EVP MAN wrote:
I've noticed tiny pin holes in the leaves of my bell peppers, egg
plants, ground cherries and cantaloupe. My neighbor told me that he
uses a product called Sevin that comes in a spray bottle ready to use.
Said he's been using it for years and it works quite well for him. I
guess my question is: would this be a good general purpose insecticide
for use in my vegetable garden?

Rich from PA


Sevin is the trade name of an insecticide called carbaryl. It is toxic
to mammals, though the feds say of relatively low toxicity. It is an
acetylcholinesterase inhibitor, but is broken down quickly in mammals.
It is *extremely* toxic to bees, and I think, fish IIRC. It remains one
of the most widely used insecticides in American farming, but has been
used much less in recent years by home gardeners. I suggest you do a
search for "tiny holes in leaves of vegetable plants" and assimilate
whatever advice you see in your search. There may be several effective
ways of eliminating the problem with natural compounds. A safer, much
less toxic chemical alternative (note I did not say it's "non-toxic") is
gamma cyhalothrin, sold under the names "Spectracide", "Triazicide" and
others. Frankly, it's not super effective, but it helps, and is safer
in the long run than carbaryl. But at least check out natural controls
first. I can't say specifically which ones, because the tiny holes in
your leaves could be from a variety of different causes.

Tony M.