults and their skin may be more permeable to pesticides. Young kids also tend to play for hours in the yard, putting dirty fingers, other objects and dirt in their mouths.
- Pesticides don’t remain on your lawn and garden. Storm water runoff carries toxins into nearby streams, rivers and lakes harming fish and other water wildlife. These water bodies may also be the source of your drinking water.
- Many pesticides contain ingredients known or suspected of causing cancer. Studies also suggest strong associations between pesticides and other serious health consequences. (Source: David Suzaki Foundation)
Colony collapse is one of the problems facing bees and beekeepers today. Some scientists think it is due to the increased use of pesticides which honeybees are unable to tolerate. If honeybees are not available to pollinate then nature as we know it dies.
Personally I became aware of the effects of pesticides after our neighborhood had been sprayed and our dog had a reaction to the spray. He experienced tremors, and seizure activity. We were able to get him to the emergency vet's office in time. But it made me much more aware of the effects of spraying and pesticides. Until that time I had never actually seen the effects of the chemicals directly. It definitely makes me more aware.
Many locales such as Ontario have enacted legislation to decrease the use of pesticides. Here are some tips from another Texas group, the Arlington Organic Garden Club.
Consider visiting some of the links to see how you can decrease or eliminate the use of pesticides in your garden. You can make the decision to go organic and still have a healthy garden. And the health of you, your family and pets will be better as well.
All in a gardener's day,
Thanks to Mateusz Stachowski and Katarzyna Lipi?ska for use of the photo
