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What You
Need:
·
Garden or park
· Cayenne (red) pepper, vinegar, lemon juice
· Paper and pencil
Tip:
Be sure to wash your hands with hot soapy water when you re
done with this experiment.
Question:
How can you stop bugs from eating plants?
1.
First, locate plants in a garden or park that have leaves
that are full of holes. This is a sign that bugs have been
munching on them.
2.
Then, spread cayenne pepper on some of the leaves.
3.
Observe, or watch, how any bugs react to the pepper. Do
they stay off the leaves? Or, do the bugs ignore the pepper
and keep munching?
4.Write
down any observations you notice about how the bugs react
to the pepper.
5.
Now, try the other substances and see how the bugs react to
them. Continue to write down your observations. Which substance
worked best to keep bugs away?
A
Scientific Explanation
Keeping bugs off plants with natural products such as hot
pepper or vinegar is known as organic farming. Organic means
that the plant is grown without using chemical pesticides.
Organic farming is one way to protect animals who may eat
these bugs from harmful pesticides.
Something
EXTRA! You can do for fun:
What other natural substances can you think of that might
keep bugs away? Repeat the experiment and test how they work.
Remember to write down your observations.
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