ONECHELTENHAM.ORG
cheltenham chamber of citizens
Pest Resistance: When a pesticide is used, some pests will survive due to natural genetic variations. These resistant individuals reproduce, passing on their resistance to their offspring.
Increased Pesticide Use: As more pests become resistant, gardeners must either increase the dosage of the pesticide or switch to a different, often more potent, one.
Treadmill Effect: This creates a cycle where pests develop resistance to the new pesticide, forcing gardeners to find yet another solution, and so on. This cycle is likened to a treadmill because it requires continuous effort (pesticide application) to stay in the same place (control pests).
Ecological Consequences: The pesticide treadmill not only increases the use of chemicals but can also disrupt ecosystems by killing beneficial insects and other organisms, potentially leading to the emergence of new pest problems.
Superweeds and Superbugs: The overuse of herbicides in particular can lead to the evolution of herbicide-resistant weeds, sometimes referred to as "superweeds," and similar resistance can develop in insects, resulting in "superbugs".
h
Identify the species. This is the first, and most important step! Most “bugs” (i.e. insect species and their kin), are neither helpful nor harmful, and make few or no problems. So how can you identify a “bug” to find out if it is a pest or not when there are literally thousands of species? Primex Garden Center and other garden centers that employ entomologists may be able to identify the organisms; just collect one and take it to them. There are also many field guides in the library to help you. And you can look at photos on the Internet. Some nature centers will be able to identify a “bug” for you.
Monitor Pest Activity: You may have a pest in your garden, but it may not be doing much damage or harm. Or there may be so few that you cannot categorize them as pests. A few holes in leaves never warrants the use of pesticides or herbicides. These are poisons, and the environment needs fewer poisons, not more.
If You Have A Pest: Learn at which particular stage in its life cycle it is most vulnerable to being controlled, i.e. is the egg, larva, pupa, or adult stage the most vulnerable to being controlled.
Learn what can be used to control (not eliminate) the pest and is the least harmful to the environment, i.e. What are your options? Here are some options:
ENVIRONMENTAL
INFO.
YOU CAN USE
by Judith Gratz, Environmental Educator
Pictured here is a hoverfly. It looks like a bee, does not sting and is one of our most important pollinators therefore is beneficial. This is an example of why it is important to correctly identify organisms in your garden.
This article is based on the idea that “pest” is a social construct, and information included here is based on that commonly accepted concept.
The ""pesticide treadmill" describes a cycle where the overuse of pesticides leads to pests developing resistance, necessitating the use of stronger or different pesticides, which then also become ineffective as pests develop resistance. This cycle can continue, requiring increasingly toxic and frequent pesticide applications, and can lead to other ecological problems.
Using pesticides as the first method of attacking an issue in the garden is NOT the best choice. For one, these “cides” kill non-targeted species, and there are many more helpful and neutral “bugs” than there are “pests”. The suffix "-cide" is used in many other words to indicate killing, such as: Homicide: The killing of a human being; Suicide: The act of killing oneself; Genocide: The deliberate and systematic destruction of a group of people; Germicide: A substance that kills germs; Herbicide: A substance that kills plants, especially weeds; Insecticide: A substance that kills insects. (the suffix "-cide" means "killer" or "killing". It is derived from the Latin word "caedere," which means "to cut down" or "to kill").
Here's a more detailed explanation of why you should usually eliminate the use of pesticides:
The helpful species, the ones that can control the pests will be severely reduced in number or eliminated. Here some steps to take to stay off of the pesticide treadmill:
Cultural controls: Proper watering, fertilization, and mowing can help create healthy plants that are more resistant to pests
Physical controls: Sometimes something as simple as soapy water can be just the right control. Or a strong spray of water from a hose will work on some species.
Mechanical Controls: Handpicking: Manually removing pests from plants or surfaces; Trapping: Using traps to capture and remove pests; Barriers: Employing physical barriers like fences, netting, or row covers to prevent pest access; Tillage: Disturbing the soil to disrupt pest habitats or expose them to predators; Cultivation: Using tools to remove weeds or alter the environment to make it less suitable for pests; Shaking: Shaking plants to dislodge pests (they can be dropped into a bucket of soapy water).
Companion Planting: Deterrent plants added to your garden near the plants that you value so a pest would not want to bother them. This is called “Companion Planting”. [See an article about this at the end of next winter so you can plan ahead].
Biological Pest Controls: Biological pest control is a method of controlling pests using natural enemies like predators, parasites, or pathogens. These are more sustainable and environmentally friendly alternatives to synthetic pesticides. Some familiar examples of these are Ladybugs, Praying Mantises, Frogs, and many others.
Smell that pests hate: Combine essential oils like citronella, peppermint, tea tree, and lavender to create your own bug-repellent spray. Mix with water and a little alcohol to help disperse the oil. Place oil-diffused cotton balls in areas where pests are a problem.
Analyze the results. Did you accomplish what you intended?
P The PESTICIDES TREADMILL