Pyrethrums

I use Rotenone/Pyrethrums in liquid form. This is an organic insecticide that is derived from plants. It does not harm predator insects and does not kill on contact. I lightly coat the leaves of whatever is being eaten. The Rotenone spray dries and stays on the leaves and is eaten by the bugs where it then interferes with their digestion and kills them. Like I said, predators are not affected (even when they eat the effected bugs). The other advantage with Rotenone is that it is photochemically reactive which means that it breaks down quickly when exposed to sunlight. This may seem bad as it means that your spray won't last long, but you can spray in the evening to lengthen it effectiveness. The good thing about this is that you can pick and consume your veggies the following day and do not need to concern yourself with washing your harvest thoroughly. There is a slight risk with inhalation of the spray, but simply spraying downwind eliminates this problem. You have plenty of time to finish spraying before you need to worry about washing your hands as it does not penetrate the skin and become toxic to humans. As with any spray, you will need to spray again in a week to catch the next generation of bugs.

The bright side is that insects should not be such a problem in a controlled environment, i.e., indoor hydroponics. So this stuff is not something that we will need to stock a whole lot of for the future. I can foresee the need to accumulate an amount necessary for a couple of seasons just in case a few bugs get into the indoor garden. Unless your screens get torn and the little buggers are out there just waiting for their opportunity to get into your lush garden before you can fix the screens, you will eventually eliminate them in your controlled environment.

Offered by Roger.

One of the seeds we on the Seed TEAM will be growing is a pyrethrums producing daisy. We got a small sample from The Arc in 1998, and with the seed harvested from these plants (God willing) I intend to distribute to the team for mass propagation next year. With this daisy, survival sites can produce their own pyrethrum protection.

Offered by Nancy.