Your yard is your domain, and your children's domain. Using natural and homemade non-toxic pesticides in your organic garden will keep your family and the environment safe.
Organic is Better
Organic gardening is healthier for gardeners, consumers, and the environment. Chemicals from farm and lawn runoff in Florida have been linked to red tide, which not only kills sealife, but causes respiratory problems in humans and animals. Lawn and garden chemicals leach into our groundwater, and are still present in municipal water supplies, even after processing. It is unclear what the long term effects of these chemicals is on human health, but in recent years many disorders such as infertility, ADHD, Bipolar Disorder, and Autism have become more and more prevalent in industrialized societies where chemicals are most used.
Cautions When Using Natural Pesticides
Organic gardeners must even be careful what natural pesticides they use. For example Nicotine cannot be used on edible crops, due to the fact that it has the same toxicity symptoms as organophosphate insecticides. Nicotine poisoning symptoms include vomiting, nausea, headaches, difficulty breathing, stomach pains, and seizures. Source
There are natural pesticides recommended for organic gardening that have been proven to be safe on both edible and ornamental crops. There are also pesticide mixtures that you can make right in your kitchen that work well on both insects and fungal diseases.
Safe Natural Pesticides for Edible Crops - Neem Oil
Neem Oil is derived from the Neem tree (Azadirachta indica), which is a sacred tree in India. An oil is pressed from the seeds, and has been used for centuries in organic gardening and as an Ayurvedic medicine. Neem oil is a natural pesticide considered so safe for spraying on edible crops that the EPA (U.S. Environment Protection Agency) exempted it from the typical requirements for maximum pesticide residues on agricultural products.
There have been studies, however, that show that it is not safe for pregnant women or women trying to conceive to ingest neem oil. Therefore, if you are in one of those two groups, it would be best to have someone else spray your garden, and use gloves when handling neem oil treated crops. Make sure to wash the crops well before prepartion. Source