Re: Germination and Propagation
Posted: Fri Feb 19, 2016 11:57 am
I never had to repel rodents or other mammals, my garden has always been fenced and protected. My lavender solution has been my mainstay for years, and seems to deter everything from ants and aphids to the grotesque tomato horn worms we get around here. Maybe our pests are not so voracious as yours.
Regarding effective chemicals, now banned - About thirty years ago I bought a beautiful house on an acre in suburban Sacramento. It had everything, pool, raised bed irrigated gardens, almond trees, gorgeous landscaping, etc. The problem was black widow spiders that established residence in each of 40 or so rafters under the roof soffits, and pretty much everywhere there was a dark, dry retreat. I was never bitten, but was always wary. What killed them was Chlordane, a potent insecticide that had staying power of a year; an annual treatment of a couple of liters checked the spiders. Then Chlordane was banned. I stocked up before the ban went into effect, but eventually ran out and found nothing on the market that did the job like Chlordane. I probably have 15 years of relatively heavy Chlordane exposure and have survived to retirement age. Go figure.
We banned DDT also to the cost of millions of mostly 3rd world lives lost to malaria. Most credible scientific studies have largely vindicated DDT, but the Green juggernaut that pushed for the banning, to my knowledge, has never apologized to the bereaved. Don't think they'll be sheepish about their suppression of GMO crops and the resultant starvation of millions, either. They know they're on the right side, evidence be damned to the contrary.
Regarding effective chemicals, now banned - About thirty years ago I bought a beautiful house on an acre in suburban Sacramento. It had everything, pool, raised bed irrigated gardens, almond trees, gorgeous landscaping, etc. The problem was black widow spiders that established residence in each of 40 or so rafters under the roof soffits, and pretty much everywhere there was a dark, dry retreat. I was never bitten, but was always wary. What killed them was Chlordane, a potent insecticide that had staying power of a year; an annual treatment of a couple of liters checked the spiders. Then Chlordane was banned. I stocked up before the ban went into effect, but eventually ran out and found nothing on the market that did the job like Chlordane. I probably have 15 years of relatively heavy Chlordane exposure and have survived to retirement age. Go figure.
We banned DDT also to the cost of millions of mostly 3rd world lives lost to malaria. Most credible scientific studies have largely vindicated DDT, but the Green juggernaut that pushed for the banning, to my knowledge, has never apologized to the bereaved. Don't think they'll be sheepish about their suppression of GMO crops and the resultant starvation of millions, either. They know they're on the right side, evidence be damned to the contrary.