We're all more aware of the chemicals that we put into the environment and the impact that these might have on us and our families, not to mention the rest of the world around us.
They can cause health problems for our pets, kill off bugs that might actually help our plants and that's before we consider them entering the water table and causing real problems.
As a society we're beginning to appreciate the importance of farming organically and this is translating through into how we manage our gardens.
There is greater demand than ever for effective, organic ways to manage pest problems and the number of chemical free products that are on the market is on the rise.
In the past, when chemical was king we all wanted a pesticide that would kill the most bugs with the fewest applications and as cheaply as possible.
This approach has long been proven to be detrimental to people, animals and to the plants as well.
Here are some ideas that might be able to help you cut down on the number of chemicals that you use.
Organic Pest Control Traps - this is a very obvious and straightforward organic choice.
Because we've focused for so long on using chemicals to kill off insects, there was little research into the use of traps on insects.
However as we move away from the concept of chemicals being the answer to everything, the insect traps are getting better all the time and it's got to be better to kill off one species of insect rather than wiping out everything in the area with chemicals.
Local plants - this might sound strange, but indigenous plants are sometimes naturally resistant to local pests.
If you plant these in your garden they'll flourish, and as well as resisting the attention of the bugs they'll need less fertilizer and generally attention too! Resistant plants - Some types of pests simply don't eat certain plants.
If you fill your garden with species that the insects find unappealing you can significantly reduce your bug problems.
Be Careful! It's obviously a good thing that we're trying to move towards more organic solutions with the pesticides that we use, however you've got to remember that not all "natural" products are going to be totally safe to use in every situation.
Always read directions and labels carefully and make sure to keep out of the reach of children.
Still not sure? If you're still not convinced that organic gardening is for you, or if you not entirely sure how to go about it, then call in the pros.
There are loads of organic gardening companies out there who will be more than happy to advise you; whether on moving towards a more organic garden or on combating a specific pest problem.
Usually their prices are similar to traditional pest control companies, but it's much kinder to the environment.