Frequently ask questions



Alternative to chemical pesticide

Ecological horticulture is not summed up to the application of products, even biological.
It is necessary to make prevention to avoid recourse to pesticides, as to choose plants according to the environmental conditions and resistant to diseases, to improve soil, to make an adequate maintenance and to support biodiversity.

There are mechanical, biological means and low impact pesticides for getting rid of pests.
Mulch mulch # the Councils for a healthy lawn:

Mecanical means

http://www.healthylawns.net/francais/pdf/lawn_maintenance-f.pdf

Biological control

One can get in the trade of the predatory organizations to fight against some pest: nematodes, ladybirds, predatory acarids, etc.


Among the low impact Pesticides, we find:

Insecticides

Herbicides

Fungicides

Molluscicides

Biopesticides

Predators

Other tool and authorized products

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Ants

Description: There exists a large diversity of ants. Generally, they are small insects from 1 to 1.5 mm in length. They live in organized colonies and consist of several castes of morphologically different individuals with specific roles.

Life cycle: Ants are insects with a complete metamorphosis and each species has its own lifestyle and adaptations. In general, a new winged queen mates with a winged male. She then looks for a favourable place to start her colony, sheds her wings and begins to lay her white eggs. The duration of development from egg to an adult ant varies from 48 to 74 days according to species, temperatures, and the living conditions. The larvae resemble small white worms. Towards the end of its larval life, the insect weaves a cocoon were the larva turns into a cocoon. After some days, the adult emerges from its protective envelope as a worker, soldier or perhaps as a reproductive winged male or female. In May or in August, according to the species and if the climatic conditions are favourable, the winged males emit a chemical substance which gives the departure signal. All the winged ants leave the nest and fly away, generally on a warm, windless day. The males die shortly after mating and the cycle is repeated. Again, the new queens begin to search for suitable places to each establish their own colony.

Beneficial effects: Generally, North American ants are desirable (beneficial) predators that rarely cause damage to vegetation. Many species eat a number of destructive garden insects as well as their eggs (including the white grubs of chafers). Ants play an important role as recyclers in nature. For example, Carpenter Ants accelerate and promote the cycling of wood back into the food chain.

Adverse effects: Ants can become a nuisance in certain circumstances. Those who proliferate in the lawns love dry sandy soil, forming mounds that destroy part of the lawn. Another example of undesirable ant behavior are those species attracted to the sweet honeydew produced by aphids. In exchange for honeydew, these ants will protect and even help cultivate the aphids. Consequently, these ant species can promote aphid outbreaks. Further, other species will attack damaged fruits or trees producing destructive galleries and nests. In addition, some other species enter homes through cracks and contaminate food supplies. Certain ants such as Carpenter Ants can carve galleries into the timber of dwellings, particularly when the wood is softened by rot. Lastly, some ants can sting or bite when disturbed, however stinging ants occur in areas with warmer climate than ours.

Prevention:

Control of ants in the garden:

Control of ants inside the house:

If you have a serious Ant problem, call EcoBug Doctor: (514) 422-8457

http://www.ecobugdoctor.com/

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Caterpillars

Caterpillars are insects that chew vegetation and are actually the larval stage of moths and butterflies. They are soft bodied. Caterpillar size and color varies according to species.

Cycle of life:

The larval phase of the butterfly (caterpillar) does not look at all like the adult. At the end of the cycle, the caterpillar transforms into a chrysalis ( cocoon), from which an adult insect, a butterfly or a moth, later emerges.

Damage:

They devour the foliage of plants and leave holes of various dimensions. When caterpillars are numerous, they can completely defoliate a plant. They may also spoil the vegetation with their excrement.

Plants affected:

Most herbaceous plants are affected: such as ornamentals, vegetable gardens or fruit trees.

Comments:

Generally, caterpillar species are specialized to feed on specific plant species or a botanical family of related plants. Some caterpillars, like the Gypsy Moth, are less generalized and will feed on a large diversity of plants.

