In article ,
Penelope wrote:

On Sun, 05 Jul 2009 09:05:10 -0500, "Douglas R. Hortvet, Jr."
wrote:


Has anyone used a Spinosad product on gardenias with success?


Do you have issues with personal pronouns and paragraphs?


I have used Monterey Garden Insect Spray with success against spit!
thrips and tomato hornworms. It's a concentrate that is made to be
diluted in water.
http://www.montereylawngarden.com/pd...ay_omri_04_bil
ingual.pdf
PRECAUTIONARY STATEMENTS
ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS
This product is toxic to bees exposed to treatment for 3 hours following
treatment. Do not apply this pesticide to blooming, pollen-shedding or
nectar-producing parts of plants if bees may forage on the plants during
this time period. This product is toxic to aquatic invertebrates

However, why do you think the ants are causing the problem with your
gardenia? Unless they're herding aphids, I don't see how the ants
would hurt the plant. Are the ants fire ants, is that why you want to
get rid of them? Is there damage on the leaves that looks like insect
damage?

And what kind of fertilizer did you use? If the leaf yellowing
happened right after you fertilized, have you considered that the
fertilizer is the issue? Have you checked your soil pH? How much
water has the gardenia been getting?



Penelope

http://www.afpmb.org/pubs/standardli...-6583_msds.pdf
ECOTOXICOLOGY:
Based largely or completely on information for spinosad:
Material is highly toxic to aquatic invertebrates on an
acute basis (LC50 or EC50 is between 0.1 and 1 mg/L).
Material is moderately toxic to fish on an acute basis
(LC50 is between 1 and 10 mg/L).
snip

Acute contact LD50 in honeybee (apis mellifera) is
---- 0.05 micrograms = 0.00005 g/bee.----
Translation: incredibly toxic to bees

How about repotting after hosing-off the roots?
--

- Billy

There are three kinds of men: The ones that learn by reading. The few who
learn by observation. The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence and
find out for themselves.
Will Rogers

http://countercurrents.org/roberts020709.htm
http://www.tomdispatch.com/p/zinn