Old BT and spinosad

drscottr

9 years ago

Anyone know if the spinosad and BT I've had in the garage all winter is still ok to use?

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Comments (7)

woohooman San Diego CA zone 10a
9 years ago
Should be. Heat is usually the biggest factor in the deterioration of pesticides.

It better! I'm using BT from last year.

Kevin
planterjeff
9 years ago
I read somewhere that the bacteria only lives for about a year in the bottle, but I am not sure if that is just the companies trying to make sure you buy a new bottle each year. It is not a traditional pesticide, as it is actually a bacteria and its to my understanding that bacteria generally likes it to be cool to warm. Not really Hot or cold. BT also breaks down naturally in sunlight. So with all this being said: It is suggested that it is only good for one year, and if your garage gets close to freezing temps, it is possible the cultures are dead or they won't be as strong as they once were. I also wonder how much food is in the bottle. I am not sure if they go dormant once the supply is expired. Here is a fact sheet. This sheet also says one year life span.
http://www.agf.gov.bc.ca/pesticides/infosheets/bt.pdf
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woohooman San Diego CA zone 10a
9 years ago
PlanterJeff: One would figure that if it was a big issue, there would be a requirement for an expiration date though.

Kevin
planterjeff
9 years ago
I've honestly never checked my bottle for a date myself. Just keep in mind that in dry form it is only the spores, so shelf life is pretty long, when liquefied you are dealing with a living organism, so common sense would tell us that there is a shelf life because resources will be depleted. If you research the shelf life in a liquid form you will find it says one year, but honestly it probably can last longer. Just use it and see if it works, that simple.
rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
9 years ago
drscott, tell me more about the product (s) you are wondering about. What form is the Bt and what strain? Is the spinosad a liquid, wettable powder, granulated powder or what?

By the way, there should be storage directions on the label.
drscottr
Original Author
9 years ago
Hi Folks

Both are liquids.

Scott
grandad_2003
9 years ago
For the reasons mentioned above, I keep BT liquid in our outside (storeroom) refrigerator. It remains effective for several ??? years. It usually takes about 5 to 7 years before I finish the bottle.

This post was edited by grandad on Sat, May 31, 14 at 8:56

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Old BT and spinosad

Comments (7)

woohooman San Diego CA zone 10a

planterjeff

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woohooman San Diego CA zone 10a

planterjeff

rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7

drscottr
Original Author

grandad_2003

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Old BT and spinosad

Comments (7)

woohooman San Diego CA zone 10a

planterjeff

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woohooman San Diego CA zone 10a

planterjeff

rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7

drscottrOriginal Author

grandad_2003

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drscottr
Original Author