Control :

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Hairy Chinch Bug
Blissus leucopterus hirtus

Description: The adults measure 3.5 to 4 mm in length, they are black with transparent wings that are crossed over the back. The nymphal stage (around 1 mm long) is the most voracious. They are reddish with two white or yellow lines on their backs. They are found in every lawn, but cause damage only when they occur in great numbers. This happens when a lawn has been weakened by a drought or other stressful situation. To know if you have an infestation of Chinch Bugs, try the following: at the border of the affected zones, near the healthy lawn, push the grass aside with your fingers. Scratch a bit at the thatch with a sharp tool if required. You will immediately see many small insects, which are black or red, some with lines or white wings. You can also use a coffee can as a monitoring tool. Remove the top and bottom to produce an empty cylinder. Then push the edge of the coffee can into the soil, and fill it up with water. After a few minutes, the drowned Chinch Bugs will be floating to the top for easy counting. Another test for insect damage is by pulling on the dead grass blades. Damage done by Chinch Bugs and White Grubs causes the grass blades to easily separate from the ground. In contrast, dead grass that holds firm to the soil is an indication of damage caused by fungus or another agent.

Life cycle: The adults pass the winter in vegetation litter, under the hedges bordering the grass. The females lay their eggs on the grass blades. After one to three weeks, the nymphs emerge from the eggs and go through three moltings (stages of growth), and then become reproductive adults towards the end of June. A fungus plays a principle role in suppressing Chinch Bug populations. Dry conditions and chemicals will diminish this natural fungal activity and consequently Chinch Bugs will experience high survival rates. Chinch Bugs hide in the thatch of the grass where they pierce the crown of the grass and suck its sap. The grass becomes yellow and dry.

Adverse effects: The Chinch Bugs are not a nuisance for the lawn until they have become too numerous (more than 150 Chinch Bugs per m 2). The infestations generally occur on land that is dry, sandy, acid and over fertilized.

Prevention:

Control :

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Dandelions
Taraxacum officinalis

Is it necessary to describe this ‘weed’ that is absolutely detested by lawn owners? Although among other things, it is a medicinal plant that grows well in our climate. Dandelions will grow in any vacant sunny spot. Dandelions favor lawns that are sparse. They tolerate poor, compact, acid or dry soil. It is probably the best adapted plant to tolerate the summer heat and dry periods, as well as survive when watering is not allowed.

Beneficial Effects: Dandelions stabilize poor soils and aerate compacted soils. Their pointed roots grow deep and search out minerals that they bring to the surface, improving soil that will later favor the higher succession (more demanding) plants such as grass. It is also a medicinal plant: a diuretic and a tonic, and it is very rich in iron and vitamin C.

There are many ways to control dandelions in a lawn, but it is very difficult and fastidious to eliminate them completely. Here are some tricks:

Prevention:

Control  :

Be tolerant because dandelions aerate the soil with their pointed roots and transport minerals to the surface. They also attract a number of beneficial insects. In a dense lawn that is well fertilized, they will be noticed for only two weeks of the flowering season. In the month of June, their foliage will disappear in a thick lawn.

 

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European Earwig
Forficula auricularia

Description: Earwigs arechewing insects measuring around 2 cm with appendices in the form of pincers at their rear end. The larvae are similar to the adults. The earwigs are nocturnal and hide during the day in crevasses or between petals of their host plants. Fortunately, earwig predators such as rove beetles (family Staphylinidae) are also nocturnal.

Life cycle: With the first frost, the adults enter into the soil to spend the winter there. Between mid-November and mid-December, each female lays around fifty white eggs which are smooth and egg shaped, at the bottom of a burrow. The female takes care of the eggs until her death during the winter or in the spring. The larvae, around 2 mm in length, emerge from the eggs towards mid-May. The young earwigs look like the adults, only smaller. Towards the end of May, they leave the burrow at night to feed, but they return as soon as the sun rises. After some growth, the young earwigs wander away from the burrow in search for other shady shelters where they take refuge during the day. The insect goes through four growth stages before molting into an adult. The first adults generally appear in July and are active until October. There is only one generation per year.

