1. It works!
Tests conducted by researchers around the world show that neem oil controls more than 200 insect pests. (Check out Neem: A Tree for Solving Global Problems, published by the National Academy Press or the National Institutes of Health at www.pubmed.com for more information.)
2. NimBioSys neem oil is EPA-registered to control what most of us recognize as the worst pests on our plants:
· Aphids
· Beetles
· Stink Bugs
· Caterpillars
· Leafhoppers
· Leafminers
· Mealy Bugs
· Midges
· Mites (especially spider mites, particularly if you catch them early and use neem as a soil drench)
· Nematodes (also when used as a soil drench)
· Scale
· Thrips
· Weevils
· Whiteflies
3. Neem oil is less toxic than aspirin or salt.
In fact, it’s so non-toxic that we sell more neem oil in skincare products than we do as a pesticide. Our lotion has 10 times as much neem oil than we recommend that you use to spray your vegetables. That’s a really nice feeling when you’re spraying vegetables and the wind shifts. You get a face full of neem oil — not malathion!
And ongoing studies show that it’s safe for bees and other beneficial insects that aren’t eating your plants unless you drown them in oily water. (It does kill caterpillars though so don’t spray it on larval food for butterflies.)
Learn more about the EPA registration process here: https://neemtreefarms.com/decision_PC-025006_14-Oct-09.pdf
Important Note:
Many people who tried neem oil purchased in a “big box” garden center haven’t been particularly impressed with the results. That’s because they bought clarified hydrophobic extract of neem oil — which is neem oil with the azadirachtin removed. Since azadirachtin is the most important compound for controlling insects, the hydrophobic extract is nowhere near as effective as a full-spectrum cold-pressed neem oil like NimBioSys.
And from a sustainable perspective, the “inert” ingredients in those big-box brands may also not be the best choices for our planet. At least one inert ingredient has been implicated in killing bees in California (https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/pesticide-additive-could-be-one-culprit-in-bee-deaths/?WT.mc_id=SA_ENGYSUS_20170126)