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#1
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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 |
#2
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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) |
#3
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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. |
#4
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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. |
#5
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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. |
#6
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"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. |
#7
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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 |
#8
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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. |
#9
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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. |
#10
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Good on yer, Len.
Happy harvesting. M |
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