Date: Sun, 12 Jul 1998 12:14:35 -0700 From: Doug Burdic <dburdic@presys.com> To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com Message-Id: <aabcdefg2325$foo@default> Subject: Re: diazinon
Susan Ziegler wrote:
>
> Hi! I have a question (obviously).. hopefully it will get answered in the
> next few days because I will be switching isps.
>
> I seem to have a bale of dry sphagnum peat that has larvae or eggs in it
> from flys (possibly fruit flys). My dad can cook it but that takes time to
> cook then dry so I can use it. It seems the larvae like to eat the roots
> of my CP's and other plants, so that they die. Would diazinon, a type of
> bug killer, help with this problem? Would it harm my CP's? Of course, I'd
> water it in thoroughly..
>
> Thanks
>
> Susan
========================================================================
Susan,
Diazinon has a long resiual effect and would probably get take care of
the next generation of larvae that hatch after you spray, but depending
upon how tight your sphangum bale is, it might not penetrate deep enough
to make contact with the entire population of pests. Orthene works as a
systemic and you might consider that. Whichever pesticide you use,
before spraying, I would losen it up with a pitchfork or something to
spread it out so that more larvae and adults would be exposed to the
initial spray application and cover it with plastic after spraying to
insure that the fumes would permeate as much of the peat as possible.
Orthene, Malathion or Diazinon won't hurt your cps if you pre-treat the
peat in this manner.
Good luck.
*It sounds like you may have fungus gnat adults and larve in your peat-
moss. These are permanent residents of every pot in my greenhouse and
the only time they are a problem is when they get into tiny seeding
flats where their larvae enjoy dining on young butterwort & sundew
seedlings. (Diazinon is recommended for this particular insect as well
as other soil born pests.)
Doug
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