Pesticides

We here at Rice Road have a great selection of pest and fungus control. Our knowledgeable staff can help advise you on application of products and can also help you choose the correct product for the problem you are having in your gardens.

Bring in a sample of the issue you are having for someone at customer service to identify and recommend how to control or eliminate the issue. Many times people believe they are having a fungal issue and it turns out to be a pest problem and vice versa.

Please visit our pest/herbicides products page to see featured items and customers favorites.

Cosmetic pesticide ban: what does it mean for the gardener?

In April 2009 the province of Ontario passed a law restricting the non-essential use of pesticides. Nearly half of Canada’s population is covered by similar restrictions which aim to reduce the health risks associated with these chemicals. Various studies point at increased cancer rates and other health issues associated with chemical pesticides. Young children are especially susceptible from hand-to-mouth contamination as they explore the world around them.
Some very common pesticides that are no longer permitted for domestic use include the herbicides 2-4-D, mecoprop and dicamba (found in Killex and Weed and Feed) and glyphosphate (Round-Up), as well as the insecticides diazinon and carbaryl (found in many insecticide products).

Environmental benefits aside, this pesticide ban limits the methods available for dealing with common garden problems like a bug infestation or a lawn full of dandelions. Environmentally conscious gardeners have been asking for alternative products for years. This increased demand has made many organic pesticides not only available, but economically viable.

One word of caution, just as with their chemical counterparts, how you apply organic products can determine the difference between success and failure. Read the label and use these products according to their directions.

Organic Methods For Dealing With Bug Problems

Insecticidal Soaps are contact sprays that disrupt the insect’s cell membrane leading to death. Soaps are effective against many insects including aphids, spider mites and mealybug. Apply at first sign of problem and repeat weekly for 2 or 3 times and thereafter as required .Make sure you spray the top and bottom of the leaves.

Limited to indoor use ( they cannot be broadcast sprayed ) Pyrethrins are a natural insecticide derived from the painted daisy. They are found in insecticidal soap products such as Safer’s Trounce and Safer’s End-All . They control many insect pests including, aphids, mealybug, whitefly, spider mites and scale (applied at the crawler stage). Apply at first sign of disease and again 10-14 days later if required. Pyrethrins are biodegradable but avoid using near ponds and streams as they are toxic to fish.

Ferric Phosphate is effective against slugs and snails. Safer’s Slug and Snail Bait is harmless to pets and any undigested bait breaks down into the soil.

Mineral oil is used to kill over-wintering insects on trees. The oils must be applied in early spring before the leaf buds open and when there is no risk of frost. Mineral oil can be used alone (Green Earth Horticultural Oil) or in combination with lime sulphur (Wilsons Dormant Spray Kit) to control insects and disease. Horticultural oil is also used to control Euonymus Scale in the growing season. Apply to cover all parts of the plant. Another product that works in a similar way is Safer’s End-All. It is made with canola oil and is useful against Euonymus scale.

Nematodes are nature’s most abundant life form and these microscopic worms are found all over the world. The two species of interest to the gardener are Heterorhabditis bacteriophora and Steinernema carpocapsae. These feed on many soil pests like grubs and surface pests like webworms respectively. Nematodes are harmless to people and pets, as well as beneficial creatures like worms. They are easy to apply using a hose-end sprayer. Since nematodes are a living organism be sure to pay attention to the storage and usage directions on the package. While used mainly for pest control in the lawn, Grub Busters or Lawn Guardian are proving effective against many other pests as well including Iris borer, leaf miner and thrip.

Silicon Dioxide or diatomaceous earth, is sold as many different insecticides including Green Earth Insect Dust. It can be used indoor as well as outdoors to control many insects, anything that crawls. Can also be applied as a barrier against slugs around susceptible plants like Hostas.

BT Bacillus thuringiensis is packaged in several formulations including Safer’s BTK which is used to control many types of caterpillars on and crops and ornamentals. It is considered very safe to use since it has little or no non-target effects.

