Seven dust - Applied a month ago - Still toxic or not ?

[Paul J. Dudley]

Last month ( mid June ) I had applied Seven dust to my grapevine due to Japanese Beatle infestation. I applied by hand ( gloved ). I grabbed a handfull at a time and just tossed it across the whole of the foliage and grape clusters. Here it is mid July and I still see some rather rich deposits of the dust sitting on the clusters. As these grapes ( type unknown ) are reaching ripeness they will no doubt be harvested within the next 2 weeks to make wine. Will the residual Seven dust pose any health threats at this point ? I've tried rinsing with a garden hose but to no avail. It is rather "caked" in some areas. There might have been some moisture on the grapes when I slung the seven dust causing it to do so.

TIA

Paul

[Bill]

Bill

[Billy]

[Jangchub]

I wouldn't eat them.

[Sheldon]

Didn't you read the directions... that's the dumbest method for applying Sevin.

[Kay Lancaster]

Hm. Maybe next time you'll read and follow the label directions?

As far as the half life of Sevin (not seven):

that carbaryl is bound by organic matter.

Personally, I wouldn't touch these grapes.

[Billy]

No. Rinse any pesticide residue off and ferment dry. If it doesn't go dry, chuck it.

[Paul E. Lehmann]

I believe the normal time before harvest is seven days - BUT - you put on a heavy dose AND on the fruit. I would call the manufacturer and ask them. You might also consider getting a back pack sprayer.

In the future, consider Imidan. It is suppose to be more friendly to beneficals and it will kill the beatles. Also, the beatles do not eat the fruit so there really is no need to use the seven on them. I only use pesticides on the fruit if I see a heavy infestation of the Grape Berry Moths. The beatles eat the youngest shoots at the top of the canopy, not the older leaves or the fruit.

[Paul J. Dudley]

The dust was given to me in a mason jar by my girlfriends father, complete with no instructions. Just toss it across the whole of the vine like he does his peach trees. So that is what I did.

If you don't have anything more constructive to offer than your sarcastic critisism, please keep it to yourself.

= Paul =

[Jangchub]

Don't belive most of this "safe" to eat after a month...etc. Sevin is a material which can penetrate the walls of cells and remain in the tissue of the fruit. I would not eat one grape on those vines. Do what you want, but I don't think you can wash out any sustemic uptake of Sevin.

[Jangchub]

Okay Paul, if it can systemically enter your skin and cause harmful reactions, don't you know it will also be systemic on the cell walls of grapes?

[Jangchub]

Your girlfriends father is a moron.

[Paul J. Dudley]

Yes. But I was hoping that a 6 week duration might be long enough for the dust to break down in toxicity. My neighbor puts the stuff on all her greens ( collard, cabbage, turnip etc ). She pounces it on with an old nylon stocking. In fact, she does the same with her corn (at the silk end of the ear just as soon as soon as silk appears).

I know one thing. I'll never use Sevin on my grapes again. I used to use a Pyrethrin based pesticide ( Tiger Brand ) but haven't seen it at the store this year. It breaks down rather quickly and most veggies can be ingested within a week after it's use. The Sevin was given to me and I tried it. I made a mistake. All I want to know now is ( and I thought that was clear ) has enough time passed to degrade the dust enough or would it still be hazardous ( ... and would washing them be of any use ) .

In two weeks I will pick said grapes. I will attempt to wash the bunches by hand. Depending of that outcome, I will either prepare them for wine or if washing doesn't seem to remove the residue I will trash those bunches that won't wash clean.

= Paul =

[frinjdwelr]

You got to be kidding. Have people still not learned to have more respect for the environment and themselves?

As someone else pointed out, the grapes will have absorbed the Sevin. No way would I ever eat them or use them in wine. Sounds like that was a really expensive gift you got. Japanese beetles are easily knocked into a bowl of water to drown and sure when they're at peak you have to do it every day but it still beats poison.

[Ima Goodguy]

Ok.. My neighbor uses Sevin dust all the time and swears by it. I just paid her a visit to see if she had any and she has a bag of GardenTech Sevin-5 - Ready to use 5% dust. Reading the instructions on the back shows that the preharvest interval (number of days between last application and harvest) for grapes is 7 days. I will find out what brand/strength was given to me. In the meantime I will write to GardenTech to see what they have to say and will post their advice.

= Paul =

[Paul E. Lehmann]

Don't ever say never. A lot if not most of the vineyards around here (Northern Virginia / Central Maryland Area - including other areas in the Mid Atlantic) use Sevin on their vineyards.

Most commercial growers apply with an air blast sprayer so it goes EVERYWHERE. The concentration you used sounds excessive. I still recommend you contact the manufacturer and see what they say. I would still say you can use it (the sevin you mix with water) and spray the top of your canopy with a back pack sprayer.

What kind of grapes are you growing and where do you live? The earliest any grapes are ready for harvest around here are some of the whites and some of them are ready around the 2nd week in September. The reds usually are harvested around the end of September with Merlot being the first. The Cabernet Sauvignon hang until mid to late October. I am saying all this because you may have a variety than can hang longer and thus let nature wash off some of the residue.

There is one other option. You can go ahead and harvest, crush and make your wine and send it out to a lab and have them analyze it for you. They may even be able to tell you in advance what they would recommend without even testing it and charging you. Virginia Tech has a enology program and a lab. You may want to give them a call and state your problem.

[Paul E. Lehmann]

Unless you never drink wine, there is a VERY high probability that you have drunk wine that was grown using Sevin or Carbaryl 80 WP (liquid Sevin)

I have a backyard vineyard of 110 vines. I will give you a glass of wine each time you come out and drown them for me :-). I know a lot of commercial vineyards around here that will make you the same offer.

[Kay Lancaster]

You'll probably take this as more sarcastic criticism, but stories like this are why I'm not sure most people should be allowed to use other than a flyswatter as a pesticide.

You accepted an unlabeled jar of unknown chemical of unknown concentration, with no instructions, and you didn't know how to apply it.

How do you know it was carbaryl, and not, say, Paris green? Or maybe one of the herbicides? Or flour?

Some day, a stunt like this is going to bite you badly. This might be that.

[Charlie]

Sheesh.....besides poisoning our world, you are too effing careless to effectively use even a sockpuppet, Ima Paul Dudley Goodguy.

I'm sure as hell glad you aren't my neighbor, Poisoner of Bees, Spiders, Butterflies and Other Helpful and Harmless Living Creatures.....such as your Neighbors!!

Charlie

[Paul E. Lehmann]

Why don't you offer constructive advice instead of bashing. I would be willing to bet YOU are equally guilty of being ignorant on a specific topic equally as hazardous or even more so.