Would some kind person admit me to the mysteries of using soft soap as
a mild insecticide?

What constitutes soft soap in this context? I presume washing-up
liquid isn't appropriate. Do I have to cut a chunk of a piece of
'Knight's Castile' or 'Imperial Leather'? Is soap for washing clothes
the right stuff such as Persil or Lux?

How much soap should I add to how much water (grams/litre,
ounces/gallon or whatever)?

How does it work? I've seen one suggestion that it clogs the breathing
tubes of the insects as it dries. Another explanation is that it
simply lowers the surface tension of the water and this then fills the
breathing tubes, so they effectively drown.

All advice gratefully received.


--
Chris

E-mail: christopher[dot]hogg[at]virgin[dot]net

"Chris Hogg" wrote in message
...
Would some kind person admit me to the mysteries of using soft soap
as
a mild insecticide?

What constitutes soft soap in this context? I presume washing-up
liquid isn't appropriate. Do I have to cut a chunk of a piece of
'Knight's Castile' or 'Imperial Leather'? Is soap for washing
clothes
the right stuff such as Persil or Lux?

It seems to be liquid soap :
http://www.e-garden.co.uk/Shop/garde...ductID=2974&de
ptID=353&ptype=3

How much soap should I add to how much water (grams/litre,
ounces/gallon or whatever)?

My recipe - one squirt of liquid soap + one dollop of methalated
spirits in about 1 litre of water. Shaken not stired :~)

How does it work? I've seen one suggestion that it clogs the
breathing
tubes of the insects as it dries. Another explanation is that it
simply lowers the surface tension of the water and this then fills
the
breathing tubes, so they effectively drown.

See above :~)

In my experience, washing up liquid probably works just as well, but
tends to be more 'frothy'

Jenny

In article , Chris Hogg
writes
Would some kind person admit me to the mysteries of using soft soap as
a mild insecticide?

What constitutes soft soap in this context? I presume washing-up
liquid isn't appropriate. Do I have to cut a chunk of a piece of
'Knight's Castile' or 'Imperial Leather'? Is soap for washing clothes
the right stuff such as Persil or Lux?

Soft Soap is looks rather like Grease. It is scooped out with your
fingers/hand.

As used on top of the tallow as a lubricant to launch ships ;-))

HONEST!! Would I DARE to tell a lie?;-)

Mike

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Forthcoming reunions.
British Pacific Fleet Hayling Island Sept 5th - 8th
Castle Class Corvettes Assn. Isle of Wight. Oct 3rd - 6th.
R.N. Trafalgar Weekend Leamington Spa. Oct 10th - 13th. Plus many more

"Chris Hogg" wrote in message
...
Would some kind person admit me to the mysteries of using soft soap as
a mild insecticide?

What constitutes soft soap in this context? I presume washing-up
liquid isn't appropriate. Do I have to cut a chunk of a piece of
'Knight's Castile' or 'Imperial Leather'? Is soap for washing clothes
the right stuff such as Persil or Lux?

How much soap should I add to how much water (grams/litre,
ounces/gallon or whatever)?

How does it work? I've seen one suggestion that it clogs the breathing
tubes of the insects as it dries. Another explanation is that it
simply lowers the surface tension of the water and this then fills the
breathing tubes, so they effectively drown.

All advice gratefully received.


--
Chris

E-mail: christopher[dot]hogg[at]virgin[dot]net

I feel that I must point out here a discussion that ( I think Monty
Don ) had with an "expert". It included a discourse about soft soap that
Monty was using and the expert pointed out to him that it is not in the
least selective. He said that he hadn't though of that and I bet not
many other people have either.

Bel

"Chris Hogg" wrote in message
...
Would some kind person admit me to the mysteries of using soft soap as
a mild insecticide?

What constitutes soft soap in this context? .........the soap I always use
is liquid Ivory Soap...believe y'all call it Fairey soap........HW.

Not sure if this helps - From Encarta

Soft soaps are semi-fluid soaps made from linseed oil, cotton-seed oil, and
fish oils, which are saponified with potassium hydroxide. Tallow used in
soapmaking ranges from the cheapest grades, recovered from waste and used
for cheaper soaps, to the best edible grades, used for fine toilet soaps.
Tallow alone yields a soap that is too hard and too insoluble to provide
satisfactory lathering, and therefore it is usually mixed with coconut oil.
Coconut oil alone yields a hard soap that is too insoluble for use in fresh
water; it lathers in salt water, however, and is used as marine soap.
Transparent soaps usually contain castor oil, high-grade coconut oil, and
tallow. A fine toilet soap made of high-grade olive oil is known as castile
soap. Shaving soap is a potassium-sodium soft soap, containing stearic acid,
which gives a lasting lather. Shaving cream is a paste that is a combination
of shaving soap and coconut oil.
Microsoft® Encarta® Encyclopedia 2003. © 1993-2002 Microsoft Corporation.
All rights reserved.



"Chris Hogg" wrote in message
...
Would some kind person admit me to the mysteries of using soft soap as
a mild insecticide?

