Products that are Safe for Beneficial Insects and Birds

As Jewel Akens beautifully sang it back in 1965, “Let me tell ya 'bout the birds and the bees, and the flowers and the trees”.

And that’s exactly what we are here to talk about today! 

At Wondercide, we know how important it is to protect the good in our yard while eliminating the bad and keeping our planet healthy. How do we accomplish that? By Treating Nature with Nature™. Our products are made with plant-powered ingredients that leave a safe* residue for you, your pets, beneficial insects, and other animals + mammals that may be in your yard. The main ingredient we use in our products is cedar oil, which is what helps with getting rid of those pests while protecting the bugs we want. 

So how does it work?

Cedar oil affects octopamine, which is essential to life for pheromone-driven pests (like fleas and ticks) as it is responsible for regulating vital functions such as heart rate, movement, and behavior in insect pests. Cedar oil blocks the octopamine neurotransmitter receptors in pests, causing pests to be repelled from the area. When contacted, pests suffocate and die. Cedar oil is safe* for mammals and beneficial insects because they do not utilize octopamine neurotransmitters in the same way.

To better understand how it works, read along!
Here are a few of your most frequently asked questions: 

Is Wondercide Safe for Birds?

We are! All of our outdoor yard sprays are safe* for birds since the residue left behind is made up of plant-powered ingredients. Here are specific situations on how it can help you.

• Pet Birds: Wondercide is safe* for them once the solution is no longer airborne. That’s because birds have more sensitive respiratory systems than most pets and breathing in the spray can be bothersome. Remove them from the area being treated, then reintroduce them a few hours later. Same goes for chickens! Spray their coops as well for added protection, then reintroduce them later. Please do not spray your birds and/or chickens directly.
  
  
• Birds in your yard may come into contact with insects who have been treated with Wondercide, and that’s okay! Even though it affects those insects, the birds will still be safe* to consume them. 
   

Is Wondercide Safe* for Beneficial Insects?

The residue is safe* for beneficial insects like bees and butterflies. However, do not spray when pollinators are actively foraging. We know from a decade of using Wondercide ourselves and feedback from tens of thousands of customers: beneficial bugs are flourishing in yards protected by Wondercide.

What About Lady Bugs or Fireflies?

All of our pest control products affect hundreds of pests, one of them being beetles. Because these insects fall into the beetle family, they will be affected by our sprays.

Will Wondercide Eliminate or Repel Spiders?

Our Outdoor Pest Control and Flea & Tick Yard+Garden will work in repelling Spiders. If you keep up consistent treatments (and covering all surfaces!), you will continue to eliminate their food source (insects) which will cause the spiders to find a new home.

____________________ 

Now that we've covered the birds and the bees, what about the flowers and the trees? When using our outdoor sprays, we recommend covering all surfaces like your fencing, deck, patio furniture, siding, and even areas like trees and plants! The more surface areas you cover, the more bugs you eliminate. 

Trees

Spray as high up the trunk as possible to keep insects from crawling up and down, as well as spray any insects you can see directly so they can be eliminated. 

Outdoor Plants/Flowers

In addition to treating your lawn, you can cover other areas like your garden and potted plants. Spray the pots directly, as well as the plants themselves. If you are wanting to protect caterpillars in your garden, you can spray the perimeter of your garden, or even use a handheld pump sprayer with a longer spray head to avoid spraying the leaves directly. 

Will Wondercide Ruin my Vegetable Garden?

No! Our Outdoor Sprays are safe* to use on your edible garden plants and vegetables because they’re made with plant-powered ingredients that are approved as food additives. Make sure when you are consuming the veggies/fruit, you give them a good rinse so the residue doesn’t affect the taste of your food. 

Okay y’all,
for the MOST IMPORTANT TIP you will learn today:

Please spray in temperatures under 90 degrees. Why is this? When spraying leaves in extremely hot temperatures, phytotoxic burns can occur, which means the leaves will start to brown. Even spraying water on your lawn in temps above 90 degrees can cause browning of grass, so make sure you aren’t making this mistake! 

We understand that the summer sunshine has arrived and some of you in our Wonder Pack may live in climates with hot temperatures all day long, so we recommend spraying in the early morning or evening so you aren’t in direct sunlight. 

Product Recap 

To recap which sprays to use, Wondercide’s Outdoor Pest Control and Flea & Tick Yard+Garden are your go-to products for treating your yard and are the most eco-friendly option out there. After treatment, your family can even be back in the areas treated immediately!

You may notice that both contain the same ingredients--the reason for this is so customers can find exactly what they are looking for. Both will take care of the pests we mentioned before and will work equally in safely treating your yard. Make sure to check out Em’s blog post about how to get rid of flea infestations.. Also, make sure to check out her video HERE on how to use our handy spray that connects right to the hose. 

Pest control doesn’t have to be dangerous or filled with harsh chemicals. It can be safe* and worry-free, so try it today and let us know on Instagram and Facebook how you use plant-powered protection for your home :) 
__________________________________________________________________________

Cecilie’s Bio: