Hey y'all I noticed a smallish aphid infestation on some of my plants day 20-25. I was just picking them off, but the problem seemed a little more substantial than that. I tried to get lady bugs but the shop was all out. Instead went with some organic spinosad soap. Haven't heard of it before and can't find a lot on it. Is it something y'all use safely? noticed the label said to wash skin for 15-20 minutes if exposed. i know natural stuff can still be harmful but if it's super harmful i'd only like to use it once and try something else?
Spinosad Soap Safety/Effectiveness?
- Thread starter jack_trips
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Spinosad is very non-toxic/inert to everything other than insects. The concentrated 'organic soap' is likely more toxic, but even that is just detergent. Presuming the soap delivers an effective Spinosad dose, it should do the job. If you are in the US, the product should come with extensive 'labeling' including some instructions (although not for our specific plants/applications).
In terms of plant toxicity, again it's the soap that's the main concern. Just follow instructions, and maybe follow-up with with a later good spraying to rinse off any residue.
If Spinosad for some reason does not work, consider using a 'natural,' maybe 'organic,' pyrethrin product.
In terms of plant toxicity, again it's the soap that's the main concern. Just follow instructions, and maybe follow-up with with a later good spraying to rinse off any residue.
If Spinosad for some reason does not work, consider using a 'natural,' maybe 'organic,' pyrethrin product.
@BII thanks so much for the reply. Yeah it had every plant except for cannabis of course. I sprayed the leaves top/under and got the stem a bit accidentally. Didn't think of the soap as being more toxic but that is interesting. when i checked it looked like it was working/couldn't see any more aphids. will check in a bit though. will look into pyrethrin though
I don't know the life cycle of aphids, but consider following-up with another treatment say in a week to 10 days (just guessing what should work) to knock out any missed the first time.
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Just check the usage guide that came with the soap. Aphids need two or three treatments because of their life schedule (egg, larvae, something inbetween, adult). What' s probably better is prevention. If your growing inside in a cabinet then the culprit is most likely you. Never go directly to your growspace after spending some time in the garden. Also I you buy your wife flowers (you should do that often I've heard) check those. Animals in the house? Never ever let them go near your growspace... Prevention is always better than the cure 
@AutoBobje i've been looking for some prevention methods, unfortunately though I am outside 
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I'm in a greenhouse most of the time and made it as sanitary as I can. All openings are closed off. Windows have got metal mosquito gaus in front. So most of the time nothing gets in. If I see ants I know shit will hit the fan because they will bring in aohids. So this year I've poured salt all around the inside of the greenhouse to prevent ants from getting inside.@AutoBobje i've been looking for some prevention methods, unfortunately though I am outside
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hey Jack...I like Spinosad products a lot myself, it's my general go-to for vermin quashing
... you can buy it in conc. form too, much better deal... Monterey Gardens brand, maybe Jack's Dead Bug make a conc. too? They do make a RTU product...Trippy stuff spinosad is... It's derived from a bacterium found at an old rum distillery in the Caribbean I think... It's a neurotoxin to certain bugs, like pyrethrum is (derived from chrysanthemums) but act on them totally differently... It's not an instant kill thing with it, but they sicken quickly and go off feed, dying about a day later...
I like it because it's food safe, breaks down pretty fast, and has low odor (by itself at least); might be that "safer soap" combo product stunk more because of the other ingredients?... If you try the straight stuff, get a wetting agent to use with it! Very important, this stuff takes the surface tension out of the solution so it coats and sticks better, to both bugs and leaves... (I like Coco-Wet, inexpensive, clean organic product).. This will help cut through their natural water repellency and get the toxins into them better and faster-
Aphids are an easy kill, this should work fine on them...great on thrips too!
@AutoBobje might need to put some salt around my plants! wind my blow it away though, so probably need to come up w/ a better idea.
@Waira thanks so much for the insight! feel a lot better using it after all the feedback in this thread. also not too many aphids on the plants. have been picking off the ones left over and will probably apply another dose next week. it makes them stop feeding? that is interesting
@Waira thanks so much for the insight! feel a lot better using it after all the feedback in this thread. also not too many aphids on the plants. have been picking off the ones left over and will probably apply another dose next week. it makes them stop feeding? that is interesting
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