Battling Bad Garden Bugs the Green Way

Do you know your good bugs from your bad bugs?

On "The Early Show" Friday, master gardener William Moss showed how to tell the difference, and how to battle the bad little critters in an environmentally-friendly way.

He says the days of indiscriminately spraying when we see a bug are gone. Not only are the chemical potentially damaging to us, they kill many of the good insects that help our garden.

To protect our plants and our environment we need Integrated Pest Management, a holistic and sustainable approach to plant health.

It follows Best Management Practices (proper watering, clean conditions, crop rotation, adequate fertilization, weeding, etc.) to maintain a healthy environment for crops.

IPM requires monitoring (watching and/or recording the plants' health) to notice any pests, diseases, or deficiencies in the early stages, when they're easier to treat.

You assess the level of injury from pest or disease before deciding to take action. If pests or diseases aren't damaging and remain below threshold levels, then no action is taken. That saves money and time compared to the typical approach of spraying chemicals whenever an insect or disease is spotted.

IPM uses mechanical methods (handpicking, shaking off, spraying off) as the first line of defense against pests.

And it sses biological methods (predatory insects, beneficial fungi, beneficial worms, domestic fowl, etc.) when possible to reduce pest populations. It involves properly and safely using chemical pesticides, fungicides, and herbicides as a last resort to control severe infestations.