Boric acid or borax is most commonly found in ant bait preparations like Wilson’s Antex.Great for eliminating ants inside and outside.

Pheromone traps use a scent based lure to attract and trap beetles and wasps. Safer’s Japanese Beetle Trap should be placed 3 metres away from the plants to be protected. To keep wasps away from outdoor entertainment areas place Scotts EcoSense Yellow Jacket Traps away from these areas. While very effective, these lures may actually attract these pests to your garden so if you don’t have a problem, avoid using them.

Safer’s Sticky Strips are bright yellow plastic cards coated with an adhesive. These attract various flying pests such as fungus gnats, thrip and whitefly. The bugs get trapped in the adhesive.

 

Organic Methods For Dealing With Fungal Problems

Sulphur is available in a powdered form (Safer’s Sulphur Dust), and in a liquid spray (Safer’s Defender). It is used primarily to control mildew, black spot and rust on ornamental plants as well as scab on fruits. Apply at first sign of disease and repeat at 10-14 day intervals as required.

Copper Sulphate which is sold under the name Bordo is used to control disease and fungus organisms on plants. It is effective against blight, leaf spot as well as peach leaf curl, anthracnose and other diseases.

 

Combination Insecticide / Fungicide Products

Roses and some other ornamentals often attract more than one type of problem such as a combination of Aphids and Mildew for example. There are some products that deal with both issues. Safer’s 3in1 spray is both an insecticide and a fungicide.

 

Organic Methods For Dealing With Weeds

Corn gluten meal is a by-product of corn processing that was discovered to have herbicidal properties in the 1980s. It works by preventing germination of seeds. Environmental Factors Turf Maize is effective on various lawn weeds including crabgrass and dandelions when applied as a pre-emergent control in spring at around the time the Forsythia bloom, and again in fall. Apply at least six weeks before or two weeks after over-seeding. Corn gluten meal breaks down as organic nitrogen (10-0-0) which is an added benefit for the lawn. Corn gluten meal products with fillers added are beneficial as a fertilizer, but do not have the same weed suppressing properties.

Acetic Acid (Scotts Eco Sense) is a non-selective (kills everything green) contact (must be sprayed on foliage) herbicide for use on driveways, patios and in gardens. It acts quickly and controls many weeds. Avoid using in lawns except as a shielded spot spray to control perennial weeds and avoid spray drift on desirable plants or surrounding turf.

A final note:  

Many of the above problems can be dealt with using common sense cultural practices. If you see an infection on a plant cut it out before it spreads and then monitor the plant to see if a pesticide is needed after. Keep the grass thick with regular applications of fertilizer, infrequent but deep watering as needed, aeration and mowing high to deter weeds. Hand-pull weeds before they become an infestation. Try to determine what the problem is before you spray. If you’re not sure bring a sample in to one of our experts for identification.

 

As long as you’re going green, consider buying a re-usable sprayer and getting concentrated organic products. Most types mentioned come in a concentrated form. This not only saves you money. It saves on packaging.

 

Here is a quick table we have created to help identify types of control for common garden problems

