What Is The Difference Between Organic And Botanical Mosquito Control

We might think that ‘organic’ and ‘botanical’ come from the same team and mean the same thing – because organic means genuine plant ingredients, and botanical means plant-based. However, they have significantly different meanings in the field of insecticides and mosquito control. Let’s delve into this to a greater extent.

Organic Vs. Botanical Mosquito Control

Until the ’40s, most insecticides/mosquito control ingredients were derived from inorganic compounds – like Lead Arsenate and Sodium Fluoride. Around World War II, research hit a new turn, and a new class of insecticides came in. Organic phosphates like diazinon and malathion followed organochlorines. Later, by the 70s, a new class of insecticides came in with advancements in organic chemistry. These insecticides are of pyrethroid brand – because they mimic the properties of pyrethrum – a naturally occurring insecticide. The pyrethroid class of insecticides has molecules containing carbon, which can be synthesized to prepare a more effective brand of insecticide. Since it was organically sourced, the pyrethroid insecticides were called ‘organic’.

Only some recently found naturally occurring substances having insecticidal action are sourced from plants. The isolated spinosads from the soil-borne Saccharopolysora Spinosa bacterium are another new finding. This new activity makes several commercially accessible products (Conserve SC) available for professional and backyard growers. The first “biopesticides,” such as Paenibacillus popilliae, for controlling lawn grubs, and all the many strains of Bacillus thuringiensis (BT), have been around for years and continue to be a “safer” option for home or organic crops.

Is Organic Mosquito Repellant A Real Thing?

Now, the definition of organic changes entirely when we look at the USDA National Organic Program. They say that ‘organic mosquito control’ is not accurate because organic means ‘something that produces organic agricultural products’ – and anything other than the organic crop or crop inputs cannot be organic. However, something produced under the directives of the Organic Foods Production Act can be deemed ‘organic’.

Now, considering that a mosquito control insecticide has to be named ‘organic.’ So it has to be passed for scrutiny by an independent and experienced panel – the most popular one being OMRI (Organic Materials Review Institute). This panel decides if an insecticide can be used safely in organic crop production – and, in our case, whether it can be deemed ‘organic mosquito control.’

Getting the OMRI to pass an insecticide as safe to be used in organic crop production. They have a thorough screening process in which every insecticide ingredient is tested for safety.

Is Botanical Mosquito Control A Real Thing?

Botanical mosquito control, or natural mosquito control, is a real thing, unlike organic mosquito control. However, there is no water-tight definition for ‘botanical mosquito control’. Therefore, it is upon the manufacturers of the ‘natural’ product to define its ingredients. 

In some cases, manufacturers market their mosquito control product as botanical because it uses plant extracts to ward away or kill mosquitoes. However, some suppliers pass off their mosquito control products as botanical because they use a chemical like Piperonyl Butoxide, which imitates the effect of natural mosquito control ingredients on mosquitoes. This way, the sellers save money but mislead customers into thinking that the product is based on botanical extracts. 

There is no defined standard for mosquito control products to be called ‘natural,’ so most brands use chemical compounds to kill mosquitoes and label them as ‘natural’ to fool the customer.

The best example of a Botanical mosquito control system would be plants like Sabadilla and the neem tree – along with flowers like Chrysanthemum Cinerariifolium, which produce pyrethrins and ward away mosquitoes.

Advantages Of Botanical Mosquito Control Methods:

1. The active ingredients in botanical pesticides are natural and not synthetic – so they are not harmful to the environment.
2. Botanical pesticides have a unique way of killing insects or mosquitoes, which prevents resistance from developing among the insects.
3. Botanical pesticides are considered selective by nature – they do not harm essential insects like bees. Also, they have low toxicity effects on humans and livestock.
4. Botanical pesticides enrich the nutritional value of the plants and crops around them.
5. Botanical insecticides are inexpensive to develop and use.

Disadvantages Of Botanical Mosquito Control Methods:

1. The compounds in botanical mosquito control are complex so that they can disintegrate over time. Still, the synthesis process takes a long time, with high costs involved in the operation.
2. Most botanical pesticides work slowly over time, so users might need clarification about whether the pesticides are working. Sometimes, they even switch over to synthetic ones for quick results.
3. Botanical pesticides might have to be sprayed more times than their synthetic alternatives and also has a short residual period – which some users don’t prefer.

What Do Customers Want More – Organic Or Botanical Mosquito Control?

Customers are less likely to know about organic and botanical mosquito control differences. An average person can easily confuse ‘organic’ and ‘botanical’ as synonyms. There are also variants of non-synthetic mosquito control in the marketplace today, which confuses customers even more. Innovative products like natural larvicides, mosquito traps, and strategies like source reduction also help.

Since botanical mosquito control methods are brutal to figure out, go for companies that offer organic mosquito control. They have natural ingredients that are only detrimental to mosquitoes and not other beneficial insects. The organic mosquito control system would be entirely safe for you and your family and pets and eco-friendly.