aphids

Is Neem oil one of those products made up from the squashed and liquidised bugs? It seems completely wrong to use that in the name of "organic" - but that's precisely how these things are labelled!! I don't preach organic or vegetarian - but it just seems like false pretences to me! What do others think?

 

ok nixonf23, if you don't hear from me, i'm probably stuck to one of the traps!

Send in the anti organic brigade!

 

Where are you getting neem oil from, I was told by DEFRA last year that it was not cleared as an insectercide in the UK, and therefore illegal to sell as such.
Cant say that I have tried to get it since then. Didn't know it was made of squashed bugs,
I thought it was plant based. :rolleyes:

 

I'm not saying it is squashed-bug based - I just know from looking at several American sites that that's what a lot of these products are - basically liquidised bug!! Yeugh! If it's plant-based, I haven't a problem - I just haven't heard of it, but it has the same sort of name as the ones I saw, that is, a name that involves some of the bugs in it - like neem, sounds a bit like nematode - far-fetched maybe - just made me think of these products I'd seen recently.

 

I've just googled on the subject and found this info - http://www.bytheplanet.com/Neem/WhatIsNeem/aboutneemoil.htm

looks like no bugs!

 

Thanks nixon, I missunderstood you there

 

Seems UK/EC rules won't allow neem oil for use as insecticide but it's ok as a 'health and beauty' product. :eek: :rolleyes: :D

 

My search turned up places in the UK where you can buy it as a shampoo for nits. Bet it works on aphids too! I also found several places in the UK selling it under horticultural headings, but maybe the links were out of date.

Looks a very interesting product though.

[ 07. March 2006, 08:43 PM: Message edited by: Dave W ]

 

Neem oil and other derivatives are from the Margosa tree, Azadiracta indica, used for many years by people in India as an anti -insect and general miracle cure!
I buy it as a shampoo rather than oil, because I also use it for dog shampoo. I have been trying to find somewhere to buy viable seeds, but haven't found anywhere yet in UK. I did find somewhere that sells little trees though:
http://www.easyexotics.co.uk/shop/product.php?productid=16182
I buy the neem products from:
http://www.earthworkstrading.co.uk/neem-leaves.asp
because it's in Bath which is near where I live. Having tried the dilute shampoo as a spray for aphids, I find it works, and also is good on the dogs, so can recommend it.

I would worry about large scale or concentrated use of this plant without more testing, however.

 

I have a number of overwintering boxes for ladybirds, lacewings, etc, placed around the plot, By encouraging the good insects we don't have to worry too much about the bad ones + the food chain is not disrupted.
The boxes can be made quite cheap'ly from bits of spare wood, and filled with straw, old news paper, and short lengths of bamboo cane.

[ 08. March 2006, 09:11 AM: Message edited by: mistys ]

 

I got some ladybird larvae as I was having a major aphid problem with on berberis, a purple leaved one - But I can't say it worked. I'd give it another go, though - maybe I didn't have enough of them?? And, of course, being outdoors, maybe they saw something tastier in someone else's garden!

 

One good thing about this cold winter is that it may mean we have a few less of the varmints for a while. :D

 

fingers crossed, Fran! I've found out about the squashed bug thing I was talking about - it's not a commercial product - it's a recipe for "being porganic" and spraying at the problem beasties - whatever your problem beastie is, you have lots of them, liquidised, to spray at the rest!! Sounds awful to me!! It's called "Bug Juice"!

 

Urrrgh, sounds horrid. Does it come pre-prepared, or is the user supposed to squish and prepare. :eek:

 

you make it yourself!! :eek: