aphyllophorales's Profile

You should really be using proper insecticidal soap. Proper insecticidal soap is better at eating away at the waxy coatings on small sap-sucking insects like aphids, thrips, and mealybugs. More importantly, I would like to emphasize that proper use of normal pesticides is often better for the environment than organic solutions, because a smaller amount will do the trick. 'Pyrethrin' breaks down completely in 12 hours of sunlight, and is just a synthetic recreation of the same molecule found in chrysanthemum seed pods. It is probably the most common off-the-shelf pesticide because it breaks down fast and is almost entirely non-toxic. There are other common pyrethroids (like those in most roach sprays) which are actually engineered to take longer to break down. These are only problematic if they are allowed to soak into the soil where there is no light to break them down, and a lot of beneficial insects. So thats my schpiel. Use the smallest amount possible, don't let it soak into the ground, and if you want to be super safe use proper insecticidal soaps and pyrethrin - they'll kill pretty much any bug, and they break down in about a day. The University of California IPM (integrated pest management) website has great, detailed information about how to be environmentally conscientious while protecting your crops, if you want to learn more.