Boric acid instead of Sevin
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Jack Gulvin
- Posts: 19
- Joined: Thu Dec 11, 2003 1:47 pm
- Location: New York/Westfield
Last spring I was blowing in a lot of cellulose insulation, thereby breathing a lot of boric acid. So I looked it up on the internet and was surprised to find nothing about adverse health effects, for humans anyway. Then this summer at one of my martin talks I was asked if boric acid would be better for controlling nest parasites than Sevin. I did not know. Who does?
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Emil Pampell-Tx
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- Location: Tx, Richmond (SW of Houston)
- Martin Colony History: First started in Gretna, La in 1969 with a small homemade house, have had martins ever since at 2 different homes in Texas
Sevin is extremely effective, why try Boric Acid?
I think that it may create conditions that are not healthy to baby birds. Here is something from the internet:
"Boric acid solutions used as an eye wash or on abraded skin are known to be toxic, particularly to infants"
I think that it may create conditions that are not healthy to baby birds. Here is something from the internet:
"Boric acid solutions used as an eye wash or on abraded skin are known to be toxic, particularly to infants"
PMCA Member, 250 gourds, 6 poles, 2traps
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Louise Chambers
- Site Admin
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- Location: Corpus Christi, TX
Good question, Jack - it does have toxicity, or would not kill pests. It's sold for cockroach control in a dust form, which is puffed into cracks and crevices - both to repel and kill them. But it's slow acting, takes days to kill roaches, so might not be as effective for dealing with nest mite infestations.
This link has more info, and it is confusing - they say it's non-toxic to birds, but should not be used around children, that it's toxic to dogs, etc. http://www.beyondpesticides.org/infoser ... _borax.php
This link has more info, and it is confusing - they say it's non-toxic to birds, but should not be used around children, that it's toxic to dogs, etc. http://www.beyondpesticides.org/infoser ... _borax.php
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Jack Gulvin
- Posts: 19
- Joined: Thu Dec 11, 2003 1:47 pm
- Location: New York/Westfield
The link was interesting but I'm with Emil on this and will stay with Sevin (in very tiny amounts) although I worry that I may be killing the jewel wasps that are supposed to parasitise the blowfly larvae.
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Ed Svetich-WI
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- Location: Brooks, Wi (McGinnis Lake)
- Martin Colony History: 24 Super and Excluder Gourds on two gourd racks, all SREH. Full occupancy. My philosophy is to maximize fledge % with existing cavities rather than adding gourds to grow colony, thus providing opportunities for new colony expansion. Fledge over 100 nestlings yearly from 24 gourds. Band nestlings in cooperation with state university. 2019 Adendum: Reduced colony size to 12 gourds to focus on more intensive management regimen.
Jack,
Several years ago I corresponded with an entomologist who specialized in blowflies. To make a long story short, he suggested not destroying the nest contents after a nest replacement so as not to destroy the parasitised larvae. I had been placing the old nest material in my compost. Now I use it as mulch around my bushes to allow the wasps to complete their development. Some maggots only produce more blowflies but some also produce more species specific parasitic wasps. Even with the use of Sevin, not all blowfly larvae are killed, so some do survive.
Several years ago I corresponded with an entomologist who specialized in blowflies. To make a long story short, he suggested not destroying the nest contents after a nest replacement so as not to destroy the parasitised larvae. I had been placing the old nest material in my compost. Now I use it as mulch around my bushes to allow the wasps to complete their development. Some maggots only produce more blowflies but some also produce more species specific parasitic wasps. Even with the use of Sevin, not all blowfly larvae are killed, so some do survive.
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Jack Gulvin
- Posts: 19
- Joined: Thu Dec 11, 2003 1:47 pm
- Location: New York/Westfield
Good idea, Ed. I'll use the discarded nests to mulch nearby small trees. A blowfly specialist would be very interesting.