Almost Forgot...

Happy Thursday Everyone~

I almost forgot to share my final results of the last trial I did. Matt and I decided to test the pesticides side by side only for direct treatment. We wanted to see if the results were consistent using the same batch of crickets as opposed of one batch of crickets dedicated to one pesticide. I tested Soap and Water, Neem oil and Soap, and Neem oil and Canola oil. I did not conduct an experiment with Neem oil and Canola before this test so I was very excited and had a hunch that it would work the best. Surprise surprise.. it out performed the other 2 solutions by a long shot. I had a 100% death rate after the 6 day trial and needless to say it is the best pest control for my application at home. I have sprayed my pallet beds once a week for the past 2 weeks and added a mixture of diatomaceous earth/cayenne pepper over the top of the soil in each row. So far I have been pest free and feline free (cats apparently hate chili pepper :). Im excited to report that my poster in nearly done and I cannot wait to present it at Estrella Mountain. Hope everyone is keeping on track, have a good weekend.

Peace,

Jenni 

Home Application

Happy Thursday Everyone~

I decided to put my pest test to a REAL test and use all three pesticides for my new garden out front. Instead of trying to keep my dogs out of my garden in the back yard I thought it might be easier to grow non-root veggies out front with the right pest control. By doing this I used less soil/dirt which creates better drainage since water goes directly in the ground without any barriers or deeper soil to penetrate through. I applied neem oil around each pallet and then sprinkled cayenne pepper mixed with diatomaceous earth directly on top of the soil. This will hopefully keep away white flies and other unwanted pests and deter cats. Here are some pics:

Hope Everyone has a great weekend, HAPPY EASTER!!!

Peace,

Jenni

NEEM : The Oil that Kills..

Happy Thursday Everyone~

I discovered that Neem oil is definitely the safest, most effective pest control. Not only did it kill 100% of my cricket population but it also has a very pleasant aroma (kind of nutty). Neem oil, also called neem seed oil or neem tree oil, is the oil pressed from the seed kernels of the neem tree. Neem is a tropical, evergreen tree that originated in India. The Oil is produced by crushing and pressing the kernels, and then purifying the extract. When searching for neem oil you make sure to look for cold pressed oil because heat destroys the active ingredients. There are a variety of recipes for home use, I like to keep things simple so I added 5ml of neem oil to 25ml of veggie oil in a small spray bottle and was able to spray with no complications. You can apply this directly to pests and edibles or even your soil. You can also apply around your home if you have pests like gnats and mosquitos just make sure you mark if spraying on the floor so you don't slip:). I have a small container next to my sink that I fill with compostable throw-aways like egg shells, peelings, coffee grounds, etc..and I have noticed gnats around it. So I started using neem oil inside of it and a few days later... no gnats. 

Peace

Jenni

PESTS CONTROLLED

Happy Thursday Everyone~

I finished up my soap and water pesticide Monday of this week and my results turned out great. It seems that indirect application of the soap and water was a more effective way to administer that pesticide, but I don't think I will be using that on my garden maybe just around the house.

This week I started another trial of pesticides. I am using neem oil mixed with canola oil, neem oil and soap mixed in water (again), and soap mixed in water (again). I do not have a control group, instead I am seeing which pesticide works better on the same batch of crickets. So far after just the first day neem oil/canola oil killed off 75% of my initial cricket population in all 3 containers. The other 2 pesticides produced similar results after day one as the first time I tried them. This is great news, I can use neem oil directly to my garden and not worry about harming the plants health. Looking forward to next semester in STEM!!! Hope everyone has a great weekend.

Peace
Jenni