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freshair2townsquare

insecticidal soap & beneficials

in the discussion of homemade insecticidal soap recipes, someone asked whether these solutions were safe with beneficials (your choice: bees, butterfly caterpillars, ladybugs, etc)

i didn't find an answer within the thread -- any takers?

~ freshair

Comments (3)

  • Dan _Staley (5b Sunset 2B AHS 7)
    13 years ago

    What is the anatomical difference between beneficial and pest that would make them immune to a mixture of chemicals that kills pests? Or: how does the soap know the difference between pest and beneficial?

    Dan

  • freshair2townsquare
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    exactly, dan

    some pesticides ("organic" or not), such as Bt, will only kill certain kinds of insects, but some are universally deadly -

    so my question is: are insecticidal soaps deadly to all "bugs"?

  • Dan _Staley (5b Sunset 2B AHS 7)
    13 years ago

    Soaps are non-target specific.

    But they won't kill, say, armored scale. But they will kill many beneficials if sprayed directly.

    Dan

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