MANHATTAN, Kan. -- Organic gardening is only one of many anti-chemical, anti-"artificial" movements that survived into the 21st century. It’s also one that’s continuing to change what average Americans believe and how they behave.

"All of us are becoming more aware ... more cautious ... more likely to weigh costs and benefits before breaking out the pesticide sprayer," said Don Cress, entomologist at Kansas State University.

While herbs were joining vitamins on store shelves, "folk" remedies and natural alternatives were showing up with the lawn and garden chemicals, Cress added.

As a result, today’s homeowners are more likely to spray pesky boxelder bugs with a soap solution than with an insecticide. Or, they may just break out the vacuum cleaner.

They’re also more likely to mulch a flower bed than to apply a pre-emergence herbicide.

"That’s all to the good," the entomologist said. "In the past, many homeowners had a scary concentration of chemicals in the ground around and under their house. Homeowner misuse is a major reason some of our important pesticides — including a long-lasting control for termites — are being banned from the market or put in the restricted-use category."

Cress coordinates K-State Research and Extension’s part of the Kansas program that trains and certifies commercial and private applicators of restricted-use pesticides. He thinks of himself as a safety specialist.

"We’ve made progress on what and how much people use, in terms of pesticides," he said. "What I’d like to see now is more progress in pest identification, timing and correct placement of pesticide applications."

For example, homeowners often panic when they see bagworms appear on ornamental plants. Or, they panic when they notice the feeding (damage) the worms have done. So, the homeowners spray repeatedly.

But that kind of damage can be slow to show, especially on evergreens. In addition, when bags start to appear, the "worms" already are ending the only time during their life when they’re vulnerable to chemical or organic controls. Even the first of repeated treatments can do no more than stop the pests that have yet to enter a bag’s near-sprayproof protection. (See sidebar.)

"Of course, with bagworms, you have a fall-back position. You can use ‘mechanical’ controls – hand pick off every bag you see and either step on it or send it to the dump," Cress said. "Be that as it may, however, if you don’t properly identify a pest and – from that – know when and how to control it, you’ve got really good odds for either misapplying some kind of control or not protecting your home and landscape."

He added that help in learning about pests is available at every Kansas county Extension office. For "mystery" problems, those offices also can forward samples to the plant disease and insect diagnostic labs at K-State.

Beyond that, most K-State Research and Extension publications, factsheets and newsletters are now posted on the World Wide Web (www.oznet.ksu.edu). They include the latest research-based information and recommendations on Kansas-related entomology, plant pathology and horticulture.