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Mushrooms, Mycology and Psychedelics > Gourmet and Medicinal Mushrooms
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'scorched earth' attempt at killing bugs
    #10760358 -

I've got a bad bug problem in my greenhouse. Mite and fruit flies mostly, luckily not fungus gnats.

Anyway, I have decided it will not get any better unless I take everything out(all straw columns and sawdust blocks) and start all over again.
  We can afford a few day 'resting period' before we start over again. But during that time I want to use something to ensure there is nothing living in the place. I don't want to use toxic chemicals.

  Any suggestions on what I could use? I was thinking maybe burning something strong and letting the smoke suffocate any remaining bugs.

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Re: 'scorched earth' attempt at killing bugs [Re: b3jamboree]
    #10760666 -

Bleach kills lots of things. If you don't want the chlorine contamination, you could try a food-grade peroxide bleach. Peroxide breaks down into water and oxygen.

Or you could rent a steamer.

Smoke is full of toxic chemicals.

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Re: 'scorched earth' attempt at killing bugs [Re: frankenstoen]
    #10760958 -

What sort of steamer would be able to get a 20x40' greenhouse up to the proper temperature(140-150?) for the proper amount of time(8-12hrs?)?

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Re: 'scorched earth' attempt at killing bugs [Re: b3jamboree]
    #10761042 -

Bleach breaks down fast too.  Another alternative is to spray with a high pressure wash of plain water.  The high pressure nukes the bugs when it rips them apart.  Dormant oil also comes to mind.  Since insects 'breathe' through their skin, the oil clogs them up and they suffocate.
RR


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Re: 'scorched earth' attempt at killing bugs [Re: b3jamboree]
    #10761088 -

Something cheap to make in bulk, and seems to be a common solution used (though, I haven't)

"A good homemade insecticide spray for the garden can be made by adding 1 teaspoon of castile soap to 1 gallon of warm water. For increased effectiveness add a few drops of neem oil, crushed garlic, or hot pepper juice."

Good luck!


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Re: 'scorched earth' attempt at killing bugs [Re: Herbal_Elixer]
    #10761102 -

Where I live, there are a lot of vineyards. That attracts millions of flies that get everywhere! In my bedroom, that I spray with bleach everyday, I leave the window and the door open and while the rest of the house has flies none goes in my bedroom! Bleach is great!


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"To feel today what one felt yesterday isn't to feel - it's to remember today what was felt yesterday, to be today's living corpse of what yesterday was lived and lost." Fernando Pessoa

"When one creates phantoms for oneself, one puts vampires into the world, and one must nourish these children of a voluntary nightmare with one's blood, one's life, one's intelligence, and one's reason, without ever satisfying them." Eliphas Levi

"The joy of life consists in the exercise of one's energies, continual growth, constant change, the enjoyment of every new experience. To stop means simply to die. The eternal mistake of mankind is to set up an attainable ideal." Aleister Crowley

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Re: 'scorched earth' attempt at killing bugs [Re: AlexP]
    #10761282 -

I was thinking one of those portable wand steamers that looks like a pressure washer but shoots out steam instead. But pressure washing is a great idea as well.

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Re: 'scorched earth' attempt at killing bugs [Re: RogerRabbit]
    #10761359 -

For now, I'd spray with hot water and soap. It surely kills mites and insects, though I don't know about the floor of that greenhouse, perhaps there are corners you can't reach and where mites could hide.

But even if it works perfectly, the bugs will return some day. A long term solution for the mites would be to release predator mites and let them take care of the problem. For the fruit flies, I am not familiar with natural enemies.

Carsten

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Re: 'scorched earth' attempt at killing bugs [Re: b3jamboree]
    #10761989 -

You could buy a steam wand and it would kill both of those on contact.  No need to pasteurize for long periods.

If you wanted to pasteurize there are heaters called salmanders that burn propane and come in sizes to heat any space. Any construction tool rental will have them.

But my choice would be for dish soap and water sprayed from a pressure washer at a low setting.  Safer's insecticidal soap is basically this.  I have used S&W and it works well.  These are not big or tough bugs you're talking about. I think it kills by defatting the bug.  May I therefore suggest Dawn.


You could also use this while you have stock in.  It is just like a little (late) dish soap pasteurization.

Best of luck,
Jef


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I am my own lab rat.


Tell me and I will forget. Show me and I will remember.  Involve me and I will learn.

Edited by Jef (07/29/09 02:09 PM)

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Re: 'scorched earth' attempt at killing bugs [Re: Jef]
    #10762111 -

Awesome replies guys, thank you so much. I think good old soap and high pressure water sounds like the best option. Much appreciated.

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Mushrooms, Mycology and Psychedelics > Gourmet and Medicinal Mushrooms
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