Beneficial effects: These insects are essentially decomposers, recycling organic materials. They also eat plant louses and other small insects at times.

Adverse effects: They can damage young plants, foliage and flowers by burrowing holes in them and on occasion, they attack fruits such as strawberries. They can cause significant damage to plants when their populations are high.

Plants affected: Many species of vegetable and ornamental plants, particularly those that have tight or rolled up floral parts (sepals and petals), are favored by earwigs: Dahlia, Chrysanthemum, Sunflower, Clematis, Rudbeckias, etc.

Control :

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Contractors for green spaces

Certification Horti-Eco

A certification process, named Horti-Eco, has been created for organic horticulture to recognize contractors who use organic products and methods, approved by a certification organization. Look for the ‘Horti-Eco’ logo.

hortico-logo

How do I choose a good contractor for my lawn?

Above all, a good organic lawn contractor must conduct a proper diagnosis of your land: he should check for: soil quality (texture, pH, etc.), sunny or shady areas, drainage, etc., and he should advise you of eventual problems. He could suggest replacing the lawn with other types of plants in a certain area. For example: A lawn does not grow well in deep shade or on steep slopes.

Among his services, he should propose preventive methods to obtain a dense and vigorous lawn: such as, aeration, topdressing and eventual overseeding. He should recommend to cut the grass 3 inches high and to leave the grass clippings on the lawn.

He must use only 100% natural fertilizers and not ‘organic based’, as these may contain only 15% natural products. Finally, he must never use any pesticides except in exceptional situations and in a temporary manner. In this case, he must choose low impact pesticides (insecticidal soap, borax, natural pyrethrin, etc.), bio pesticides (Bt) or natural predators (for eg. Nematodes) and should recommend ways to avoid future infestations. He must never offer any systematic or preventive use of pesticides for eventual insect infestations or plant disease!

Contractors must adapt to new municipal or provincial regulations, but they also need to respond to their client’s requirements. Therefore, don’t demand for the impossible! A lawn without any wild/natural plants is not very realistic nor is it desirable in a healthy environment. Biodiversity… starts in your lawn.

Caution! Several companies pretend to offer an ecological or natural service, but still use herbicides. Sometimes the pesticide odors are masked with more chemicals. If your lawn does not have any weeds or if they are curiously twisted, there is a strong chance that selective herbicides have been used. During 2004, several companies have been caught breaking pesticide laws and deceiving clients.

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Lawns

How to have a beautiful lawn without chemical products?

A good lawn, as we have seen in advertisements, cannot be obtained without effort. There is an excellent information sheet on organic lawn care on CAP’s website: www.cap-quebec.com (see Action kit). Also you could read one of the following books:

Here is some brief information:

Can one have a beautiful lawn with minimal maintenance?

Simply cutting the grass at 7.5 cm is the minimal maintenance effort that you could do. However, the problem is that Kentucky Blue Grass, found in 90% of our lawns, is a grass type that requires a lot of help to compete with wild plants such as Dandelion, Crab grass, Plantain, etc. Kentucky Blue Grass is easily displaced by more competitive plants.

The best way is to overseed the lawn with plants that need a minimum of effort such as White Clover, Bird’s Foot Trefloil, and Fine Fescues (Durette or Chewing). These plants tolerate dry spells among other stresses much better than Kentucky Blue Grass can. There are however, new strains of Kentucky Blue Grass that need less care and they remain the best type of plants for lawns that have a lot of traffic. Buy your seeds at a garden center that has qualified staff to answer your questions. If you cannot find the seeds that you are looking for in the store, ask them to order the seeds for you: they have them at wholesalers such as Labon or Gloco. Other customers will be delighted to find these new species on the shelves.

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Spiders

Spiders are classified as Arachnids. Spiders have eight legs in contrast to insects that have six legs. Their head, which is equipped with several eyes, is fused with the thorax. Therefore spiders have two body units in contrast to the 3 body units of insects: head, thorax and abdomen. Spiders have fangs with which they inject venom into their prey or used for defense. There are about 2500 species of spiders in North America and 634 species in Quebec. Their size, including legs, varies from 0.3 cm to just over 15 cm.

Life cycle:

Most of the spiders lay their eggs in a sack of silk, which they hide in a safe place, or, they carry it with them. The eggs hatch some weeks after being laid or in the following spring, depending on the species. Spiders spend the winter in the egg stage, in an immature stage or in their adult form.

Beneficial effects:

Like all predators, spiders are very useful in the garden because they maintain a balance by feeding on many insects that would otherwise become too numerous. A single spider can destroy up to 2 kg of insects per year. Certain spiders hunt passively waiting in their web, and others hunt actively; on the move to find their prey.

Adverse effects:

Spiders do not attack plants but some species can sometimes bite humans when they are disturbed or inadvertently squeezed. Bites are rare and generally without consequence, with the exception of some people who may be hypersensitive. In some cases, a spider bite may be the equivalent of a bee sting.

Prevention:

If you have many spiders, remind yourself that there is a reason. Conditions must be favoring them, as well as they must be eating a large number of insects - otherwise the spiders would not be there. However, it is possible to reduce their population near the house:

Control:

Since spiders are excellent predators, you should ask yourself «how do I attract spiders to come into the garden? » or «how do I control the fear of spiders? ».

However if you decide that you do not want them, the simplest way for you to get rid of the spiders is to pass a vacuum cleaner on the outside covering of the house and to apply preventive measures.

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White Grubs
larvae of Chafers and Beetles

Description: The big White Grubs that ravage our lawns are in fact the larvae of the June Beetle (Phyllophaga anxia), the European Chafer ( Amphimallon majalis ) or of the Japanese Beetle (Popillia japonica). Actually, the species that does the most damage in South Western Quebec is the European Chafer that has a one year cycle (look for the description of the ‘European Chafer’).

The White Grubs prefer loose, sandy soil and dry, short grass. They are rarely found in compact soil that has long, thick and well irrigated grass. Healthy lawns can tolerate a large number of White Grubs without showing any damage. On the other hand, lawns that are already weakened by drought, Chinch Bugs or other stress factors will decline rapidly.

Adverse effects: The White Grubs eat the roots of grass and many other plants. If they are too numerous, the grass will turn yellow and can be easily pulled out by hand. If this is the case, you can easily turn over the sod and see the larvae at the root level. Skunks and Raccoons love to eat them and can cause further damage by digging holes to find the Grubs.

Affected plants: White Grubs feed on the roots of many plants but prefer the fibrous roots of grass.

Control: Apply nematodes (small microscopic worms) with a watering can. They can be bought from specialized companies for natural control. The application of nematodes must be done in the evening, but not in sunny dry conditions. For better results, the soil must be at least 15˚C and must also be very humid. The best time for the application is in August or the beginning of September. Before applying nematodes, water your lawn very well, since the nematodes use the water on the grass and the soil to move down to the insects. Once inside the White Grubs, the nematodes multiply and will kill the White Grubs, by releasing deadly bacteria. The efficiency of the treatment may vary according to the nematodes species: Heterorhabditis bacteriophora seems the most efficient against the European Chafer and Steinernema carpocapsae against the June Beetle. Researchers are trying to market more aggressive species in the next few years.

It also seems that you can kill large quantities of White Grubs by passing a roller with spikes on your lawn, or by doing mechanical aeration, as long as the grass thatch is not too thick.

Ants eat the eggs of White Grubs and certain birds such as Starlings or Black birds, feed on the larvae without doing as much damage as the skunks!

Where can nematodes be bought?

You can check the list of garden centres which send nematodes

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