Best Vegetable Garden Insect Spray with Spinosad

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My pick of the very best vegetable garden insect spray with Spinosad plus two other great choices. While the preferred methods of managing insects in your garden are preventive, cultural, and non-chemical methods, oftentimes these are not effective on their own.

If you have to spray your garden, then use the least toxic insecticide that will do the job effectively. The least toxic insecticides pose less risk to humans and the environment than conventional sprays. Most soap, oil, or microbial-based sprays such as Spinosad are all great choices.

What’s better, microbial insecticides including Spinosad are especially valuable because their toxicity to animals and humans is extremely low.

Looking for the best vegetable garden insect spray with Spinosad you can buy?

You have come to the right place. I have thoroughly researched and listed three of the best options for everyday gardeners and plant enthusiasts.

Sounds good?

Let’s get started:


What’s Spinosad?

Before we take a look at each of the garden insect sprays that contain Spinosad as the active ingredient, let’s understand what this element is all about.

Spinosad is a natural substance made by a soil bacterium that can be toxic to insects. It is a mixture of two chemicals called spinosyn A and spinosyn D. It is used to control a wide variety of pests such as caterpillars, leafminers, aphids, loopers, trips, moths, fruit flies, borers, flea beetles, and many more.

The molecule affects the nervous system of insects that eat or come into contact with it. It causes their muscles to flex uncontrollably. This leads to paralysis and ultimately their death, typically within 1-2 days.

Furthermore, you don’t have to worry about the environmental impact because Spinosad is broken down rapidly by sunlight. When applied to leaves, some Spinosad can be absorbed. However, it does not readily spread from leaves to the rest of the plant.

Spinosad is practically non-toxic to moderately toxic to fish depending on the species. But most importantly, evidence suggests that Spinosad has little or no effect on honey bees and other beneficial insects after sprays have dried.


Best Vegetable Garden Insect Spray with Spinosad in Summary

1. Monterey Garden Insect Spray Liquid Concentrate (BEST OVERALL)

2. Fertilome Spinosad Insect Control (RUNNERS UP)

3. Natural Guard Spinosad Soap (BEST BY PRICE)


Best Insect Sprays for Your Vegetable Garden

Monterey Garden Insect Spray Liquid Concentrate (BEST OVERALL)

Pros

  • Easy to mix and apply.
  • Friendly to humans and the environment.
  • Approved for organic gardening use by OMRI.
  • Kills a wide range of insects unlike most microbial insecticides.

Cons

  • Does not work on spider mites.

Monterey Garden Insect Spray is not only the most popular Spinosad-based insecticide but the most effective when it comes to controlling stubborn pests in your garden.

It is most effective in getting rid of caterpillars, leafminers, loopers, trips, moths, fruit flies, borers, flea beetles, and aphids.

Also, the insecticide is approved and listed by OMRI for organic gardening based on the guidelines provided by USDA National Organic Program.

This insecticide is a recent introduction to the home and garden industry but it has already achieved tremendous results. Among the top characteristics is its ease of use. You can easily mix with water and apply to the affected plants using a trigger sprayer, hand-held, backpack, or hose-end Sprayers.

As a matter of caution, always read the instructions on the label carefully before anything else.

All the same, this is one of my favorite insect spray which you can apply comfortably to your vegetable garden.


Fertilome Spinosad Insect Control (RUNNERS UP)

Pros

  • Friendly to humans and the environment.
  • Approved for organic gardening use by OMRI.
  • Kills a wide range of insects unlike most microbial insecticides.

Cons

  • A little bit pricey compared to similar products.

Fertilome Spinosad Insect Control is an effective insecticide for residential use in home gardens, lawns, and ornamental gardens. You can spray on a wide variety of plants such as citrus fruits, herbs, shrubs, flowers, ornamental trees, lawns, and vegetable gardens.

While most insecticidal products are comprised of a single species of microorganism such may be effective against only one or a few species of insects, this insecticide is quite broad.

Fertilome Spinosad kills leaf miners, borers, leaf rollers, thrips, worms of caterpillars, Colorado potato beetle, armyworms, sod webworms, cat flies, loopers, bagworms, tent caterpillars, and other listed insects.

The only drawback is the insecticide is a little costlier but the broad-spectrum action and effectiveness compensate for the price.

Besides, this garden insect spray is approved and listed as fit for organic gardening by OMRI. Based on all the traits, it comes as a close runner-up to Monterey’s insect spray.


Natural Guard Spinosad Soap (BEST BY PRICE)

Pros

  • Quite affordable.
  • The spray is easy to use.
  • Ready to spray formula that works fast.
  • Two active ingredients providing a double effect on a wide range of insects.

Cons

  • Some users perceive the bottle to be a bit clunky.

Natural Guard by Ferti-lome has a double effect on a wide variety of insects including spider mites – which even my favorite spray (Monterey can’t kill). The main reason being that this insecticide uses a powerful combination of two active ingredients (Spinosad and some additional fatty acids).

While the Spinosad molecule affects the nervous system of insects that eat or come into contact with it, the fatty acids break down the sticky oils that protect the insects making them vulnerable to suffocation and at the same time exposing them to Spinosad.

Natural Guard by Ferti-lome Spinosad is specially formulated to protect your vegetables, crops, lawns, and outdoor ornamental plants against foliage-feeding insects.

These bugs include; spider mites, adelgids, aphids, armyworms, caterpillars, leafminers, leafhoppers, chinch bugs, cutworms, earwigs, mealybugs, beetles including Japanese, and Colorado Potato beetles,

It is also effective against powdery mildew when you spray it directly on contact, plus a complete coverage for total control.

Use this insecticide indoors or outdoors to spray on vegetables, flowers, herbs, lawn, and any other infested ornamental plants.


Conclusion

This is it!

Three of my very best vegetable garden insect spray with Spinosad – one of the most effective yet least toxic insecticides in use today.

However, always remember to read the pesticide label and follow its directions exactly. You may only use the pesticide on sites or crops listed on the label.

Be sure to observe all special precautions that are listed on the label. Wear protective clothing or equipment as listed on the label when mixing or applying pesticides. Mix pesticides at the rate recommended for the target site as listed on the label.

Never use more than the label says.

Follow all label directions for safe pesticide storage and disposal.

And then leave me a comment.