Question about effectiveness of liquid sevin

[John Miller]

I have always used powder 5% garden sevin for mites, treating nests in mid June in Missouri.

Today I decided to try the liquid that comes in a red spray bottle. I opted for this as I was tending to a satellite site of housing of about 27 pairs and concerned that with ongoing light rain here that the power would be rendered useless -- not sure.

So some gourds were overrun with mites, and I squirted in two or three squirts (squirts, not spray) into the nest material, shielding the martins with my hand, or sometimes removing them first to a holding bucket.

I'm may not get back to the location for a while. Can anyone assure me that what I did will work?

(I don't want to encourage folks to use insecticides any more than necessary, and try to avoid direct contact with birds.)

John Miller

[tim414]

Years ago, my grandfather use to spray sevin in liquid form. He had a contraption which looked like a quart jar connected to water hose. He would add the sevin dust to the jar (connect hose) and it would add water to the sevin dust and go out into the the sprayng water. He did this on his veggies, tomatoes and such that did not do well with bugs and those horned worms which can devour a tomatoe plant in hours.

It worked well and no one became ill over it. They washed the veggies real well of course.

[Matt@atx]

Hi John,


I began this season for the first time with liquid Seven in the red spray bottle as opposed to powder seven because I wanted something that I could evenly distribute and place exactly where I wanted to in the gourds, and would not be messy on my hands.

I spray it on a small rag making that rag wet and then wipe it exactly where I wanted it then put the new dry nesting material over the top of it.

If I changed a nest for whatever reason, I wiped it in first.
I have 40 gourds and have not had one mite infested gourd to date so far.
I have not even seen anything that I could say is a mite on any gourds inside or outside.
I look carefully for where I know they muster on gourds and nothing so far in spite of repeated moisture from rain.

Based on what I have seen to date(from Feb 15- present) in my gourds, it appears to me that it works. I continue to monitor since the season is not over.

[John Miller]

Thanks guys. But I guess what I'm wanting to know is will the numerous mites I saw be gone in 24 hours, as with powder sevin I sprinkle in sides of nest. I sure hope so. John

[Ed Svetich-WI]

John,
Since it is possible to mix powdered Sevin (carbaryl) with water for various applications, I think that once the liquid has evaporated, the Sevin would remain. To test this, rub a finger where it contacted the cavity. I think it should come away with a residue. Half life and effectiveness should remain the same. Half life varies depending on moisture and even nest contents. It is highly variable with Sevin but knock down short term should not be impacted.

On a related note, I just completed my first three 10 day nest replacements on 24 nests. It will be picking up in the next week.There were no vermin of any kind. Sevin is used initially.

Ed

[John Miller]

Thanks Ed. It probably will work. I just don't want to drive 30 miles back to check. It's at a ski place outside St. Louis. A worker bud there helps, but he's on vacation. Now, if you'd like to serve some WI cheese with my wine!

John M

[Emil Pampell-Tx]

Mites crawl a whole lot, even on the outside of gourds. I have heard that spraying the outside will kill the mites, but I never tried it. If that does work, I would think that would be very safe even for people that do not like to use chemicals.

If I find a few mites in a gourd, I plan to try that method

[Anthony Neira]

In the old Ex-Nature society news, there was a story about a Landlord in San Antonio who made a BIG custom PM house of his own design and he would always soak his PM houses in a big tub of water & Sevin Dust every year just before his scouts arrived, he swore it worked! (????)
I've never tried that, and don't think I will, but MAYBE other/s have done that here. Sounds like the good old Powder, or Liquid, like John tried, will do the job.

[M.Stephens]

I thought regular 5% sevin would be rendered useless if gotten wet?
So they make a powder that can be mixed with water?

I also know there is liquid sevin but I always use the powder.
If it ain't broke don't fix it......my motto.

[KathyF]

John, I have used liquid Sevin and yes, it works.
BUT the difference was this: I made a nest change (in the Trendsetter), soaked some small 3x3" pieces of cardboard in liquid sevin, and slid them in under the nest and all the residual mites were gone the next day - not even a hint of one. Since you sprayed it where they can crawl through it, I imagine it will be just as effective...maybe more. I only sprayed the cardboard first as I didn't like the idea of spraying anything into the nest.
Anyway, bottom line - yes liquid sevin is very effective - maybe more than powdered.

[tim414]

It should work after it has evaporated. When the critters crawl around, they pick it up and carry it up on their legs. Sorta like bugs do when they crawl through boric acid; they carry it on their legs and then crawl over their eggs and kills the eggs.

As long as there is a residual for them to crawl through it should work.

[John Miller]

Malcom...I've always used the powder, but today it was drizzling rain and supposed to rain off and on tomorrow and heavy Friday. Some of the babies were already about 23 or 24 days, so I didn't want to wait.

Kathy your technique sounds like it would be both effective and safe.

John

[daveh]

John, I use 1/2 tsp. Sevin dust inside the compartments and gourds and use liquid Sevin on outside of compartments and gourds, especially around the service caps on gourds. Mites love to hide under the edge of the cap. The liquid I feel is as good as the dust. The next time I do a nest check, and if I use liquid Sevin the last check, I can handle the gourds and not have thousands of mites crawling up my arms. They be all gone.

dave