Treating bug free insecticide
Q 1. WHAT IS BUG-FREE AND HOW DOES IT WORK
Bug-Free contains the active ingredient, bifenthrin, which is not available in any other garden product. The formulation of Bug-Free is unique: it is water based (not solvent based, as are other garden insecticide concentrates) and, therefore, less harmful to the user, treated plants and the environment.Bug-Free kills most leaf pests. It acts by contact, when pests are sprayed directly, and when the treated leaf is eaten by pests, like caterpillars and weevils. It continues to be effective against leaf eating pests for 2 to 3 weeks. Greenfly, blackfly, spider mites etc. do not eat the leaf and are only killed by contact.Good spray coverage above and below the leaves is essential for best results.
Q 2. DOES IT REALLY KILL THE TOUGH PESTS LIKE WHITEFLY AND SPIDER MITE?
Bug-Free kills these pests which seem to tolerate other garden insecticides. Not only does it kill the mature adult forms but it also interrupts their life cycle by killing eggs and the immature forms. So the pests are slow to re-infest the plants and Bug-Free needs to be applied much less often than other products. Typically reapplication is needed every 3 to 4 weeks, compared to every few days with other products. Note: There are strains of whitefly which are resistant to many pesticides. Some also tolerate Bug-Free but this has not proved a common problem over the 4 years of sales. The infrequent treatments needed with Bug-Free should help reduce the risk of resistance developing, but where whitefly is persistent it is best to alternate Bug-Free with different types of insecticides.
Q 3. WHY IS THERE A LIMIT TO THE NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS TO VEGETABLES
Bug-Free contains bifenthrin, the first new active ingredient for pest control on garden crops since the early 1980's. Since that time, new legislation has been introduced and Bug-Free was the first garden product to go through the new pesticide approval procedure. A large amount of data has to be submitted to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food to confirm that products are both effective and safe. Field tests are undertaken to evaluate pest control, and to test whether the use of the pesticide can leave residues in the crop when it is ready to be eaten.Consequently, the Bug-Free label differs from those of other products with which gardener may be familiar. We can no longer recommend "use on all edible crops" without restrictions. Only crops for which residue data has been assessed under the approval procedure may be listed on the label. A maximum number of treatments per year must also be stated. For Bug-Free the maximum number of treatments reflects the number of treatments applied in the field tests. For example, three separate spray treatments were applied to tomatoes, and the maximum number of treatments specified on the label is three. Since Bug-Free is very effective in controlling "difficult to kill" pests such as spider mites and whitefly, it does not usually have to be applied as often as some competitor products. Consequently, a single treatment can be effective for several weeks.Gardeners can, therefore, be confident that the recommended uses of Bug-Free have been fully assessed for their effectiveness and safety. In future, all insecticides for use on edible crops will specify each crop and the maximum number of treatments which can be applied, but Bug-Free is the first.Note: There are no restrictions to the number of applications to ornamentals.
Q 4. HOW CAN YOU SAY CHILDREN AND PETS NEED NOT BE EXCLUDED?
Information about Bug-Free has been reviewed by government departments, including the Health and Safety Executive and the Pesticides Safety Directorate, which have concluded that it is non-hazardous. Bifenthrin itself has low toxicity to humans and is not irritating to the skin. The bifenthrin is formulated as a micro-emulsion, which means that Bug-Free is water based, avoiding the potential problems arising from formulations based on solvents. Consequently, no harm will come if children or pets happen to contact treated plants.
Q 5. WHEN CAN TREATED CROPS BE EATEN?
The following outdoor and protected fruit and vegetables can be treated and eaten on the same day:- brassicas: cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, broccoli- peas, French beans, runner beans, broad beans- lettuce- tomato, aubergine, pepper- cucumber, gherkin, courgette, strawberry, raspberry, apples, pears. How can this be? As indicated in Q 4., Bug-Free is classified as non-hazardous, and very small quantities of active ingredient are actually applied. In addition, Bug-Free is not systemic and so stays where it is put, without moving to the edible parts of vegetables such as cabbages, sprouts etc. Consequently, negligible quantities of a low toxicity ingredient are available for consumption, and the Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and food has concluded that there need be no delay before harvesting.
Q 6. WHAT EFFECT DOES BUG-FREE HAVE ON BEES AND LADYBIRDS?
In practice, Bug-Free will not effect on bees and other beneficial insects. Application at recommended rates will not harm bees and many other beneficial insects unless they are directly sprayed. It is recommended to spray in the early morning or in the evening when bees are not foraging. Bug-Free actually repels bees, so if a flower has been treated, bees do not visit while the spray is wet and when it has dried the bees cannot pick up the insecticide. Careful treatment will avoid harming ladybirds, lacewings, other beneficial insects and predatory mites for the same reason. Having killed the pests, of course, there is little food remaining for predatory and parasitic insects which will have to move elsewhere to survive.
Q 7. How harmful is bug free to the environment?
Bug-Free shows low toxicity to mammals and birds, including insect eating species, due to its rapid metabolism and excretion. Care should be taken not to contaminate ponds since fish and other aquatic organisms are sensitive. In the soil Bug-Free is bound tightly to soil particles, where it is biodegraded, and it has a very high margin of safety to earthworms. It is virtually insoluble in water and does not leach into water systems.
Q 8. Is it legal to treat insects pests which are not listed on the label?
Yes, provided that all the other statutory conditions of use are complied with, i.e. maximum concentration, maximum number of treatments on a crop, etc. Phostrogen only guarantees control of those pests listed on the label and others mentioned in its literature. Example: its legal to treat lily beetle on ornamentals, but its illegal to treat leek moth on leeks, which are not on the list of recommended crops.
Q 9. IS IT SAFE TO TREAT MY ORNAMENTAL
Bug-Free is one of the safest insecticides to plants. The active ingredient itself has excellent safety characteristics, which are further supported by the water based formulation. The general rule is that Bug-Free will not damage plants in situations where no damage would be caused by a water mist. Bug-Free has been used on a huge range of ornamentals without damage being recorded. Even flowers grown for exhibition are treated to clean pests from the blooms before showing. Seedlings of plants such as Pelargoniums, which are very sensitive, have been treated successfully by growers.
Q 10. How long can be bug free be stored?
Bug-Free concentrate and Ready to Use has a statutory minimum shelf life of 2 years. The concentrate bottles have the production date printed on the cap. This is not a use by date. Once spray has been made up from the concentrate product, it should be used as soon as possible. Storage of a spray mix made up by a gardener is illegal unless the container is fully labeled with the statutory conditions. If the mix is left in a sprayer made from polyethylene, the active ingredient can be attracted to the lining of the sprayer over a few days leaving the spray mix below the recommended concentration. The inside of the Ready to Use bottle is specially lined to avoid this problem.