What constitutes soft soap in this context? I presume washing-up
liquid isn't appropriate. Do I have to cut a chunk of a piece of
'Knight's Castile' or 'Imperial Leather'? Is soap for washing clothes
the right stuff such as Persil or Lux?

How much soap should I add to how much water (grams/litre,
ounces/gallon or whatever)?

How does it work? I've seen one suggestion that it clogs the breathing
tubes of the insects as it dries. Another explanation is that it
simply lowers the surface tension of the water and this then fills the
breathing tubes, so they effectively drown.

All advice gratefully received.


--
Chris

E-mail: christopher[dot]hogg[at]virgin[dot]net

Chris Hogg wrote:

Would some kind person admit me to the mysteries of using soft soap as
a mild insecticide?

What constitutes soft soap in this context? I presume washing-up
liquid isn't appropriate. Do I have to cut a chunk of a piece of
'Knight's Castile' or 'Imperial Leather'? Is soap for washing clothes
the right stuff such as Persil or Lux?

How much soap should I add to how much water (grams/litre,
ounces/gallon or whatever)?

How does it work? I've seen one suggestion that it clogs the breathing
tubes of the insects as it dries. Another explanation is that it
simply lowers the surface tension of the water and this then fills the
breathing tubes, so they effectively drown.

All advice gratefully received.


Its traditional 'soap' ie fat and potash mixture which is I remember
correctly is mildly caustic.. It stings the little swines something
terrible.. This is the primary effect of soft soap IIRC. There may also
be a blocking element to aphids breathing tubes, when you're that small
a large squirt of soap makes it hard to breathe!-)
You can effectivly make it out of ashes (to produce 'lye') and fat and
a few other things.. You will find recipes for it in old gardening
books and a description in the 'Ingalls Wilder' series 'Farmer Boy' of
it being made in the around the turn of the century (or before).

The stuff that clogs dries that you are thinking of is made from
Rapeseed oil though I suspect it may contain a soapy element as an
adjuvant.

The 'normal' washing up soap is a detergent and is not quite the same
thing.

http://www.chempak.co.uk/ are my normal suppliers for this product.
They do mail order and stock to some shops.
I find 1 tub lasts several years ususally and its much cheaper than
'Safers' or 'Bio' or any of the other ready diluted, overpackaged
products.
//
Jim

Annabel wrote:

"Chris Hogg" wrote in message
...
Would some kind person admit me to the mysteries of using soft soap as
a mild insecticide?

What constitutes soft soap in this context? I presume washing-up
liquid isn't appropriate. Do I have to cut a chunk of a piece of
'Knight's Castile' or 'Imperial Leather'? Is soap for washing clothes
the right stuff such as Persil or Lux?

How much soap should I add to how much water (grams/litre,
ounces/gallon or whatever)?

How does it work? I've seen one suggestion that it clogs the breathing
tubes of the insects as it dries. Another explanation is that it
simply lowers the surface tension of the water and this then fills the
breathing tubes, so they effectively drown.

All advice gratefully received.


--
Chris

E-mail: christopher[dot]hogg[at]virgin[dot]net

I feel that I must point out here a discussion that ( I think Monty
Don ) had with an "expert". It included a discourse about soft soap that
Monty was using and the expert pointed out to him that it is not in the
least selective. He said that he hadn't though of that and I bet not
many other people have either.

Bel

No, its not selective but its *relativley* harmless to bees, ladybirds,
etc by comparison to other equivalent products.

Come to think of it I can't think offhand of aphid selective
insecticides that are at an equivalent level to soft soap for domestic
use..

As with all pesticides, follow the instructions on the packet.
//
Jim

"Jim W" wrote in message
news:1fwlgte.lpgc6015gt9joN%00senetnospamtodayta@m acunlimited.net...
Annabel wrote:

"Chris Hogg" wrote in message
...
Would some kind person admit me to the mysteries of using soft
soap as
a mild insecticide?

What constitutes soft soap in this context? I presume washing-up
liquid isn't appropriate. Do I have to cut a chunk of a piece of
'Knight's Castile' or 'Imperial Leather'? Is soap for washing
clothes
the right stuff such as Persil or Lux?

How much soap should I add to how much water (grams/litre,
ounces/gallon or whatever)?

How does it work? I've seen one suggestion that it clogs the
breathing
tubes of the insects as it dries. Another explanation is that it
simply lowers the surface tension of the water and this then fills
the
breathing tubes, so they effectively drown.

All advice gratefully received.


--
Chris

E-mail: christopher[dot]hogg[at]virgin[dot]net

I feel that I must point out here a discussion that ( I think Monty
Don ) had with an "expert". It included a discourse about soft soap
that
Monty was using and the expert pointed out to him that it is not in
the
least selective. He said that he hadn't though of that and I bet not
many other people have either.

Bel

No, its not selective but its *relativley* harmless to bees,
ladybirds,
etc by comparison to other equivalent products.

Come to think of it I can't think offhand of aphid selective
insecticides that are at an equivalent level to soft soap for domestic
use..

As with all pesticides, follow the instructions on the packet.
//
Jim

I agree

Bel