Colony Collapse Disorder: Spreading the Buzz
Colony Collapse didsorder (CCD) is when all the workers in a honeybee hive abandon the hive. while there is no specific cause known for CCD, there are several pressures on honeybees that are believed to come together to make it occur (Watanabe). Pesticides, one of the believed causes of CCD, are a human pressures that can be removed from the equation by current technology. Pest control has evolved from sulfur in Mesopotamia over 4500 years ago (Miller, GT), to deadly poisons, and finally to specific toxins developed in chemistry labs. Carbamate pesticides, organochlorine insecticides, pyrethroid pesticides, Malathion, Neonicontinoids, and Carbaryl are several pesticides that have been offered for pest control with varying degrees of toxicity and specificity. In the past, these effective methods of killing pests were important for human development of civilizations, however the sterile male/insect technique (SIT), physical techniques, cultural techniques, and biological control are natural methods of pest control that do not put pressures on honeybees and are beginning to be implemented. Biological methods, perhaps the most important of alternatives, is where humans use nematodes, fungi, bacteria, viruses, and genetic manipulation as a method of pest control by supporting natural enemies of the pests in order to subdue them (Gullen). Unfortunately, in the case of both genetic manipulation and pesticides, resistance is a common occurrence where the means of pest control can <b>…</b>
Shoo fly: Catnip oil repels bloodsucking flies
Catnip, the plant that attracts domestic cats like an irresistible force, has proven 99 percent effective in repelling the blood-sucking flies that attack horses and cows, causing $2 billion in annual loses to the cattle industry. That’s the word from a report published in ACS’ Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
Hunt for endosulfan alternatives
WITH AN international decision on the further use of the insecticide endosulfan potentially to be made in 2011, a specialist in environmental chemistry said Australia needed to find a balance.
Natural Insecticide Pyrethroids
Word "Natural" is very popular today. Every advertisement tries to use it to attract consumers. The average consumer misguided by wording, thinking that it is safe, starts using the insecticides inaccurately as in the example of Amber Nickol published in "’Safe’ Insecticides Now First in Poisoning" article by MB Pell and Jim Morris. The purpose of this project to stop the careless profit makers and to open the eyes of the average consumers showing that "natural" does not nessecerally means safe or harmless. Dose makes the poison even in case of the safest household products. Pyrethroids are a group of synthesized insecticides similar to the natural pesticide pyrethrum, which is produced by chrysanthemum flowers. There is no doubt that pyrethroids are safer than the organophosphate insecticides, but they are not "natural" as media advertises it everywhere and has its own health risks. Modified pyrethroids have the longer half-life compared to the naturally produced pyrethrins and tend to accumulate in the body leading to different health problems. Our task was to search the information about so-called "natural" household insecticides, to interview someone who does the research with pyrethroids in the department of biochemistry and to write the legislative bill including all pros and cons of the topic.
Tobacco and its evil cousin, nicotine? They’re good — as a pesticide!
( American Chemical Society ) Tobacco, used on a small scale as a natural organic pesticide for hundreds of years, is getting new scientific attention as a potential mass-produced alternative to traditional commercial pesticides. That’s the topic of a report in ACS’ bi-weekly journal Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research.
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Natural Garden Products News- February in the garden: Get outside to prune - Chicago Daily HeraldFebruary in the garden: Get outside to pruneChicago Daily HeraldNever treat firewood with insecticides. Firewood can spread the devastating emerald ash borer, so do not transport any wood from ash trees outside of the emerald ash borer quarantine zone. Consider using a freestanding plastic bin to compost in your ... […]
- Peter Seeberger: we can treat malaria for less - The GuardianThe GuardianPeter Seeberger: we can treat malaria for lessThe GuardianInsecticide-treated bed nets are very effective, but nets are often expensive or of poor quality. That is why a few years ago I set up the Tesfa-Ilg "Hope for Africa" Foundation with some like-minded individuals in Switzerland. […]
- Continuing Honey Bee Die-Offs Critical, But You Can Help - Examiner.comContinuing Honey Bee Die-Offs Critical, But You Can HelpExaminer.comIn particular, the neonicotinoid insecticides, manufactured by Bayer, are widely used and highly toxic to honey bees and other beneficial insects, including earthworms and the microbial soil food web. The study, conducted jointly by the Department of ...and more » […]
- These bugs can be superheroes in your yard - Chicago TribuneThese bugs can be superheroes in your yardChicago Tribune"Beneficial organisms are natural tools that offer a targeted approach," Danielson said, and are used in Integrated Pest Management, a widely accepted method of addressing landscape pests. "Before you reach for the insecticide, consider alternatives," ... […]
- Dengue control: 'Try fish and sand instead of insecticide' - The Express TribuneThe Express TribuneDengue control: 'Try fish and sand instead of insecticide'The Express Tribune“This practice should also be implemented here at fresh water bodies, as mosquitoes are gradually becoming more resistant to insecticides,” he said. He said garlic water made a good natural mosquito repellent. “We should also use fumigation spray with .. […]
- February in the garden: Get outside to prune - Chicago Daily Herald