FYI for old sevin dust users

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Martintown33
Posts: 1366
Joined: Tue Jun 01, 2021 6:21 pm
Location: Laplace,La
Martin Colony History: Colony started in 1998. 2 s&k modified houses and gourd rack

Well, I spoke too soon.. Another nest check, 7 days in a row, showed 1 of the 3, mite, infested gourds seems cleared of mites.. the other 2 are worse than yesterday, when they were almost clear.. I guess some mite eggs hatched.. so I covered the chicks with a hand towel , and wiped down the walls and ceilings of the gourds, again, this time with liquid permethrin,, and let it dry.. The chicks are 24 and over, so too old to do complete nest change out. I didn’t want to, but I had to put a little more permethrin dust under the nest… man, nothing like a forearm full of mites, on a 90 degree humid day!… 😤… I’m quickly finding out that new sevin and permethrin dust, do not compare to carbaryl at all! … Not even close! .. .. Does anybody have any suggestions.. ??!! I don’t know what more I can do, other than to keep wiping the mites on the inside walls of the gourds everyday..
Rob
PMCA member
Laplace, La
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brent
Posts: 1281
Joined: Sat Feb 10, 2018 2:43 pm
Location: Raceland, Louisiana

If you have any of the old Sevin with Carbaryl I’d try that. Never know. Brent
Brent
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Martintown33
Posts: 1366
Joined: Tue Jun 01, 2021 6:21 pm
Location: Laplace,La
Martin Colony History: Colony started in 1998. 2 s&k modified houses and gourd rack

Hi Brent. I appreciate the reply.. Yes I have 4 year old sevin ( carbaryl)… and yes I did try using it again.. but it’s no good.. has no potency left. I used the old sevin dust this year, and I still got these mite infestations anyway. Tried using it after the infestations, but no help.. I researched it, and the old sevin and all pesticide dusts, lose potency after 3 to 4 years. My old sevin dust is useless against mites, now that it’s expired, but even worse.. the new sevin and/or permethrin aren’t nearly as effective, as old sevin, it seems…in the past, whenever I got mites, just 1 re-treatment with sevin dust , and no mites the next day.. 7 days and counting and still fighting them. not good.
Rob
PMCA member
Laplace, La
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brent
Posts: 1281
Joined: Sat Feb 10, 2018 2:43 pm
Location: Raceland, Louisiana

Oh boy. I have some Sevin that is about 3 years old that I used this year and so far it’s worked. I still have at least 3 weeks before all the chicks are fledged and I think I’ll have late nesters because I see that an SY has attached to a female and both are taking a nest where the chicks have already fledged. Funny thing though, the ASY male that “owns” the nest protects it. What a fiasco! I hope we can find something that works and is safe. Keep us posted. Brent
Brent
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Martintown33
Posts: 1366
Joined: Tue Jun 01, 2021 6:21 pm
Location: Laplace,La
Martin Colony History: Colony started in 1998. 2 s&k modified houses and gourd rack

Hey Brent. Yep, my 3 year old Sevin worked fine, last year. 4 year old, this year, no go. What I’ve read says , 3 years is maximum after the sevin container has been opened. I don’t know what else is out there , other than what I’m using now. Permethrin or new sevin. That’s really all there is that’s relatively safe. Good luck with your late nesters. I have same situation. SY and female just started laying eggs after finally getting a gourd that an ASY is still trying to hold on to.
Rob
PMCA member
Laplace, La
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Conrad Baker
Posts: 762
Joined: Fri Jan 12, 2007 7:43 pm
Location: Paulina, Louisiana

Since all of my dust/mite killer is over three years old, I bought some Sevin insect killer dust at Home Depot. Brand name is Garden Tech and the active ingredient is 1% bifenthrin. I redusted/treated my houses yesterday. It's been a while since I did a nest check. We went out of town for two weeks and I hadn't had a chance to check things until yesterday. I was surprised at the different stages of the "occupants". Some compartments had eggs, some had newly hatched, and some had babies that seemed close to fledging. I'm guessing the compartment with eggs is the second brood? No signs of mites, so I hope this new stuff is effective as what I have been using. Lots of activity and there are birds everywhere. New fledglings learning to fly and trying to land on their house is amusing and fun to watch.
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Martintown33
Posts: 1366
Joined: Tue Jun 01, 2021 6:21 pm
Location: Laplace,La
Martin Colony History: Colony started in 1998. 2 s&k modified houses and gourd rack

Hi Conrad. From what I’m experiencing and from what I’ve read, the bifrenthrin in new Sevin will kill mites. But it doesn’t kill as fast as the old carbaryl Sevin , which can allow time for the mites to lay eggs and then you get another mite bloom in 7 days. .it doesn’t have the same knock down power as old Sevin. Which used to kill then immediately, so no egg to worry about.
But that’s all we have left to use. That or permethrin (poultry dust)… the research says permethrin has a better kill strength than new Sevin , but relatively shorter working duration. While new Sevin ( Bifenthrin) last longer , with a little less knock down power. I think I’m going to use both and combine them in a 1/4 tsp amount, when I dust in the future…Get the best attributes of each product..
Agree, the fun times of fledgling are starting. Always enjoyable to watch.
Good luck
Rob
PMCA member
Laplace, La
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