BEAUTIFUL GARDENS AND BENEFICIAL INSECTS
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ORGANIC CONTROL — OUR STORY
Welcome to our newly designed website and the debut of our B.I.G. (Beneficial Insect Gardening) Blog. Thank you for joining us! This is the first installment of what will be many informative blogs where we’ll dive deeper into the lives of beneficial insects and the families, gardeners, businesses and even countries that use them for...
A Love Affair in the Garden: Beneficial Insects and Pollinators Working Together
A Love Affair in the Garden: Beneficial Insects and Pollinators Working Together In the world of gardening, few things are as enchanting as the silent choreography between beneficial insects and pollinators. Beyond their shared role in sustaining plant life, science reveals an invisible
Bring Your Garden to Life This Fall
Bring Your Garden to Life This Fall Summer Has Taken A Toll August is often our least favorite month when it comes to inviting people to visit the garden. Late summer is a time when the life in the garden has been depleted
FIRE ANTS — THE HOLY GRAIL OF TREATMENTS PART 2
FIRE ANTS — THE HOLY GRAIL OF TREATMENTS PART 2 ...Unexpected — and Wonderful — Consequences Marlis had struggled for years with fire ants. How could she control these aggressive, persistent, painfully-biting ants without using toxic chemicals in the garden and yard, where
FIRE ANTS — THE HOLY GRAIL OF TREATMENTS PART 1
FIRE ANTS — THE HOLY GRAIL OF TREATMENTS PART 1 Marlis, an experienced gardening enthusiast, relocated from Southern California to Texas about twenty years ago. She was excited to have a larger space to plant the garden of her dreams. Today, gorgeous trellises
The Ultimate Guide to Beneficial Insects
Why Use Beneficial Insects? Everyone is familiar with the term “survival of the fittest”. The history of pest control illustrates this concept. As chemical usage grew among commercial farmers and home gardeners, pests kept pace and did their best to resist harsh pesticides. While we
There’s A New Sheriff In Town
There's a New Sheriff in Town Perhaps the most common question we receive in Garden Centers around the country about Beneficial Nematodes is, “Does it work on …..?” YES! As in all of nature, the bug world contains both predators and prey. As gardeners, we tend
The Benefits of Beneficial Insects
Save the Insects; Save the Planet You may have heard of an “insect apocalypse”. News stories sometimes refer to it as “insectageddon”. While it may be a relief for us to go outside and not have to deal with clouds of insects spoiling our picnics,
All About Ladybugs
The Miraculous Ladybug Ladybugs. Ladybirds. Lady beetles. Many names and many legends have been attributed to these charming creatures. We like to think of them as the “gateway bug” to biodiversity in your garden or yard. Click here to watch our founder as he extols
How to Get Rid of Fire Ants
A “Hot Topic”: Red Fire Ants! At the beginning of this year, Julie, a consultant for Organic Control, Inc., moved from Southern California to the Southeast. About a month ago, she noticed strange new mounds in her backyard that seemed to have appeared overnight. With a
Top Ten Tips For An Incredibly Beautiful and Bountiful Garden
Whether you’re digging in for the first time (see what we did there?) or you’re a long-time gardener, let us show you how to start a garden that will have your neighbors peeking over your fence to ask what you’ve been up to! Here are some
Give your rose bushes a natural and organic hug in the form of a winter blanket!
Give your rose bushes a natural and organic hug in the form of a winter blanket! Here we are in February! Many yards and gardens appear to be sleeping in the cold winter air. What can be done for those shivering bare sticks that used to
CASTINGS — A MAGIC SPELL FOR SOIL HEALTH
Darwin was writing about the humble but mighty earthworm. CASTINGS — A MAGIC SPELL FOR SOIL HEALTH Earthworm castings (a fancy word for worm poop) can best be described as Mother Nature’s super-food; they energize your plants and provide a suit
CELEBRATE POLLINATORS – AND PROTECT THEM
CELEBRATE POLLINATORS — AND PROTECT THEM Critically important to the plants we depend on, and increasingly jeopardized by human activities, pollinators deserve everyone’s support. National Pollinator Week, which in 2023 runs from June 19 to June 25, is an annual event dedicated to helping make that
THE AMAZING PRAYING MANTIS
A CLOSER LOOK AT THE AMAZING PRAYING MANTIS! The dating habits of the Praying Mantis may seem unconventional. Successful suitors are literally losing their heads over these sultry sirens of the garden. Every year, we premier our own version of “The Praying Mantis Bachelorette”, where
GETTING TO KNOW MASON BEES
Organic Control has brought natural and organic gardening to families in the form of ladybugs, worms, praying mantis and lacewings for over 40 years. The newest sensation is simply one as old as time itself. FAQs ON MASON BEES What are Mason
FLEA CONTROL…WITHOUT CHEMICALS
Laura used to have a big problem. She had a dog, Bingley. A mostly indoor dog, Bingley was a frequent visitor to their backyard. Bingley loved having a chance to run around a bit outside before he did his business and headed back inside. She
SPRINGTIME SPECIALISTS
Memorial Day weekend is nearly upon us. What is the best way protect the gardens you planted during this “shelter in place” season? And, what about those “murder hornets” that are starting to make headlines? Here is the answer to your questions. Build an
INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT: THE POWER OF BENEFICIAL BUGS
INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT: THE POWER OF BENEFICIAL BUGS It’s no surprise to many people that relying heavily on pesticides, fungicides and other chemicals to beautify your garden is a less-than-ideal strategy when you’re also concerned about the well-being of your family and pets.
MANNY THE MANTIS STRUTS HIS STUFF AT THE 2019 EMA GALA!
MANNY THE MANTIS STRUTS HIS STUFF AT THE 2019 EMA GALA! Organic Control’s adult Praying Mantis, Manny, was spotted on the green carpet at the 2019 Environmental Media Association (EMA) Gala! Kathy Kellogg Johnson walked the green carpet with Manny proudly on her
LADY BUG MIGRATION MAKES HEADLINES
LADY BUG MIGRATION MAKES HEADLINES Hitting the news just yesterday (in a story by Alex Johnson of NBC News) a massive 80 mile-wide swath of lady bugs (hippodamia convergens) made headlines! Did you know that lady bugs migrate? They sure do! In fact,
WHY WORMS ARE AMONG YOUR GARDEN’S BEST FRIENDS
“It may be doubted whether there are many other animals which have played so important a part in the history of the world, as have these lowly organised creatures.” - CHARLES DARWIN
