Re: Borers

Ian E. & Shirley Efford wrote:
> 
> Claire asked if the borer is protected from Cygon use after it has
> hatched and entered the leaf. It appears that they are well protected
> once they are in the leaf and the rhizome.  I sprayed twice this last
> year, ten days apart, and still had some borers in some of my plants,
> other than the Bruce Ricardson collection from Southern Ontrio which was
> infested.  Once the larvae develop to a significant size, they are
> difficult to kill, even by hand.  I am sure that a clorox wash will have
> little or no impact.
> 
> I became quite ill after using Cygon and would advise anyone using it to
> be very careful.  I sprayed on windless evenings and moved continuously
> through the garden in one direction so that I avoided directly entering
> the mist zone.  I also sprayed low (1 ft) over the plant, not up in the
> air.  This year, I will use a good protective filter mask and shower
> right afterwards as I am certain that the poison can penetrate the skin
> directly.
> 
> Nematodes would be an ideal alternative and I will be exploring that
> option before April.
> 
> Ian, in Ottawa
To break the surface tension of the fan and get better coverage where
the fans overlap, use a wetting agent in your mixture.  You can buy a
commercial wetting agent (I don't have any names for you) or a liquid
dishwashing detergent such as Palmolive -- use 1 tbsp per gallon. Note
that this is the type of detergent used to wash dishes by hand, not the
type you put in the dishwasher.

When I spray with toxic substances (and they all seem to be nowdays), I
cover all exposed body part (including gloves on the hands), wear
goggles, and a filtered breathing mask.
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