Re: FYI - Sevin Pesticide caused aphid infestation

That's probably why Garden Tech lists aphid on their pest list, since Sevin Concentrate contains agents which thicken it and make it stick to leaves. So technically it can kill aphids by drowning them the same way soapy water can.

On my convolvulus, I actually found an equal number of white flakes which turned out to be dead aphids on the *tops* of the leaves. But since it's much harder to hit the *undersides* of the leaves which is where I learned aphids tend to congregate, it's more effective to use a chemical that actually kills them.

Of course it depends on the plant, as on some plants it might be easier to hit both sides of the leaves.

Thanks for the tip!

Good advertisement for organic gardening.

Why not learn how to garden? Most aphid infestations that get out of hand are self inflicted. Change your cultural practices and you will see fewer aphids.

I use a strong water spray on my plants every day. It doesn't get off all the bugs.

The number one pest I have is Japanese Beetles. I've tried spraying them, picking them off, etc. They eat new buds, they eat the leaves, it's horrible. I have four Japanese Beetle traps around my yard. These are the plastic traps that hold about 10x more beetles than the bags. Every three days, each trap is filled to the top. It's THAT bad.

I would put milky spore down, however, I can't. I live in a condo community. They allow us to plant containers and even our own flowers in some spots.

I wrote the association about putting milky spore down. Don't know if it will do any good.

I'm not growing vegetables, only flowers. I'm only spraying the containers in my condo.

As for vegetables, with the amount of bugs I get, I can't see how a farmer could grow a crop without some form of pesticide to stop the destruction. For example, most bananas come from Mexico/South America. There, a naturally growing bunch of bananas gets clotted with insects, so in order to protect it, they have to cover each bunch with an insecticide soaked plastic bag.

I didn't notice that the group here was anti-pesticide. I apologize and will refrain from posting more info about it.

Frogleg wrote:

Im not trying to flame you, but the reason that you have an aphid infestation is that you were indicriminantly spraying your flowers every few weeks. Spraying only works when there is a pest present. You cannot prevent insects. By spraying over and over, the few aphids that do survive pass thier genetic information on to thier young, who then are also resistant. This happens fast because aphids reproduce incredibly fast. I give this info to my customers on a daily basis: do not spray an insecticide unless you SEE insects and there are enough of them to make an impact on the plant. As for japanese beetles, I pick a few off as I walk by my plants on the way to work in the morning. Im not pushing organic gardening here, im urging common sense! Horticultural oil works very good on aphids.

Toad

In article , snipped-for-privacy@gmREMOVEx.net says... :) I didn't notice that the group here was anti-pesticide. I apologize :) and will refrain from posting more info about it. :) :) It's not, just the same vocal few who feel they must speak down of those who for what ever reason are unable to, or heaven forbid, have no desire to put in the time to create an organic paradise. But instead of answering or passing along helpful info, will tend to stroke their own egos by usually spouting out something along the line of "Learn how to garden".

I have always been blunt however the truth is no flame.

Excess nitrogen, crowded planting and indiscriminate use of broad spectrum pesticides are the cultural practices leading to aphids getting out of hand. Pouring more spray on top of bad habits will not improve your garden or gardening. What you essentially posted was bigger pennies in the fusebox, you are treating the symptoms and not the cause. If you want a pesticide that is very good on aphids look into a product called "Hot Pepper Wax " It will get you some control and not wipe out the benneficials including pollinators which are allready stressed.

Sorry if it sounded like a flame. It was meant as information. It is not surprising that so many people turn to chemicals to start with, after all who has not seen the advertisements for them. You don't see the information for alternatives, the money is in selling the chemicals not information.

If we sounded like we were flaming, consider it a flame of the chemical companies.

Way to go Frogleg!!!!

USEFULL? idiotic, near sited and irresponsible and you think you are useful? CLUELESS!

Hmmm . . . I truly wonder why you are doing this at all. Aside from killing off the paper wasps that build their nests over doors and in trash cans, we haven't used any insecticide in our yard at all for three years -- in 2000 we had a massive infestation of one of the peach trees with tent caterpillars; a single application of pyrethrin cured that -- and we have remarkably little in the way of insect damage to our plants. The beneficial insects, and birds, and reptiles, and amphibians, and little grey shrews all happily munch away keeping the damaging insects, and each other, under control. It's cheap, easy, effective, sustainable, and one heck of a lot less toxic to both you and the environment.

Chris Owens

Pelvis P>

Oil smothers the insects it covers.

The way you're moving you'll soon see the error in your ways! :>)

remember

Yup...

I'm looking for what works... Chemical or organic. I'll use what I can find. If organic means something I can mix up in my kitchen or pick up locally, great. If it means spending hours on the phone/email searching and waiting weeks for a shipment, I'll pass. When I find a problem, I go to the store and look on the shelves. If I see something that says it will work, I buy it and use it.

I don't have an aphid problem myself... Soap and water works for that. I've only lost one plant to aphids and it was a Hybiscus. Unfortunately, it doesn't work on my spider mites nor fungus gnats. I didn't see any organic replies when I asked about them a while back, either.

Try that with an Ivy plant that 12 or more feet long, in a 4 foot long planter, mounted to a stair well. Doesn't work so well. Same goes for my 20 foot philodendron (sp?)... it runs from my second story down into my basement stairwell.

Most of my other plants would be knocked out of their pots from the pressure of the hose.

It's a start! Did you know Scultz makes a new water soluble fertilizer which also has humates? I use it on my container plants, particularly on the brugmansia which eat and eat. I don't use it in the ground, for that I use only certified organic and compost.

If you continue to come over to organic method, you are going to find not only is it easier, but much more effective.

I did not know that Sevin didn't kill aphids, so it's my thinking that the information would be useful for others who don't know that.

The mistake I made is that I posted the message without realizing that this group was anti-pesticide. For that I apologize.

No this group is NOt anti pesticide. There are plenty of unconcerned users and abusers of pesticides posting regularly. If you'd read the damn labels you'd not need other clueless abusers to educate you...sheesh!

No comments on this, Tom?

Didn't think so.

something

suited

Sorry... I'm not a midget. That stairwell goes all the way up to the second floor. There aren't too many second floors that are only four feet from the first floor.

That ivy planter is four feet above the second floor. The tendrils reach the bottom of the staircase on the first floor now.

Sounds like the voice of an expert here. Glad you have nothing better to do than poke around my website.

With a garden hose? Yes, considering this is in my living room.

BTW, That Pothos has been repotted twice since the pictures were taken. Check the date on those pictures... Feb 2002. The plants have grown just a wee bit in the last 18 months or so.

I know it's hard for you to count past five... you need one hand free to count the fingers on the other.

I never claimed I was a gardener... I just like plants and grow what I can. BTW, what's wrong with Hybiscus in Calgary?