Neem oil mixed with BT. Anyone tried this?
timshaw
16 years ago
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Kimmsr
16 years agojulianna_il
16 years agoRelated Discussions
Neem Oil not working against Cabbage Loopers...
Comments (6)I wasn't aware that Neem oil was ever recommended as a cabbage looper control? Are they listed on the label? The standard recommendation (see the many discussions here about loopers) is BT dust or liquid (sold as Dipel, Thuricide, Bonide and several other brand names) as it is for all the caterpillar species. I think you find it to be far more effective and it is organic certification approved. Dave...See MoreAnyone use NEEM oil (not Azamax)?
Comments (4)Jenn, Try to avoid buying 'something' to take care of 'whatever'. Identify what the problem is and then get something specifically for that problem. I understand it's frustrating to have a critter dine on your babies but you've got a wealth of knowledge here. Amongst all of us, someone will have had the same experience and can lead you in the right direction. Saves time, money and frustration. We've all been there. Linda...See MoreNeem oil
Comments (20)Sheerbar thank you for the information. I like your method for using neem - it is easy. I will try it next time. I did decide to use neem and it works. I got it from Golden Harvest Organics and asked them what formula to use for a cat. This is what they said "For cats you want to mix the neem as follows: Mix 1/4 ounce neem oil with 1 quart of warm water. You will need to keep the mix agitated so the oil and water stay mixed. Lightly spray the cat while ruffling her fur to get the mixture close to her skin but avoid spraying her face. It is best to follow this treatment with a good brushing. If she won't let you spray her then wet a cloth or cotton glove with the neem mix and rub it over her coat and then brush. The glove method has worked pretty well for one of my cats that is feral. He gets "feisty" and a bath is not possible. Depending on how your cat tolerates it you might try doing a small section of her fur at a time until she becomes more used to it. Once she gets some relief from the fleas she should start accepting the treatment better." My feral cat didn't like the spray but was fine with me putting neem on my hand and then rubbing it in her fur....See MoreNeem Oil
Comments (7)Mick, I have mixed feelings about the use of Neem, but it is one of the more effective organic products available. It is OMRI-approved although I believe their guidelines define it as a tool in Integrated Pest Management programs which is to be used only after milder methods or rememdies have been tried without success. However, it can burn plant foliage if applied at temperatures above 90 degrees, so keep that in mind. And, in fact, here in our climate, I think Neem and some other foliar products (including insecticidal soaps and superfine horticultural oils) can burn at significantly lower temperatures--more like 80 degrees than 90 degrees. Neem is derived from the Neem tree, which is native to Burma and India and grows in many tropical areas. The Neem tree, by the way, is related to Chinaberry and Mahoghany. Extracts of the neem leaves and/or seeds are used as a natural pesticide. Some extracts from neem bark are used in some products as well. Neem is is antibacterial, a fungicide and a pesticide. However, it is NOT a systemic pesticide if used as a foliar spray. It IS a long-lasting systemic insecticide on pests located in soil if used as a soil drench. Neem is generally recognized as safe to mammals. It DOES NOT harm human beings, earthworms, butterflies, birds, plants, most beneficial insects or animals. Neem extract does not instantly kill pests. Instead, it works in more subtle ways. Insects absorb some compounds from Neem and those compounds block their endocrine system and disrupt their reproductive cycle. You will find that Neem works in different ways on different pests. In animals that molt and go through multiple instars, Neen represses the molting which therefore interrupts their growth cycle. In some insects, it suppresses feeding. With other insects, it does not kill them but does repel them. Neem is an effective control for loopers, leaf miners, weevils, psyllids, aphids, whiteflies, thrips, mealy bugs, gypsy moths, sawflies, hornworms, and webworms. Some people believe it is effective on squash bugs and cucumber beetles. Neem is sometimes effective against some foliar diseases (viral and bacterial) if sprayed on foliage. Some people use Neem a lot and swear by it. I don't. I have used it in the past, but the truth is that I'd just rather not use pesticides at all, and here is my reason why. In an organic garden, one of your MOST EFFECTIVE pest controls is beneficial insects. Those beneficials help keep bug populations under control by eating the "bad" bugs. If I spray Neem and kill off all the "bad" bugs, or even most of them, then my beneficial insects will either leave or die because their food source has been removed. Then, when bad bug populations resurge, I have no beneficial insects around to deal with them. So, I choose not to use Neem. When attempting to control insects, I rely most upon beneficial insects but also upon birds (domestic ones, and my chickens and guineas as well), bats, toads and frogs, and dragonflies. If a particular pest is giving me trouble, I try to find an organic remedy which targets that specific insect, like using Slug-Go or Slug-Go Plus for snails, slugs, pill bugs and sow bugs, for example. I sometimes use particular strains of Bt for whichever pest they target--Bt San Diego, for example, for Colorado Potato Beetles, or BT Israelensis for mosquito larvae. For grasshoppers, I use Nosema locuste, which targets only members of the grasshopper and locust families. Because Neem is known to kill over 200 kinds of insects, I don't like using it EXCEPT as a last result and I seldom get that desperate. I just consider it to be more of a broad-spectrum product than I am comfortable using. Believe me, I have nothing against Neem. I have even used shampoos and soaps containing tea tree oil (another name for neem) on my dogs. It just doesn't fit in with my garden philosophy of using as little pesticides in the garden as possible. To me, there is SO MUCH MORE to organic gardening than merely substituting an organic product for a chemical product. (There are many supposedly "safe" organic products that are just as toxic and dangerous as the supposedly more dangerous chemical ones.) To me, organic gardening is all about the garden being an entire ecosystem where various members of the ecosystem work to keep one another in balance to the extent that it is possible to do so. Having said that, though, there are some pests for which I have to "import" the ingredient needed to maintain the eco-balance, like releasing ladybugs or spraying a form of Bt. This year, the only pesticides I have used have been Slug-Go Plus to control the sowbugs and pillbugs and Nosema locuste to control the grasshoppers. I use Slug-Go and similar products every year, but I only use Nosema products about once every 3 or 4 years. I prefer to use lady bugs, green lacewings and other beneficials, but that is just me. Is there a specific pest you are wanting to target with the Neem? I am not trying to discourage you from using it by any means, but there may be a better treatment for whatever you're encountering. Dawn...See Morejustaguy2
16 years agoronalawn82
16 years agotimshaw
16 years agohomegrown_2007
16 years agoronalawn82
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11 years agoKimmsr
11 years agoCarolynS.
9 years agoMichael
9 years agoKimmsr
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