Problem Solver

ANIMALS Denying access with a fence is the best control	PROBLEM	CULTURAL CONTROL	NATURAL CONTROL	“CHEMICAL” CONTROL
	Cats, Dogs	Plant ‘Scardy Cat,” Coleus canina, plant thorny barrier plants	citrus oils (peels) and pepper act as a repellent	Critter Ridder (pepper based repellent)
	Skunks, Racoons	pick up fruit litter, control grub populations, keep tight lids on garbage cans	moth balls (flakes), pepper sprinkled as barrier, ammonia repels skunks	Critter Ridder (pepper based repellent)
	Rabbits, Mice, Deer, Squirrels	plant garlic to repel rabbits and mint to repel mice. To repel rabbits place a film can with vinegar and a hole in the lid	bar soap (deer), basil (mice), pepper (squirrels & rabbits)	Scoot a liquid repellent for use on ornamentals (not food plants)
FUNGUS & DISEASE Prune out infected parts, remove debris in fall. Rotate fungicides for best results. Plant resistant varieties	PROBLEM	CULTURAL CONTROL	NATURAL CONTROL	“CHEMICAL” CONTROL
	Black Spot / Leaf Spot	spores may winter on plant debris, prune out and destroy infected parts, rake up debris and destroy	1 tbls baking soda 2.5 tbls light horticultural oil in 1 gal water	Bordo, used as a preventative spray every 7-10 days.Sulphur Dust, Safers Defender
	Powdery Mildew	do not overhead water, imrpove air circulation, (prune) remove infected parts	1 tbls baking soda 2.5 tbls light horticultural oil in 1 gal water	Bordo,used as a preventative spray every 7-10 days.Sulphur Dust, Safers Defender
	Rust	remove infected parts at first sign of disease and destroy. Plant resistant varieties		Sulphur Dust, Safers Defender used as a preventative spray every 7-10 days
	Shothole Fungus	prune out and destroy infected parts, do not overhead water		apply Bordo in fall
INSECT PESTS Healthy plants are more likely to fight off attack. Early detection is the key to successful insect control Use sticky traps. Experiment with your own bug repellent Steep 1/2 cup hot pepper or onion or garlic in 1 litre of water. Strain & spray on plants that have been attacked in the past	PROBLEM	CULTURAL CONTROL	NATURAL CONTROL	“CHEMICAL” CONTROL
	Ants		pennyroyal (herb clippings)	Ant Killer Dust, Ant Drops (Borax)Silicon dioxide (Insect Dust)
	Aphids	companion plant with chives or garlic	Ladybugs	Soap and water spray; Scotts Insecticidal Soap
	Beetles / Skeletonizer	beetles are repelled by the herbs Tansy, Rue and garlic	Safers Trounce pheromone traps	diatomaceous earth dusted on plants
	Box Elder Bugs	keep wood piles and other hiding places away from house don’t plant female box elders		Scotts Insecticidal Soap
	Borer	Keep trees well watered borers attack stressed plants, companion plant with garlic	Poke sharp object in borer holes
	Caterpillars / Moths Webworms / Cutworms	to protect against cutworms use a 3″ collar around seedlings e.g. a toilet paper roll	Double sided tree tap around trunk of trees.	BTK (bacillus thuringiensis kurstaki) when larvae present. Diatomaceous earth to help with cutworms.
	Grubs	keep grass healthy by aerating fertilizing and regular, deep watering, deep cultivation in beds		Beneficial Nematodes
	Scale	cut out severe infestations		Dormant Oil in early spring Lime Sulphur in summer.
	Slugs / Snails	hand pick, barrier of crushed eggshells or coffee grounds, fresh rosemary repels slugs	beer trap (empty daily) diatomaceous earth, aluminum sulphate barrier	Slug and Snail Bait, Diatomaceous earth
	Spidermite	Flush plant through with water periodically		Safers End-All
WEEDS Keep weeds out of grass by keeping a thick lawn. Topdress with topsoil, reseed thin and shady areas every year. Fertilize and deep watering	PROBLEM	CULTURAL CONTROL	NATURAL CONTROL	CHEMICAL CONTROL
	Weeds in Lawn (perennial and broadleaf)	keep grass healthy by aerating, fertilizing and regular, deep watering	pull by hand	Corn gluten meal
	Weeds in Lawn (annual and crabgrass)	keep grass healthy by aerating, fertilizing and regular, deep watering	pull by hand	Scotts Weed b Gone
	Weeds in Flower Beds	weed barriers and mulching	hoe, or pull by hand
	Weeds on Patio or Driveway		pull by hand	Scotts Path Clear

* Always follow label directions when applying pesticides. Repeat applications as recommended for best results.