I have this week each day thoroughly sprayed
leaves and stem of a half-metre high Banana plant ( Musa Chini Champa )
using the 0.125g/l concentration of imidacloprid 'Provado Ultimate Bug
Killer".
There is no apparent diminition of activity or any evident discomfort caused
to a large
population of very miniscule tiny greenish 'creepy crawly bugs' (species
unknown) that are continually walking over the banana leaves.

Any idea for an alternative
treatment to remove these tiny bugs without harming the banana plant;
or what they might be ?

Anthony

On Sat, 20 Nov 2004 17:44:19 -0000, "Anthony Stokes"
wrote:

I have this week each day thoroughly sprayed
leaves and stem of a half-metre high Banana plant ( Musa Chini Champa )
using the 0.125g/l concentration of imidacloprid 'Provado Ultimate Bug
Killer".
There is no apparent diminition of activity or any evident discomfort caused
to a large
population of very miniscule tiny greenish 'creepy crawly bugs' (species
unknown) that are continually walking over the banana leaves.

Any idea for an alternative
treatment to remove these tiny bugs without harming the banana plant;
or what they might be ?

Anthony



A simple solution of detergent in water is often quite effective. I
use a generous squirt of Fairy Liquid into a 5 litre sprayer. Some
people also add a few ccs of meths.


--
Chris

E-mail: christopher[dot]hogg[at]virgin[dot]net

On Sat, 20 Nov 2004 17:44:19 -0000, "Anthony Stokes"
wrote:

I have this week each day thoroughly sprayed
leaves and stem of a half-metre high Banana plant ( Musa Chini Champa )
using the 0.125g/l concentration of imidacloprid 'Provado Ultimate Bug
Killer".
There is no apparent diminition of activity or any evident discomfort caused
to a large
population of very miniscule tiny greenish 'creepy crawly bugs' (species
unknown) that are continually walking over the banana leaves.

Any idea for an alternative
treatment to remove these tiny bugs without harming the banana plant;
or what they might be ?

Anthony

It's systemic so it takes a while to work, the pests have to suck the
sap containing the pesticide, then it still takes a little while for
them to die. If you have sprayed every day you are going the right way
towards breeding an immune strain of your pest. Read and follow the
instructions carefully.

=================================================

Rod

Weed my email address to reply.
http://website.lineone.net/~rodcraddock/index.html

"Rod" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 20 Nov 2004 17:44:19 -0000, "Anthony Stokes"
wrote:

I have this week each day thoroughly sprayed
leaves and stem of a half-metre high Banana plant ( Musa Chini Champa )
using the 0.125g/l concentration of imidacloprid 'Provado Ultimate Bug
Killer".
There is no apparent diminition of activity or any evident discomfort
caused
to a large
population of very miniscule tiny greenish 'creepy crawly bugs' (species
unknown) that are continually walking over the banana leaves.

Any idea for an alternative
treatment to remove these tiny bugs without harming the banana plant;
or what they might be ?

Anthony

It's systemic so it takes a while to work, the pests have to suck the
sap containing the pesticide, then it still takes a little while for
them to die. If you have sprayed every day you are going the right way
towards breeding an immune strain of your pest. Read and follow the
instructions carefully.

=================================================

Rod

Weed my email address to reply.
http://website.lineone.net/~rodcraddock/index.html

ditto that!
You might want to try an organic solution - usually soap based. that would
kill them pretty quick, whilst your endemic chemicals will stop further
occurance.
I'd stop spraying the provado for now :O)

On Sat, 20 Nov 2004 17:44:19 -0000, "Anthony Stokes"
wrote:

I have this week each day thoroughly sprayed
leaves and stem of a half-metre high Banana plant ( Musa Chini Champa )
using the 0.125g/l concentration of imidacloprid 'Provado Ultimate Bug
Killer".
There is no apparent diminition of activity or any evident discomfort caused
to a large
population of very miniscule tiny greenish 'creepy crawly bugs' (species
unknown) that are continually walking over the banana leaves.

Any idea for an alternative
treatment to remove these tiny bugs without harming the banana plant;
or what they might be ?

Gently wash the leaves with ordinary soap -- not detergent -- then
rinse the plant under a shower of tepid water. Be sure to wash behind
its ears, so to speak: leave no surface untouched and be sure the suds
dribbles down into the crown.

Your creepy-crawlies sound like spider mites.


--
Rodger Whitlock
Victoria, BC, Canada
to send email, change atlantic to pacific
and invalid to net

On Sat, 20 Nov 2004 18:27:16 +0000, Rod
wrote:

On Sat, 20 Nov 2004 17:44:19 -0000, "Anthony Stokes"
wrote:

I have this week each day thoroughly sprayed
leaves and stem of a half-metre high Banana plant ( Musa Chini Champa )
using the 0.125g/l concentration of imidacloprid 'Provado Ultimate Bug
Killer".
There is no apparent diminition of activity or any evident discomfort caused
to a large
population of very miniscule tiny greenish 'creepy crawly bugs' (species
unknown) that are continually walking over the banana leaves.

Any idea for an alternative
treatment to remove these tiny bugs without harming the banana plant;
or what they might be ?

It's systemic so it takes a while to work, the pests have to suck the
sap containing the pesticide, then it still takes a little while for
them to die. If you have sprayed every day you are going the right way
towards breeding an immune strain of your pest. Read and follow the
instructions carefully.

If it's systemic, then why does it work when applied externally to
cats to rid them of fleas? One of its great advantages in flea control
is that it kills the fleas before they even have a chance to bite the
animal -- a blessing for an animal allergic to flea bites.


--
Rodger Whitlock
Victoria, BC, Canada
to send email, change atlantic to pacific
and invalid to net

Rodger Whitlock wrote:
On Sat, 20 Nov 2004 18:27:16 +0000, Rod
wrote:
[...]
It's systemic so it takes a while to work, the pests have to suck
the
sap containing the pesticide, [...]
If it's systemic, then why does it work when applied externally to
cats to rid them of fleas? One of its great advantages in flea
control
is that it kills the fleas before they even have a chance to bite
the
animal -- a blessing for an animal allergic to flea bites.

Interesting. Perhaps the vet concentration is higher than the horti?
Or there's some additive which alters the effect?

Mike.

"Mike Lyle" wrote in message
...
Rodger Whitlock wrote:
On Sat, 20 Nov 2004 18:27:16 +0000, Rod
wrote:
[...]
It's systemic so it takes a while to work, the pests have to suck
the
sap containing the pesticide, [...]
If it's systemic, then why does it work when applied externally to
cats to rid them of fleas? One of its great advantages in flea
control
is that it kills the fleas before they even have a chance to bite
the
animal -- a blessing for an animal allergic to flea bites.

Interesting. Perhaps the vet concentration is higher than the horti?
Or there's some additive which alters the effect?

Mike.


As I understand it the effect is the same in both cases, once the insect has
ingested the stuff by feeding, the chemical stops it feeding and it starves
to death, it is this change in method which makes it safer to use on mammals
than conventional insecticides.

--
Charlie, gardening in Cornwall.
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of National Plant Collection of Clematis viticella (cvs)

"Rodger Whitlock" wrote in message

Gently wash the leaves with ordinary soap -- not detergent -- then
rinse the plant under a shower of tepid water. Be sure to wash behind
its ears, so to speak: leave no surface untouched and be sure the suds
dribbles down into the crown.

Your creepy-crawlies sound like spider mites.

Thanks for that idea. I can believe 'spider mites' could be the right name
for them.
'Provado Ultimate Bug killer' apparently doesn't affect them.

I applied a 0.05% d-phenothrin / 0.25% tetramethrin fly spray to the leaves
this morning, and will spray wash the leaves with water later this
afternoon.

Maybe try soaping leaves next if no success.

Anthony.

On Mon, 22 Nov 2004 09:15:08 -0000, "Anthony Stokes"
wrote:


Thanks for that idea. I can believe 'spider mites' could be the right name
for them.
'Provado Ultimate Bug killer' apparently doesn't affect them.

I applied a 0.05% d-phenothrin / 0.25% tetramethrin fly spray to the leaves
this morning, and will spray wash the leaves with water later this
afternoon.


http://www.pbi.co.uk/provado/ultimatebugkiller/
We use a commercial preparation containing Imidacloprid as a drench so
I wasn't aware of the contact action of the Provado spray.
The stuff we use has consistently controlled Glasshouse red spider
mites on our pot grownb ornamentals.

=================================================

Rod

Weed my email address to reply.
http://website.lineone.net/~rodcraddock/index.html