Topic: Derris and Root Out To be withdrawn

[Brogusblue]

Hello

I was reading my rose society's magazine this morning and there was a article on derris and root out i thought might be useful to share the information.

"More well-know and widely use garden chemicals are to be withdrawn from sale for use by home gardeners, Rotenone, better know as derris, has been used as an insecticide for almost a century. The timescale for withdrawl has not yet been announced, but it is likely that gardeners will have until September 2009 to use up their excising stocks of rotenone dusts and sprays.Products could be withdrawn from sale from September 2008.

Weed and stump killer ammonium sulphamate (marketed as Root Out and Deep Root) is also being withdrawn.
Both this and totenone because the pesticides safety directorate has not been provided with a complete dossier on their effects. They are not being withdrawn for safety reasons. Gardeners have until 22nd of may 2008 to use up stocks of ammonium sulphamate."

Cheers
Brogusblue

[Melbourne12]

I suppose when they've banned ALL the weedkillers and pesticides, they'll turn their attention to other elfin safety matters.  No edge tools in case we cut our ickle fingers.  No water butts (drowning risk).  No going onto the lottie when it's sunny (skin cancer) or when it's wet (tripping and slipping) or when it's cold (pneumonia). 

No gardening without full protective clothing, something between motorcycle leathers and a full nuclear/biological/chemical suit (risk of tetanus, malaria, Lyme disease, etc).

No eating the produce of any allotment.  Just too much risk of gastric infections and toxic shock from previously-unknown-to-science allergies.

Other than that, just get out there and enjoy yourselves!

 >:( >:( >:(

[valmarg]

Smacks of the EU knacker scratchers.

But at lease having been given several months' notice, we shall be able to go out and stock up before the ban comes into effect. :-X :-X

valmarg

[debster]

gardeners have until a set date to use up their stock, what they gonna do search every shed in Britain  ::)

[valmarg]

Highly unlikely, debster.

As I say, plenty of time to stock up before they are banned.

With all the chemicals that the EU (in its wisdom) has banned we have managed to stock up before the ban came into effect.

To quote from Stella Gibbons Cold Comfort Farm - we have 'something nasty in the woodshed', ie EU banned chemicals. :-X :-X

valmarg

[cambourne7]

ah i will pick up a another box of derris in the next couple of weeks before there is a rush on thanks for the information.

[Rhubarb Thrasher]

derris has been linked with neurological disorders I think, such as Parkinson's disease. It was originally used in Asia to kill fish, which were then eaten.

btw organo-phosphorous compounds that we use as insecticides were originally developed by the Germans in the 1930's as nerve gases

[valmarg]

I think the big post-WW2 nasty was DDT.  I can remember it being very widely used, until it was found to be entering the 'food chain'.  Now it is banned in many countries  (UK included).

Another drug I came across in the late 60s/early 70s was cyclophosphamide.  This was contained in the mustard gas used by the Germans in WW1.  In the 60s/70s I worked as a medical secretary, and cyclophosphamide was used to treat cancer patients.  It may still be.  It was the drug that made your hair drop out.

I think the EU errs to far on the 'possible', rather than the proven.

valmarg

[star]

My dad used to put DDT on the dogs to kill fleas in the 60's :-\ It wasn't a problem then though it was a miracle insecticide ::)