Locusts
"This past weekend – 19-20 March [2011] was a good one for making insect peppers, particularly for flying insects. A pepper is made to ward off insects which are hammering your garden (or have the potential to) without resorting to chemical means. In biodynamics you collect and kill the particular insect (in the appropriate sun/moon phases) and burn them to ash, grind the ash and sprinkle it around the garden. You can also make a homeopathic solution with the ash, which can be used at other times.
The locusts have been thick and fast around Newstead, so this was the main ingredient (we used fresh roadkill) and we added cabbage moth butterfly and harlequin bugs (stink bugs). Even though the day favored flying insects, we added some others (slugs, snails, slaters and pear/cherry slugs) because they have been very active in our garden, despite the presence of predator insects and birds. It’s probably best though, to stick to one type of pepper, though because appropriate dates will depend on the type of insect (flying, ground dwelling, or ‘watery’ ones like slugs). Check Brian Keats’ astrocalendar for correct timing."
[Pictures followed here on the blog]
I asked: "I’d be interested to hear what your pepper achieved. I’m collecting stories and experimental results at considera.org"
Reply: "Hi Mark Well, we didn't have any locusts munching away in the garden apart from those in transit, so maybe it was effective... they were thick around town though, squashed on roads, and cars.... but this last winter and spring we have had heavy numbers of slugs, snails and slaters so think a separate method was needed for that."