When using a microbial pesticide such as Bt, you may not see anything happen for twenty-four hours after spraying the insects, Kinerk says. But there is no need to panic -- the pest larvae should start to turn dark and then die between 24 and 48 hours.

"In contrast, a synthetic pesticide such as Sevin gives quick results," he notes. "You spray one row, and by the time you come back down the next row, the beetles you sprayed will be lying on their backs with their legs in the air."

But Kinerk says it is more than worth it to trade the fast action of synthetic pesticides for alternative pesticides, which are generally less toxic. And he says an increasing number of people agree. They are deciding that traditional pesticides may be "an unnecessary risk" in the home, yard, and garden.

Kinerk started producing and distributing alternative pest-control products in 1984, because he says organic products were not easy to obtain at the time. Today, Gardens Alive! includes 20 acres where products are tested. The Gardens Alive! insectary also rears nematodes -- tiny roundworms that are shipped on a sponge. After the sponge is soaked in tepid water for five to ten minutes, the nematodes migrate out. You then mix the nematodes with water and apply them in a sprayer or sprinkling can to combat soil insects.

Kinerk considers the "selectivity" of many alternative pesticides an important advantage. Selectivity means that the pesticide kills certain pests, rather than a wide range of insects. For instance, the most common strain of the microbial insecticide Bt kills only the larval (caterpillar) stage of butterflies and moths.