SPINOSAD................Not just another pesticide

[Chuck]

For those of you who read my posts, you all know that I am a big fan of Spinosad. I am forever saying use it for this or that. Some of you have never heard of it and a few others say "it's just another bug killer". This just isn't true. Spinosad is like no other insecticide/pesticide in the history of agriculture. The only other insecticides that are only remotely similar to Spinosad are Neem and Phyrethrum and only then because they are made from natural substances. Spinosad was an accident. It is found naturally at only one place in the world and this place was on a Carribean island rum distillery. It is a specific soil bacteria which disrupts an insects or caterpillars nervous system. Scientists now have figured out how to grow this bacteria which is then distilled, sort of like distilling bourbon or scotch.

Spinosad is equal to malathion in effectiveness . Malathion and its derivatives are what commercial growers use but with none of their toxic substances. It has been proven in field trials to be so and in fact even less spinosad is applied to achieve the same results. I know many of us, including myself, use dishwashing soaps, garlic and pepper sprays on our plants but when you have a serious infestation they just aren't effective enough. Sure they control minor problems and should be used when applicable but when your garden is being eaten in front of your eyes you need something that will stop the damage ASAP. Spinosad works in two ways. By contact and by residual action in which the residual action last for days, not hours like soaps and garlic and pepper sprays.

Spinosad is safe for humans and pets. In fact it is used as the active ingredient for head lice on people. There is a flea control for dogs and cats named Comfortis made from spinosad. It is harmless to earthworms yet death on soil dwelling pests such as ants.
http://www.bioone.org/doi/abs/10.29...ps://agresearchmag.ars.usda.gov/2000/apr/crop

 

[Owdboggy]

Shame a 32 0z spray would cost £34. 35 in the UK.

 

[Chuck]

Shame a 32 0z spray would cost £34. 35 in the UK.

I don't know how many dollars are in a pound but even here it isn't cheap. A pint of concentrate is about $20 but it goes a long way. @ 2 tablespoons per gallon of water. One thing about it is that it will wash off plant leaves if it doesn't dry completely before a rain. I normally buy a pint a year. Many times one doesn't need it as home remedies will work but there are times when it is essential such as when loopers hatch out by the thousands or stink bugs invade. It works wonders on potato beetles and no home remedies I have used do a good job on beetles. Its residual effect is stated to be a month but I can't say yea or nay to that. It also has a slight systemic action as well. All I know is that if a spray it on something I don't have to spray it again for a long time if at all. On caterpillars Bt works better than spinosad in the short term. With Bt caterpillars stop feeding immediately after injesting it and are dead within 4-6 hours but it only lasts about 2 days because sunlight breaks it down. With spinosad it takes about 2 days for caterpillars to die although they stop feeding within 24 hours but the residual effects lasts a long time

 

[Kay Shrade]

I'm glad I ran across this post. We have had a major invasion of beetles this summer, and they have destroyed our strawberry plants. We will definitely be trying some spinosad.

 

[Beth_B]

I'm getting some in the next couple of days...I've relied on a combo of neem oil, soapy water and picking eggs/bugs off by hand but we're having a very buggy summer so far!

Even Home Despot carries spinosad insecticide (not sure what brand.) I called my go-to garden center and they have Captain Jacks brand. About $10 for 32oz spray bottle which seems reasonable.

Something is nibbling away at my butterfly bush leaves, in a lacy pattern. Grrrr. I can't find any evidence of bugs or eggs though.

 

[Chuck]

I'm getting some in the next couple of days...I've relied on a combo of neem oil, soapy water and picking eggs/bugs off by hand but we're having a very buggy summer so far!

Even Home Despot carries spinosad insecticide (not sure what brand.) I called my go-to garden center and they have Captain Jacks brand. About $10 for 32oz spray bottle which seems reasonable.

Something is nibbling away at my butterfly bush leaves, in a lacy pattern. Grrrr. I can't find any evidence of bugs or eggs though.

What you really want is the concentrate. It costs more but you get about 8 gallons of spray out of a 1 pint bottle @ 2oz per gallon of water of which the premixed is about 1/2 oz per quart. You are paying a ton for a spray bottle and some water. A pint of concentrate is about $20 so you get 8 gallons =160z as opposed to 1/4 gallon=1 quart=32oz for $10. So a gallon of the premixed is $40 instead of $2.50 for the mix your own. I think my math is right but I am only a poor uneducated redneck Texas hillbilly who used to be a cowboy until I got to old.

 

[shaddy]

We bought some after Chuck recommend it for ants in our garden & tomato plants. This stuff is fantastic my husband mixed and used it as he recommend and the ants and all sign of them were gone in two days. So worth the money!

 

[Beth_B]

What you really want is the concentrate. It costs more but you get about 8 gallons of spray out of a 1 pint bottle @ 2oz per gallon of water of which the premixed is about 1/2 oz per quart. You are paying a ton for a spray bottle and some water. A pint of concentrate is about $20 so you get 8 gallons =160z as opposed to 1/4 gallon=1 quart=32oz for $10. So a gallon of the premixed is $40 instead of $2.50 for the mix your own. I think my math is right but I am only a poor uneducated redneck Texas hillbilly who used to be a cowboy until I got to old.

Ha, OK. I will check my buying options more closely. I see I can buy the concentrate on amazon for really chesp.

 

[Chuck]

http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/.../hortupdate_archives/2004/mar04/Spinosad.html

https://agresearchmag.ars.usda.gov/2000/apr/crop
Here are a couple of more links which might be of interest

 

[Cici]

What you really want is the concentrate. It costs more but you get about 8 gallons of spray out of a 1 pint bottle @ 2oz per gallon of water of which the premixed is about 1/2 oz per quart. You are paying a ton for a spray bottle and some water. A pint of concentrate is about $20 so you get 8 gallons =160z as opposed to 1/4 gallon=1 quart=32oz for $10. So a gallon of the premixed is $40 instead of $2.50 for the mix your own. I think my math is right but I am only a poor uneducated redneck Texas hillbilly who used to be a cowboy until I got to old.
What brand do you buy/use? Thanks!

 

[Oliver Buckle]

"Very effective" means a lot of collateral damage to insects besides the one you are aiming at, and there is a lot of evidence insect populations are low, just check your windscreen after a long car journey. I think I will be sticking to soap and a shaving brush for aphids, picking off caterpillars and using netting to keep the cabbage whites off, I can put up with the occasional losses better than nature can put up with the loss of insects.