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Re: BT

Square Foot Gardening List - http://www.flinet.com/~gallus/sqft.html

Bonnie Christensen, posting from Utah, is concerned about the safety of
Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt):
>I just purchased some BT for the first time and I'm afraid to use it.  The 
>lable says that it is very dangerous to use.  Can anyone please tell me how 
>they use it safely and is it as dangerous as the company that makes it seems 
>to think it is?

I am astonished to hear that any producer of Bt would make a label statement
that it is "very dangerous."  It is NOT very dangerous, or even plain
"dangerous" to use!  Recent posts concerning possible dangers of inhaling Bt
constitute the first mention I have ever seen that it has ANY effect on
mammals at all.  (And those sounded quite anecdotal....)

I can assure you that if it were dangerous to apply, the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency would not have labeled it for over-the-counter sale and
application by ordinary folks.  Pesticide products that are "dangerous" for
people to handle must be applied by certified pesticide
applicators--individuals who have passed tests on safe handling practices so
they do not unnecessarily risk their own health.

Remember, Bt is a naturally occurring bacterium--not a petrochemical-derived
poison.

Bonnie, please tell me what brand of Bt you have and please post the exact
wording from the label.  I just can't believe a company would shoot its own
product in the foot in the way you describe!

Perhaps you are reacting to the canned boilerplate language that says,
roughly, "It is against Federal law to use this product in ways that are not
specifically approved on this label."

*That* language is part of a prepared statement from EPA on all pesticide
containers, not just Bt.  It's a warning against (1) applying XYZ to pests
or crops for which it has not been proven safe and effective, and (2) mixing
up batches in any old proportion you feel OK about, regardless of what the
label told you to do in terms of amount of active ingredients.

One of my favorite USDA business pals is Homer Collins, fire ant scientist
at our Gulfport, MS, lab.  Homer was around in the 1950's, when, he tells
me, everybody was spraying DDT on fields for fire-ant and other pest control
at rates of POUNDS (plural) per acre.  EPA came into existence and put a
stop to all that.  Currently, for most pesticides, the labeled levels of
active ingredient are under 1 oz/acre, and sometimes *way* under (a
testimonial to how powerful some of these chemicals are, for sure).

--Janet


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