Anyone know what kind of bug eats seedlings and how I can get rid of them without dousing my plants in chemicals?
I transplanted my cucumbers and snow peas last week and something has been munching on the most bottom leaves. One of my pea plants was pretty tall already and seems to have been left alone but they actually obliterated 3 cukes. :( Little buggers. They seem to be leaving my strawberries alone too.
My husband suggests just buying mature plants at the nursery but I like growing the seedlings and would really like to evict the little pests eating them up. I checked books out of the library but nothing really has any info on what would eat *just* those plants close to the ground. I asked at the nursery and they gave me this natural pepper spray but it actually killed some of my plants. Just burned the leaves right off! I don't want to use that again!
Mary

I don't know too much about gardening.. I'm still learning :) But I have heard of using vegetable oil on plants to keep certain kinds of bugs away. I was recently recommended a website... can't remember the link now... but it's a website by a guy who's written all kinds of books on natural ways to deter bugs/insects from your garden. I have a horrible memory, but I'm racking my brain for the name of the guy... I'll let you know right away when it comes back to me!

Soap solutions, using certain soaps (like Dr. Bronner's) and water work for some pests, like aphids. Agricultural cooperatives sell the stuff, specifically for use as a natural pesticide, also.

Lots of people use dishwashing detergent, but I'm not too comfortable with that, generally, because I assume some of the additives could be nasty, not to mention the scents might attract some bugs.

Thanks, I'll have to try those out and see if they go live somewhere else. :)
Mary

Oh, by the way, it took a while, but I remembered the guy's name who has the web site about "natural" pesticides. I've only skimmed his website, but here's the link if you'd like to check it out. I don't know how veg*an his advice is, but it's supposed to be all natural and not harmful?

http://www.jerrybaker.com/index.asp?PageAction=Custom&ID=2

I never use any kinds of pesticides at all in the garden. I prefer allowing the garden to develop into its own little ecosystem with a natural predator/prey balance.

Here's some websites about beneficial insects:

http://www.nopesticides.org/alternatives-insects/habitat.shtml

http://www.theorganicreport.com/pages/278_gardening_with_beneficial_insects.cfm

http://www.eap.mcgill.ca/PCBCR_1.htm