Reccomendations for poison?

[RamPuppy]

OK,

My wife has decided that I need to get the patio into shape because there is a patio garden competition coming up in august... it's probably to late for me to do much this year, as I have alredy suffered a caterpillar invasion... yes, I know, they make pretty little butterflies.. I DON'T CARE.

Last year it was one passion vine, this year, they are attacking all of them, and they are punching holes in almost ever leaf, and defoliating entire stretches.

I have used Pyrethrum and neem, and litterally soaked the buggers in it, and they look at me and thumb their snouts... tough little bastards... well.. time to stop pulling punches.

I am ready to do some real damage... I want to nuke the little buggers, go for the all out, put the mask on cover your eyes, look away and spray carcinogens all over the place type poisons... (I know.. but I have had it.)

Any suggestions?

 

[schloaty]

Here's one for the caterpillars, and no chemicals needed. Get a few kids together, and tell them there is a contest. Whoever catches the most caterpillars (from the designated area) wins a free c.p.

See if they just don't ALL disapear......

 

[joenz]

Hi Ram:

I have been told that "Confidor" is a all purpose insecticide, may be you should give it a try. The other alternative is to bag one of those things in a plastic bag and take it to your nearest farming supply store (I found they provide the broadest range of product with the cheapest price around).

Hope this helps

 

[noah]

Yeah, those fritillary caterpillars really tear up passiflora. We usually wait till we have a pile of sticks left, then pick off every caterpillar for a few months while the plant recovers

Occasionally I feed one to my nepenthes... they really enjoy them.

Don't try drosera though... I've had one eaten alive by a capensis. It was still alive when I checked back two days later, though hopelessly stuck. Poor thing.

Now to mass killing them...

I prefer organic methods, so I'll only list those:

Diatomaceous Earth - This is an abrasive dust made from microscopic fossilized silica shells of algae called diatoms. They are covered with sharp needle-like projections which penetrate an insects cuticle, allowing vital liquids to leak out. It also absorbs the waxy coating on insects' bodies; both actions cause the insects to die of dehydration. This is especially effective agains soft-bodied insects such as caterpillars. Liberally dust the entire plant. Available at most garden centers and pool supply stores.

This is probably your best bet as far as organics go. There are also some organic products such as citrus oils that work relatively well.

Have you tried cyanide? Works quite well. Try not to breath any of it yourself though. If the plants are dug in, put them in a large plastic bag with a few LARGE, aggrivated millipedes, and all other insects should be dead within a few minutes.

-noah

 

[joenz]

Cyanide, oh, do be very careful with them, a small amount on your finger or nail can kill you in an instant. If to handle them, make sure you also get a bottle of hydrogen peroxide as well, you really need to wash your hand with it after handling any cyanide. For safetst practice, I would avoid it all together.

 

[noah]

Ditto on what Joe said, if used in liquid form.

I have only dealt with it in its natural gaseous form, but even then it can be lethal, so use only with extreme caution, if at all.

But then again, this concerns nearly all chemical bug poisons, especially those Ram is looking for

take care, and don't kill or mutate

yourself.

-noah

 

[RamPuppy]

Umm yeah.. gonna be avoiding the cyanide thanks...

Was thinking more along the lines of Seven or somethign...

Joenz, I have never heard of the pesticide your talking about, is that possibly a new zealand brand? you maybe know the us lable it is sold under?

 

[joenz]

No problem, I will investigate and let you know as soon as possible.

regard

 

[dodecatheon]

I had very good results with Orthene 75SP on thrips and aphids. I don't know if it is recommended for caterpillar-type pests or not, but you could probably look it up. I've read the MSDS and it doesn't look too terribly bad for humans. It's also somewhat systemic, so you get a lot of mileage out of an application.

I used it on all of my utrics and it didn't leave a mark on any of them. I have killed plants within days using a liquid diazinon.

The main problem was that it was only available in the soluble powder form from a nursery supplier and I has to buy 2kg when all I needed was a few grams.

Anyway, good luck with those pests. I know the heartbreak of infestation.

 

[joenz]

Hi All:

Have investigated the issue with "Confidor", apparently it is an international brand, if not available in USA, then may be the FDA have not register it for its use in US. However, I do not know whether it is registered or not. The best bet is by contacting the company who makes them.

Company name: Bayer
Brand of insecticide : Confidor (active ingredients is imidacloprid)

So, it should available worldwide as it is most popular amount the farmers in this country. (multipurpose)

hope this help

regard

 

[Teraphage]

Orthene is listed as working for caterpillars. I've had great success with in on my CPs, rose bushes, and trees. It worked great on a tent catepillar infestation I had, as well as ant mounds. Good luck with your uninvited guests.

 

[RamPuppy]

Well, I sprayed the passiflora down with Ortho Bug B Gone, the guy at lowes reccomended Malithion... but well... for all my bluster that stuff does scare me. I also have to consider that there are other people around, anything I spray can effect pets and stuff around me, so I liberally but accurately deployed the bug-b-gone to the passiflora, getting it on ever leaf I could, and I found about six more caterpillars and gave them a nice good direct drenching... they did not enjoy it, so hopefully, tomorrow, I will go out and find their shriveled bodies on my deck.

Sad, but this would make me very happy.