Omg I already have aphids.

[BigVanVader]

Nicotine kills every bug it touches in the garden right? I have thought about using it before but it has a bad reputation.

[Scooty]

Originally Posted by clkeiper

Yes, you are correct, I meant it is not a systemic insecticide. Sorry.

Well... then I have no idea what you'd call it then.... As far as know there are only two kinds of insecticides: contact and systemic. If it's not one, I would naturally assume it's the other. *shrug* OSU seems to state it's systemic.....

Originally Posted by BigVanVader

Nicotine kills every bug it touches in the garden right? I have thought about using it before but it has a bad reputation.

No idea on that one. I know there's a nicotine-based systemic insecticide, which presumably means uptake into plant, bug eats plant, bug gets sick, bug dies. Not sure how many types of insecticides use nicotine or if they differ in mode. It's one product I haven't used. If I'm going to carpet bomb the insects, I'd probably reach for permethrin first.

[coastal bend]

I would just use spinsoad. I use it for worms but have noticed all the aphid I see on the plants are dead. It has been 10 days since I applied
it and see dead aphid on the plants. Spinosad will last about 2 weeks.

[Scooty]

Originally Posted by coastal bend

I would just use spinsoad. I use it for worms but have noticed all the aphid I see on the plants are dead. It has been 10 days since I applied
it and see dead aphid on the plants. Spinosad will last about 2 weeks.

We use spinosad on our fruit trees. I rather not use it on garden since it kills our earthworms and red wrigglers. Everything has got a downside. It's either a weak insecticide, indiscriminate pesticide, partially toxic to something good, or highly toxic to something good, smells terrible (for those of you have tried the organic Bayer Serenade Biofungicide)... etc.. etc..

Pyrethrin and permethrin function basically as a neurotoxin if you have a cat, it also kills fish if you have a pond run off. Which is probably why permethrin is only used on dogs and humans (shampoos, sprays, and cream). Pyrethrin and permethrin are also safe for earthworms/red wrigglers. On the other hand, spinosad is safe for cats and fish, I know a lot of people like it for aquaponics.

[jon914]

Aphids have been attacking my tomato transplants and so-to-be-transplants.

It's an early infestation isolated to the leaf undersides. Given that I'm just growing 8 tomatoes, I'm OK with hand-picking them off with scotch tape, which is just sticky enough to snag them without catching on to the leaves too.