Here’s an extensive list of organic remedies for garden pests from our “Guide to Organic Pest Control” article:
| Pest |
No-spray Options |
Top Product Choices |
| Aphids |
Row covers; beneficial insects including ladybeetles, lacewings and syrphid flies; reflective mulches |
Insecticidal soap, diatomaceous earth, horticultural oil |
| Armyworms |
Row covers; beneficial insects including braconids and other small wasps |
Bt, spinosad, kaolin clay |
| Asparagus beetles |
Predation by poultry; winter cleanup of debris |
Spinosad |
| Cabbage loopers |
Row covers; handpicking; predation by birds |
Bt or spinosad |
| Cabbageworms |
Row covers; handpicking; predation by birds |
Bt or spinosad |
| Colorado potato beetles | Resistant varieties; row covers; straw mulch; crop rotation; handpicking |
Spinosad |
| Corn earworms |
Resistant corn varieties with tight husk tips; early planting |
Bt, spinosad or vegetable oil applied to young ear tips |
| Corn borers |
Good end-of-season cleanup of debris; parasitic wasps |
Bt, spinosad (alternating use) |
| Cucumber beetles |
Row covers; handpicking; vacuuming; trapping in yellow pails filled with water or with yellow sticky traps |
Kaolin clay |
| Cutworms |
Surface cultivation; weed reduction; rigid collars around seedling stems |
Bt, kaolin clay, beneficial nematodes |
| Fire ants |
Check garden weekly for new mounds and treat as needed |
Spinosad |
| Flea beetles |
Row covers; reflective mulch |
Spinosad |
| Grasshoppers | Poultry; good fall cleanup to dislodge overwintering eggs |
Nosema locustae protozoa, applied to habitat areas in late spring |
| Japanese beetles | Row covers; handpicking; parasitic wasps | Milky spore, beneficial nematodes |
| Leafhoppers |
Ladybeetles, lacewings and other beneficial insects |
Neem, kaolin clay, diatomaceous earth |
| Mexican bean beetle |
Scout twice weekly; handpick adults, eggs and larvae; release beneficial Pediobius wasps |
Neem |
| Spider mites |
Encourage beneficial insects; use strong water spray to wash undersides of leaves |
Insecticidal soap applied in late afternoon or early evening |
| Slugs and snails |
No evening watering; handpicking; trapping; ground beetles and other natural predators; reduced mulching; clean cultivation |
Sand, diatomaceous earth, copper barriers, iron sulfate baits (restricted use in some certified organic operations) |
| Squash bugs |
Row covers; handpicking; trapping under boards at night; growing non-preferred varieties; prompt composting of debris |
Neem |
| Squash vine borers |
Resistant varieties (butternuts); row covers; surgical removal; composting of all debris |
Beneficial nematodes |
|
Tarnished plant bugs (Lygus bugs) |
Close mowing near plantings; vacuuming; row covers; trap cropping with alfalfa |
Beauvaria bassiana fungus |
| Tent caterpillers |
Tear nests open with a stick every few days |
Late night applications of Bt or spinosad |
| Thrips |
Grow flowers to provide pollen and nectar for beneficial insects; reflective mulches |
Kaolin clay, Beauvaria fungus, insecticidal soap |
| Tomato fruitworm (same species as corn earworm) |
Encourage beneficial insects and wild birds; handpick |
Bt or spinosad |
| Tomato hornworm |
Scout twice weekly starting in early summer; handpick |
Bt or spinosad |
| Whiteflies |
Wash off with water; yellow sticky traps; reflective mulches |
Neem, insecticidal soap, horticultural oil |
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