[Pil-pc-oceania] Ant infestation

Sun Mar 16 08:55:53 EST 2008

Might have to revisit the labels on Ant Rid style powder pest control products...many have chemicals in them.
Unfortunately among the plethora of ant powders et al at the local hardware store, I found no borax product in stock.

After being consistently mercilessly attacked and bitten by the throngs of ants invading my recently installed wormfarm, who were also busily extending their underground dwelling space to take full advantage of the new resource) I have resorted to using this product which was available at Bunnings,along with the usual undesirable synthetic alternatives and just plain nasty chemicals (better off avoided altogether):
PROGANICS (brand) 'pyrethrum bug killer': actives: 0.3g/L pyrethrins, 1.2g/L piperonyl butoxide (see info below)
Even realtively natural products must always be used with care: if it works on bugs it will work on you!  Frogs and other aquatic fauna, and also beneficial insects (bees etc)  are most susceptible to contamination from nerve toxins, so use these products sparingly . Normal OHS precautions and protocols must always be applied.

Green Harvest website has this to say about:
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"PYRETHRUM:    

Pyrethrum is an extract from a daisy; it is considered around the world to have the safest 'knockdown' action on a wide range of insects. There are hundreds of products containing pyrethrum; we have selected one with a high concentration of active ingredient from an Australian manufacturer. Pyrethrum may impact beneficial insects, so it should only be used as a 'last resort'.   (See also Beat-A-Bug Insect Spray)

KENDON PYRETHRUM INSECTICIDE S.F. - Professional Concentrate               
Controls ants, aphids, caterpillars, leafhoppers and thrips. Contains piperonyl butoxide. Material Safety Data Sheet 

PB109 100 ml (100 ml makes up to 300 litres) (Pyrethrin 75g/L) $25.00  (This stated concentration does seem extremely high, could it be wrong...is it really 7.5g/L?: Deb)

KENDON PYRETHRUM INSECT DUST      
Easy to use shaker pack. It can be used in the garden or house. It controls a wide range of insect pests including caterpillars, aphids, leafhoppers, thrips, silverfish, ants, cockroaches, potato moth and flies. Contains piperonyl butoxide. Material Safety Data Sheet    PB110 300g $15.00"

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Looking at the concentration and price of the Proganics brand product (750 mls @ $6.00 ready to use 0.3g/L: a very safe low concentration), 

Green Harvests Kendon insecticide concentrate is the best value...but you would have to be a commercial grower etc to use that quantity, and probably over a longish period of time.

For a large resident population of ants as in the wall of the weatherboard house:

Place some concentrate into a saucer of sweetened water inside or near the wall of the house (preferably inside the building where ants can access it, but only if there are no children or pets at risk from it).

Pyrethrum is also effective against ahids, thrips, caterpillars, flies, earwigs and cabbage moths.

If you need to treat indoor plants, take them outside and carefully spray them there,

Cheers

Deb

Other web info on pyrethrins:

http://www.pesticideinfo.org/Detail_Chemical.jsp?Rec_Id=PC34291

Pyrethrin (From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)
The pyrethrins are a pair of natural organic compounds that have potent insecticidal activity. Pyrethrin I and pyrethrin II are structurally related esters with a cyclopropane core [1] [2]. They differ by the oxidation state of one carbon. They are viscous liquids that oxidize readily to become inactivated.
The pyrethrins are contained in the seed cases of the perennial plant pyrethrum (Chrysanthemum cinerariaefolium), which is grown commercially to supply the insecticide. Although extracts of the plant were already used as insecticide, the structure was first published by Hermann Staudinger and Lavoslav Ruzicka in 1924.[3] Pyrethrins are neurotoxins that attack the nervous systems of all insects. When present in amounts not fatal to insects, they still appear to have an insect repellent effect. They are harmful to fish, but are far less toxic to mammals and birds than many synthetic insecticides. They are non-persistent, being biodegradable, and also break down easily on exposure to light or oxygen. They are considered to be amongst the safest insecticides for use around food. For humans, pyrethrin is known to irritate eyes, skin, and respiratory systems and is particularly harmful to aquatic life.

Due to its relatively inert properties toward mammals, pyrethrins are gradually replacing Organophosphates and Organochlorides as the pesticide of first choice.

(etc)

Piperonyl butoxide (PBO) is a pesticide synergist. It does not, by itself have pesticidal properties. However, when added to insecticide mixtures, typically pyrethrin, pyrethroid, and carbamate insecticides, their potency is increased considerably.[1]

Piperonyl butoxide is a potent cytochrome P450 inhibitor. This family of enzymes act as the principal detoxification pathway for many pesticides. Inhibiting the detoxification pathway allows higher unmetabolised systemic concentrations of the active insecticide to remain within the target animal for a longer period.

Piperonyl butoxide is moderately stable, and is a semisynthetic derivative of safrole.

It is debatable whether the substance is oncogenic, mutagenic, or teratogenic in humans. Its acute oral and dermal toxicity in mammals is low, however it is toxic to fish and potentiates rotenone.[2]

References
  1.. ^ National Pesticide Information Center - Piperonyl Butoxide General Fact Sheet
  2.. ^ National Pesticide Information Center - Piperonyl Butoxide Technical Fact Sheet
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: David Arnold 
  To: permacultue discussion list 
  Sent: Saturday, March 15, 2008 12:04 PM
  Subject: Re: [Pil-pc-oceania] Ant infestation

  the commercial ant-rid product is just boron in sweet solution.  treegrowers often need to supplement the amount of boron in their soil, especially as boron availability is reduced by application of lime.  i have put boron on my trees here previously, and need to do so again. 

  bulk ant-rid can be made with Boron dissolved in hot water with honey

  dave

  On 15/03/2008, Tamara Griffiths <scarletwoman at hotmail.com> wrote: 

    Hi All,

    I have a friend who has an entire wall of ants in an old weatherboard. Short of feeding an echidna, blue tongues etc, I am not sure of what to advise.

    They don't want to get the pest man in. What do you all think about ant dust (I don't use it myself). They could get an animal communicator  :)

    Help!

    Love T

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  David Arnold
  Permaculture Designer
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  Violet Town VIC AUS 3669
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  arnold.vt at gmail.com 

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