Oils from Herbs and Spices to Replace Synthetic Pesticides
Written by Bryan Nelson

Herbs and spices like thyme, rosemary and mint, usually used to flavor food, can also offer a green alternative to synthetic pesticides.

Research has shown that oils derived from the herbs interfere with insect nervous systems, causing them to spasm haphazardly until they die. Best of all, these all-natural pesticides are inexpensive to produce.

Because these killer-spice oils have already been developed and produced widely for food flavoring and perfumes, it should be easy and cheap to get them on retail shelves for farmers in a short time. Companies are already racing to get them out.

According to National Geographic, the plant oils repel insects in similar ways that chili peppers can repel elephants. The oils work by disrupting an insect’s cellular membranes, which causes fatal leakages of essential fluids. They are most effective against smaller and soft-bodied pests, like whiteflies, spider mites and aphids, in part because smaller insects tend to have large surface areas relative to their internal volume and so become more exposed to the oils.

The killer spices are also more effective than synthetic pesticides in that they are developed by plants through the complicated interplay of natural selection, whereas synthetic pesticides are usually composed of simpler chemicals which bugs can adapt to more quickly.

The only downside to the killer spices is that they evaporate and degrade much quicker than synthetics, but when combined with their environmental advantages, and with the fact that they are potentially cheaper to produce, they’re the clear winner.

Only one question remains unanswered for this curious writer: If the natural pesticides are already being widely produced in the form of perfumes, why no word yet on replacing all those horribly-scented DEET-based insect repellents too?

At the very least, it’s possible the surface has only just been scratched on the potential of these killer spice oils. Until then, the deeper scratches will have to be reserved for my mosquito bites

Rebecca
Country Meadow Ltd.
Eco-Friendly Shea Butter Spa Products

www.countrymeadowltd.com

I am thrilled that Seattle voters have rejected the plastic bag fee!!!

City leaders came up with a brilliant idea of charging store customers $ .20 for each plastic bag they took home. Supposedly this fee would encourage shoppers to use paper instead of plastic and the money charged would go to a program to educate people on how paper is so much better than plastic for the environment.

I am clueless as to why ‘greenies’ are still pushing the statement that paper is better than plastic when THIS ARTICLE clearly shows that is not true!!!

There is already education available out there regarding plastic bags but no one seems to be doing anything about it…instead they are looking at ways to make money for the city!

PLASTIC BAGS ARE RECYCLABLE

Here….let me say it again….

PLASTIC BAGS ARE RECYCLABLE

Go into any big box store and you WILL see bins available for you to drop off your plastic bags.

People just have to get off their butts, put forth a little energy and instead of throwing your plastic bags in the garbage..which DOES hurt the environment, save them and take them to a recycle bin in your local big box store (try Safeway and Fred Meyer)!

I don’t blame the plastics companies for funding against this bill….
it is totaly uncalled for, expensive and unnecessary when it has been clearly shown that plastic bags CAN be successfully recycled into new products…which in turn can be recycled again!

Rebecca
Country Meadow Ltd.
Eco-Friendly Shea Butter Spa Products

www.countrymeadowltd.com