Honey and coffee (but not together)
 

I have two questions:

First, over the years, I've heard on various garden programs, from
various "experts", that one can use honey in white-fly, fruit fly, etc
traps. I don't question the efficacy, just the harm it may do to bees.
Is it true that putting out honey like this can introduce viruses
(virii?) which could do damage to the honey industry? What could it do
to native bees? (Hmm, that's two questions.)

Secondly (or thirdly), I've heard (from the same experts) that diluted
coffee (not instant) is great for killing snails. It doesn't just deter
them, it kills them. If so, what does it do to the critters in the
compost? I have a simple Big-W black bin for my compost, and my wife
puts the gunk from our plunger coffee straight in. I'm concerned that it
will kill the good guys under the surface, or at least chase them away.

Any ideas on these two/three conundrums (conundra)?

Ta,
M

Doyley writes:
First, over the years, I've heard on various garden programs, from
various "experts", that one can use honey in white-fly, fruit fly, etc
traps. I don't question the efficacy, just the harm it may do to bees.
Is it true that putting out honey like this can introduce viruses
(virii?) which could do damage to the honey industry? What could it do
to native bees? (Hmm, that's two questions.)

Yes, setting out honey for any reason is ill-advised. There are a
couple of exotic bee diseases that are spread this way, and they cause
huge damage to bee colonies. Feed sugar, not honey, to butterflies,
fruit flies, and birds; keep the honey for yourself.
--
John Savage (my news address is not valid for email)

g'day doyley,

don't know about the passing on of any diseases but as john said it
happens, for me i have used honey in fruit fly traps but then the only
thing i got inthe traps was fruit flies and house flies, and my traps
once in they never get out. i don't use it much tho' relying mostly on
the f/f wick. had a native bee hive in my garden they never got into
the traps that would have been traps gone 4 me like me native bees.

coffee yes we use coffee (extra el-cheepo instant) very effectively
for the slugs etc., we mix it at a rate that might melt ya tonsils
though takes a dose or 2 and a day or so to work and works better on
the just bornes.

beer traps work for snails and slugs as does the torch lite safari's
of a night time.

len

snipped
--
happy gardening
'it works for me it could work for you,'

"in the end ya' gotta do what ya' gotta do" but consider others and the environment
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what's the f/f wick please?

leslie

"len gardener" wrote in message
...
g'day doyley,

don't know about the passing on of any diseases but as john said it
happens, for me i have used honey in fruit fly traps but then the only
thing i got inthe traps was fruit flies and house flies, and my traps
once in they never get out. i don't use it much tho' relying mostly on
the f/f wick. had a native bee hive in my garden they never got into
the traps that would have been traps gone 4 me like me native bees.

coffee yes we use coffee (extra el-cheepo instant) very effectively
for the slugs etc., we mix it at a rate that might melt ya tonsils
though takes a dose or 2 and a day or so to work and works better on
the just bornes.

beer traps work for snails and slugs as does the torch lite safari's
of a night time.

len

snipped
--
happy gardening
'it works for me it could work for you,'

"in the end ya' gotta do what ya' gotta do" but consider others and the
environment
http://members.optusnet.com.au/~gardenlen1/

my e/mail addies have spam filters you should know what to delete before
you send.

g'day leslie,

they are packed under the label Q-Wick inj qld and available from
produce agancies.

fruit fly need a palnned attack so check my remedies page for other
ideas.

len

snipped
--
happy gardening
'it works for me it could work for you,'

"in the end ya' gotta do what ya' gotta do" but consider others and the environment
http://members.optusnet.com.au/~gardenlen1/

my e/mail addies have spam filters you should know what to delete before you send.

"len gardener" wrote in message
coffee yes we use coffee (extra el-cheepo instant) very effectively
for the slugs etc., we mix it at a rate that might melt ya tonsils
though takes a dose or 2 and a day or so to work and works better on
the just bornes.


Hello Len,

Can you elaborate more on the coffee slug trap?

I also go around the garden at night with a torch catching snails.

I used to pass the snails over to my Uncle who keeps ducks as pets. But a
fox kept on eating them. So he stopped.

Thanks for the replies Len and others.

Snails aren't the problem. I don't mind the odd nocturnal snail hunt,
and the blue tongues love them too.

My concern was that if coffee affects snails, will it affect other good
bugs if I tip it into the compost bin?

M

g'day wylie,

not a slug trap but slug killer, we mix el-cheepo instant coffee up at
a strength that no one would drink eg.,. app' 6 desert spoons to 1/2 a
mil of water and spray it liberly so it gets through the the base of
the brassicas etc.,. no sugar no milk.

the traps are made using beer.

ducks good for ssnail control as are blue tongued lizards.

len

snipped
--
happy gardening
'it works for me it could work for you,'

"in the end ya' gotta do what ya' gotta do" but consider others and the environment
http://members.optusnet.com.au/~gardenlen1/

my e/mail addies have spam filters you should know what to delete before you send.

g'day doyley,

over in the us OF a they go mad over collecting used coffee grounds to
add to their compost heaps and gardens i believe it does wonders. any
coffee dregs along with any other dregs go with the wee water and end
up on the garden daily around here.

len

snipped
--
happy gardening
'it works for me it could work for you,'

"in the end ya' gotta do what ya' gotta do" but consider others and the environment
http://members.optusnet.com.au/~gardenlen1/

my e/mail addies have spam filters you should know what to delete before you send.

Good on yer, Len.

Happy harvesting.

M