" Dan" writes:
My question regards bean flies. The general
practice around here is to use Rogor, and that works well enough, but years
ago I was told that a weak solution of phenol sprayed at emergence and each
week for about four weeks worked even better. I would try it, but I cannot
remember what ratio phenol to water to use. I'm thinking on the lines of a
teaspoon to a litre. Does anyone use phenol in this way, and, if so, what
ratio is used. Thanks, Dan

Hi Dan. I believe Rogor has fallen into disuse by most home gardeners
because of its toxicity. I know nothing about the use of phenol on edible
crops. Phenol (carbolic acid) doesn't have a good report card, though, and
I see where just one gram of it can be fatal.

Just to clue us in, by "bean flies" do you mean the tiny white flies (about
2 mm in length) that can be found in plague numbers on the foliage of carrots,
tomatoes and curcubits?

Apart from sticky yellow strips to attract and hold whitefly, I frequently
hear Comfidor suggested as an effective spray.

I've seen tiny spiders (what we'd call money spiders) catch white flies, so
insecticides would kill off the spiders, too.
--
John Savage (my news address is not valid for email)