Re: Re: infor

Not feasible where darlin'?? I've been all organic since I started the
bird/butterfly sanctuary 5-6 years ago and was 80% organic before. It
works here at least. Joanne across the street does the same. Is it
different there?


Pam Evans
Kemp, TX
zone 8A
----- Original Message -----
From: Kitty
Sent: 6/19/2004 9:19:43 AM
To: gardenchat@hort.net
Subject: Re: [CHAT] infor

> Ceres,

> I have used Merit a couple of times with good results to protect my birch

> tree from Japanese Beetles.  I don't know how much bee activity there would

> be around birch catkins. Merit had been suggested by our Hort Ed as a safer

> product than those previously used, but no product of this sort is

> completely safe.  I was concerned about the affect to soil organisms in my

> application.

> 

> I've been on amessage board where, when the subject of Merit was raised,

> folks came out vehemently against it for all sorts of reasons.  But the

> objections came from people that I would guess to be totally organic types.

> In a better world everything would be organic, but with what we have today,

> it's not feasible.

> 

> I no longer use Merit but this is mainly because I am a lazy gardener and I

> don't resort to insecticides unless absolutely necessary.  Japanese Beetles

> seem to have declined in number in the past few years, but that is probably

> cyclical.  In a couple more years I may have to resort to such measures

> again.

> 

> Kitty

> 

> ----- Original Message ----- 

> From: <Cersgarden@aol.com>

> To: <gardenchat@hort.net>

> Sent: Saturday, June 19, 2004 8:38 AM

> Subject: [CHAT] infor

> 

> 

> > I am a lurker on an iris list.  I am sending a message copied from it.

> What

> > are your thoughts?  I have never used this product nor have I researched

> the

> > use of.  The writer seems to be a very knowledgeable member of this list.

> >     Ceres

> >

> > Generally systemic insecticides are considered to be reasonably safe to

> > pollinators since they don't get excessive exposure via the pollen or

> > nectar, but Merit may be a bit different. The active ingredient

> > (imidacloprid) has two actions. One, at higher doses, is lethal to

> insects.

> > At lower doses it can affect behavior without directly killing the insect,

> > such as stopping aphids from feeding. It is the behavioral effects that

> are

> > of concern regarding bees since it is claimed that imidacloprid can

> disrupt

> > foraging activities.-- in fact some of it's uses were banned in France

> > because of complaints from beekeepers. Bayer (who make it) deny these

> > claims based on what seems like good research, and there haven't been many

> > complaints about its impact on bees in the US as far as I know. This is

> all

> > complicated by the fact that bee populations in the US have been decimated

> > by Varroa mites, and if colonies do decline, it could well be mites that

> > are causing it. So, as usual, the situation is murky, and it depends who

> > you believe. There are some interesting websites on this if anyone is

> > interested in digging deeper. I have a couple of research projects at the

> > moment on this compound and its effects on insects, so the area is of some

> > interest to me and all of this may be more than you wanted to know!. Bob

> > Hollingworth.

> >

> > ---------------------------------------------------------------------

> > Support hort.net -- join the hort.net fund drive!

> > http://www.hort.net/funds/

> 

> ---------------------------------------------------------------------

> Support hort.net -- join the hort.net fund drive!

> http://www.hort.net/funds/

---------------------------------------------------------------------
Support hort.net -- join the hort.net fund drive!
http://www.hort.net/funds/
Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index