Pesticides are Posion - Use Carefully!
By Pam Sawyer, TAPP Master Gardener

When you over-water and over-fertilize your grass, you create a juicy, luscious lawn that says to all bugs, "DINNER OVER HERE!" Then there's trouble - you get out the pesticide, then the fertilizer, then the pesticide... it can end up taking a lot of your time and money. The point is that an over-watered, over-fertilized lawn is weak and vulnerable to pests.

It is important to remember that pesticides are poisons and must be used carefully. The first thing to do if you think you have a pest problem is to identify the enemy before you attack. Be careful with your identification because some bugs actually help by eating bugs that are harmful to your grass and other plants. Killing these good guys only makes the problem worse - they may have moved in just to feast on the bad guys and may solve your problem for you if you let them.

Once you have determined that you do indeed have a bad bug problem on grass or plants, use the least toxic pesticide available to treat the problem. Some less toxic pesticides include insecticidal soap, horticultural oil, Bt, and Neem oil. Treat only the affected areas -treating unaffected areas is a waste of money and time and puts more poison in the environment. It also can lead to pesticide resistance in the pest population.

Native plants are generally better than exotic plants at coping with native pests. If you choose native plants, you'll need less pesticide. As a rule, exotic plants require more pesticides, more fertilizers, more watering and more attention in general.

And, of course, delay spraying pesticide if windy or rainy weather is expected. You want your investment to stay in your yard.