Insecticide Use and Application In the world of bugs and the Indoor Growing environment the grower has many problems to over come. The question is what is the best method of eradication? With so many products available and different needs for each gardener to address, the retailer's may in some cases not be providing you with the best solution. As a promoter of Doktor Doom, I will give you an over view of the different types of Insecticides and when and what to use for specific problems. Generally, there are very few Insecticides that I would personally use for Crops that I would ingest. The most common for ingestible crops are: - Pyrethrums - Insecticidal Soaps - And non-Insecticide Control   Beneficial Insects-Integrated Pest Management Of the three, if in a position to create the ideal environment, including;cleanliness, ideal temperature and humidity, using the Beneficial Insects are the way to go. However, this environment is very difficult to create, unless you maintain the 'perfect ideal conditions'. Being able to use Beneficial Insects is often inferior to applications of Insecticides and not nearly as cost effective. Oil & Soap based Insecticides have their benefits, but when compared to pyrethrums (for plant application & permethrins, for over all insect control within a growing environment) they are much more time consuming with inadequate results. Oil based Insecticides (Dormant Oil, Horticultural Oil) can cause stress and phyto-toxic damage to plants that they are applied to. I would like to mention Neem Oil in this category. Neem oil is a systemic growth inhibitor and not officially Registered as an Insecticide. Neem oil does have its benefits in that it will prevent some bugs from evolving. Neem oil is absorbed through the plant and into the plants vascular structure. When the plant has fully absorbed the active ingredient (about 10 days after application) and an insect eats the plant the neem oil will cause molting (prevents the host bug from laying eggs) which in turn will reduce the bugs in the environment, neem oil does not kill on contact without totally saturating the plant. This is detrimental to the plants as you slow the photo- synthesis process due to clogging the plants stomata. As gardeners go in and out of the Indoor Growing environment they are continuously introducing new bugs to their growing area, the number one line of defense is to take the offense and apply Residual based Insecticides throughout the growing environment prior to introducing any plants to the growing area. After applying Residual based products it is now time to create a regular maintenance program for the plants themselves. Using pyrethrum based products will provide you with excellent results, that will prove to be time saving and cost efficient. Top Ten Indoor Gardening Bug Prevention Tips 1. Start with a clean & sterile growing environment, this includes all equipment, pots, trays, liners, all growing medium and all other tools of the trade that will be used in this environment. After cleaning the area apply Doktor Doom Residual Insecticide Spray which provides weeks of bug killing Residual with just one application-saving you time & money. 2. Make certain that any Fresh Air Intakes & Filters are treated with a Residual based Insecticide inside and outside. 3. Always use the same clothes that have been treated with a Residual based Insecticide, similar products to Doktor Doom Residual Spray in the USA are approved by the EPA for application on the outside of your clothing to prevent mosquitoes from landing and biting you- for those of you concerned about the West Nile Virus. This also means that you should not allow anybody or your pets in this environment unless they have been treated prior to entry. 4. Be certain to start with BUG FREE PLANTS- apply a light misting of a pyrethrum based Insecticide prior to introducing the Plants to your sterile growing environment- Doktor Doom Botanic's Plant Spray has the highest concentration of Pyrethrums available in a plant spray. 5. When pruning and doing plant maintenance be certain to discard all green growth, leaves etc that you have removed or that have fallen from the plants immediately out of the growing area- this green growth is a prime breeding & feeding medium for bugs. 6. Regularly check your plants for bugs. Particularly spider-mites, be certain to remove any webbing and crush any insects that you see with your fingers. After this, apply Doktor Doom Botanic's Plant spray. A light mist is all that is required and pay special attention to the underside of the leaves. 7. Referring to number 6 if you did see bugs, it would benefit you now to apply Doktor Doom Fumigators on 3-4 day intervals before you apply the Botanic's Plant Spray for each application. 8. Always apply any Insecticides that you choose to use in the dark. Sunlight and artificial light dramatically reduces the effectiveness of all Insecticides as well and more importantly applications in direct light burn your plants. 9. The best time for an application of an Indoor environment is about 3 hours after the lights have been turned off. The reason being is that when the lights are ablaze, the heat in the Indoor Growing area is too hot for bugs. They like to move around and chew plants when the temperature is in the 70's. Consequently they are a lot more active when the room has cooled, so to save time & money and get the most out of any products that you choose for this application, apply the products well after the lights have been turned off. 10. When Fumigating your Indoor Growing environment be certain to put out all open flames particularly over head CO2 Generators & turn off all exhaust fans. Doktor Doom Insecticides are designed for the Indoor & Outdoor Gardener. Our formulations are all pH balance and contain no artificial oils, perfumes or attars. Doktor Doom Botanic's Plant Spray bare to none, is the best on the market. It does not contain any PBO's. PBO's are not approved for Organic Gardening. Doktor Doom Fumigators literally are the lazy man's guide to simple and effective bug control. Simply lock the actuator in place and leave for a few hours. When you return you have successfully killed any insect that the mist has contacted, this provides you with peace of mind as you can concentrate your energies on more fruitful endeavors within your growing environment, as you have already eradicated your bug problems. Doktor Doom House & Garden and Doktor Doom Residual Sprays are the best aqueous based Residual Sprays available. Letting you in on trade secrets, our residual activity lasts a lot longer than any of the competition, again designed to save you time and money. Do not use any systemic or organophosphate Insecticides that are not approved for use on FOOD CROPS. This list includes Avid, Cygon, Malathion & Diazanon. Malathion & Diazanon are being banned and will no longer be available to consumers for home use in the near future. Neem oil has it's benefits but if you are making essential oils from the crops you grow it does leave a nasty flavor in the oils and again it is not a contact killer. It takes 10 days for it to be effective. If using Doktor Doom Products we always recommend that you apply the products according to the Label Direction. For your own personal safety, it is highly recommend that you use a light dust mask while you are applying our products in an indoor environment. Control Mites are not insects and many insecticides will not adequately control them. Specially formulated products (miticides) are available for mite control. Check all insecticide or miticide labels before application as some plants are sensitive to these materials. Most will kill only adult stages and not eggs, therefore a second and possibly a third application may be necessary to control newly hatching mites. At room temperatures, applications should be 10-14 days apart. Predatory control of two-spotted spider mite on cucumbers and tomatoes. Introduce the predatory mite Phytoseiulus persimilis at the rate of 1 /plant at the first sign of spider mites or damage. Repeat at weekly intervals until established in the crop.