gerald wrote:
On Thu, 16 Mar 2006 09:44:53 -0500, Rob
wrote:
I'd dispose of the nicotine (safely, somehow) and stick with the bayer
spray (imidocloprid).
The bayer is not a spray. it is a systemic. I dip the plants in a
bucket, and drain.
If you look up http://extoxnet.orst.edu/pips/imidaclo.htmimid, you
will see it is not to go into your martini mix.
since not sprayed, is not real bad. wear gloves.
It is indeed a spray... As long as we are nitpicking. Regardless of
whether it is a systemic or not. At least in most applications it is
applied as a spray, and you can even buy it in a premixed version for
that purpose, with it's own hose-end sprayer...
http://tinyurl.com/nd6yd.
I apply the bayer 'spray' or whatever you want to call it as a drench.
With a hose. I don't like dipping plants, you can (supposedly) transmit
virus or other pathogens that way. Unless you change your dipping
solution between each plant, and I'm not doing that. I doubt that
communal dunking is a major vector for viral transmission, but I prefer
the 'better safe than sorry' approach.
There is a 'translaminar' formulation (called Marathon II, I believe)
which will actually enter the plant through the leaf. But I can't
afford it.
When saying it was 'safe' I meant in relation to nicotine... I concur
that you don't want to put it in martinis (I prefer beer, anyway). Most
pesticides that you can buy off the shelf these days have very high
LD50s, in other words, it takes a whole lotta product to harm you, and
you would probably have to go out of your way and either bathe in
concentrated solution or drink it neat. In this case, the LD50 for
mouse is 131mg/kg, and rat 450mg/kg (interesting difference!).
http://tinyurl.com/kqbr4 That means my portly self would have to
consume about 13 grams of pure compound (assuming I'm a mouse) for me to
have a 50% chance of kicking the bucket. Doesn't mean smaller doses
wouldn't hurt, though, and for that reason and many others it is common
sense to use protective clothing when applying anything. Even
fertilizer, really.
Just for kicks, the oral LD50 for nicotine (in the rat) is 50mg/kg. And
140mg/kg for dermal (through the skin) contact. And the MSDS says that
it is very readily absorbed through the skin. Yikes!
--
Rob's Rules:
http://littlefrogfarm.com
1) There is always room for one more orchid
2) There is always room for two more orchids
2a) See rule 1
3) When one has insufficient credit to obtain more
orchids, obtain more credit