The Bottom Line
While there may be newer pest control books on the market, you won't find a more comprehensive reference than Common-Sense Pest Control. If you've got any kind of pest problems, from lice to termites, aphids to mosquitoes, this book will teach you how to control them without reaching for the pesticides. You'll learn the principles of Integrated Pest Management (IPM), how to identify insects and other pests, and how to prevent pest problems in the first place. If you're a homeowner or a gardener, this book should be on your shelf.
Pros
- A how-to guide to "green" pest control – least-toxic solutions
- Includes detailed chapters on beneficial insects and organic products
- A well-organized and comprehensive reference to pests in the home, garden, and community
- Pest control solutions that work, backed by scientific research
- Will teach you how to limit the use of pesticides in your home and garden
Cons
- An older reference that lacks the newest information on green products (© 1991)
- Resource index to products and services is out-of-date
Description
- Written by the founders of the Bio-Integral Resource Center, a group dedicated to reducing pesticide use
- Authors: William Olkowski, Sheila Daar, and Helga Olkowski
- A complete reference to the least-toxic solutions for your home, garden, pests, and community
- Covers insects and other arthropods, as well as rats, moles, and other larger pests
Guide Review - Common-Sense Pest Control
In college, I read Silent Spring, Rachel Carson's shocking book about the impact of the pesticide DDT in our environment. Like many readers, I made a conscious decision to limit my use of chemicals, pesticides in particular, to an absolute minimum. Common-Sense Pest Control provides all the information I need to choose the least-toxic solutions for pests in my life.
The first section of Common-Sense Pest Control provides a lot of background to help you understand why you don't need pesticides for most pest problems. The authors explain how nature keeps pests in balance by providing weather, habitat limitations, pathogens, predators, and even parasites. The practice of Integrated Pest Management, or IPM, helps you use nature's own tricks to your advantage.
Using IPM, you can employ several strategies to combat pests – prevention, physical controls, biological controls, and lastly, chemical controls. As a complete resource for all your pest problems, this book covers each of these strategies for every pest you might encounter. You'll learn how to keep ants from invading your kitchen, and how to trap cucumber beetles in your garden. The authors describe the life cycle of each pest, as well as the damage it may cause to your body, your home, or your plants.
Not every pest can be controlled without pesticides, but the authors provide an excellent chapter on the least-toxic substances that work well. If you've ever wondered why copper works to keep slugs off your seedlings, or when to use a horticultural oil versus a soap, this book will provide the answers.
Since this reference is an older one, you can often find used copies for just a few bucks. Whatever the price, you'll be glad you bought Common-Sense Pest Control the next time you've got a pest problem to solve.
