Has anyone any comments about or experience of using [spoiler]Bacillus thuringiensi [/spoiler] for the control of caterpillars on brassicas?
I used it for some years. very good at controlling caterpillars. Then i couldn't find it any where.
Quote from: Galette on August 20, 2012, 18:41:26
Has anyone any comments about or experience of using [spoiler]Bacillus thuringiensi [/spoiler] for the control of caterpillars on brassicas?
Thanks davejg.
BTW, why did my original posting do that strange 'spoiler highlight to read' thing.........?
Is no-one out there speaking to me ? :-[
I don't [spoiler]know[/spoiler]
Actually I do - I was only kidding! You must have clicked on the spoiler button (SP) (Add BBC tags) and then typed in the bacillus thuringiensi.
Hi I was wondering that. I helped with some research on it in the 80's and it was like myxomatosis for catepillars. Horrible watching them die slowly in petri dishes all round our lab.
Thanks Grawrc, I thought SP was spellcheck, now I see it is at the foot of the page!!
Kea - now here's a dilemma. I grow my fruit and veg as organically as possible, the only thing I use is occasionally I put slug pellets in those mushroom-shaped things to keep them from birds and pets. Assuming I could get this in France, would I be safe using it on brassicas, do you remember? As for the moral side - I have quite freely sprayed insecticide on non-food plants and haven't felt too bad at the effects. Opens up a whole new debate really, how much suffering is felt by these creatures?
I think it tends to target caterpillars specifically. I don't know about its safety....might be why its disappeared.
Right, thanks Kea. Certainly needs to be considered carefully.
I understand that Monsanto [spoiler]the bad guys[/spoiler] use it to genetically modify [spoiler] :o :o :o[/spoiler] plants which then become resistant to their predators and in some cases kill them off.
WOW. That sounds like stuff I want to avoid !
There's nothing wrong with using the straight caterpillar disease; it's when it's put into somethng else's DNA that it becomes dodgy.