Bird-safe Insect Repellant

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Lila_
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Bird-safe Insect Repellant

Post by Lila_ »

Does anyone know of a bird-safe insect repellant available to buy or that I could make myself?

Summer has brought fruitflies that have been multiplying because they share my birds' fruit and veg. They are driving us all crazy!!
Lene
Posts: 289
Joined: Sat Jun 30, 2007 7:33 pm
Location: Brisbane, Australia

Post by Lene »

There's a lot of new stuff coming unto the market, and people get more aware of the dangers of poisons used.

Also different delivery methods. I would ask your hardware store. If they are well educated on their products, they should be able to tell you about the poisons used, and how safe it is.

You can also do a search online... I'll do a search myself tomorrow, and get back to you, if you haven't found anything useful.
Cheers

Lene
julie
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Post by julie »

Look into penny royal plants. It smells like peppermint and is from the mint family. I know it is good to rid dogs and cats of fleas and flies on their ears but I have never looked into it for birds.
nil
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Location: Athens-Greece

Post by nil »

hi lila
i have the same problem with you
this summer i ll try with zodiac spray
http://www.birdcareco.com/English/Produ ... asite.html
or this for australia http://www.vetafarm.com.au/show_product ... mber=00125
i know there are various ferormone traps, these are safe but i cant find them here.
Also gluey traps .
for fruit flies you can mix a sugar syrup ( water plus sugar)with a permethrin insectside, put it in bowl on a table or anywhere else and flies will go there and be killed, but you must keep birds far from this.

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skibum
Posts: 173
Joined: Sat Aug 27, 2005 4:50 pm
Location: New Zealand

Post by skibum »

Julie - may you never mention penny royal ever again!!!
My section is being overrun with the #&^&#^&^# stuff!!
and I've got a few acres eek!! :D
Ah well, less grass to mow!
Apparently penny royal does wonders with pests - providing you want the very pungent odour in your house. It requires the flowering plant to work properly though so I'm told.
Natural Pyrethrum is supposed to be fine as is perfectly natural - no chemicals or anything. I have had a timer-flyspray-squirty-thing for ages now and still worry but apparently it is OK solely because natural, but I only have it running for short periods.
I could of course be entirely wrong!
julie
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Post by julie »

Are you talking about penny royal or pattisons curse? as far as I know penny royal doesnt flower and pattisons curse has the purple flowers.
I found a pic of penny royal plant
Image
Lila_
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thanks

Post by Lila_ »

hey that looks like a basil plant.
to be honest something i can buy would be SO MUCH easier, i live in the middle of the city and the plants i can buy here are pretty limited. i've never heard of penny royal so unless its basil i doubt i will find it anywhere.
skibum which spray thing do you use?
otherwise that australian link is good
skibum
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Post by skibum »

Sorry about being missing - was watching tv with ziggy (who has now picked all the buttons off my mobile...)
I know, I know, someone said they wouldn't let him/her do that, but too quick for me (new toy, sigh...)

Interesting Julie about the penny royal/pattisons curse. Around here the farmers who have it are calling it penny royal and it does have a real minty smell. And it looks a lot like your picture - although mine is looking a little sad cos we haven't had any rain to speak of since xmas night and it had been 6 or 8 weeks prior to that to the last drop.

I looked at a photo of pattisons curse and it's not like that. Flower is more like a browny-purple stalky head rather than flower.

Anyway, those spray thingies you see advertised from Bunnings/Mitre10 etc (big handyman supplies franchises in Oz and NZ) - Robocan!! (I remembered the brand). They have two versions of the spray and one is 100% natural Pyrethrum (I think Nil is getting at that with permethrin) which is supposed to be pet safe. The other way is to burn Pyrethrum sticks that all the tree huggers sell along with their other incense burners etc.

The Robocan things aren't cheap I suppose at $74.95 (that's NZ money) for can and dispenser, however they do last for ages and you can adjust the frequency of the jets (and when empty you only have to replace the can which is stacks cheaper). It is a very fine mist, kills the flies no worries at all and had no affect on Max over last 2 years & I frequently have it in my room at night to kill the (m)ozzies.

heh heh
skibum
Posts: 173
Joined: Sat Aug 27, 2005 4:50 pm
Location: New Zealand

Post by skibum »

just to be completely boring...
looked on google and got the following:

Permethrin is a widely-used, relatively low-toxicity, pyrethroid insecticide. Pyrethrum is a natural insecticide from the flowers of chrysanthemum.

I just thought the two might be different names for the same thing but in different countries... oh well, am not a scientist :roll:

ANyway, apparently the main thing is to get 100% natural pyrethrum-based insecticide (it is usually blended with something called piperonyl butoxide (!?!?) and NOT a pyrethroid-based one which apparently means it is a man-made chemical alternative.

Same goes for Permethrin - is good so long as using 100% natural pyrethrins.

Where would we be without the internet?!?
:lol:
Melika
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Re: thanks

Post by Melika »

Lila_ wrote:hey that looks like a basil plant.
to be honest something i can buy would be SO MUCH easier, i live in the middle of the city and the plants i can buy here are pretty limited. i've never heard of penny royal so unless its basil i doubt i will find it anywhere.
skibum which spray thing do you use?
otherwise that australian link is good


Nope, it's not basil. ^_^

You can try calling local plant nursery people and ask if they have pennyroyal. Don't be afraid if it says they sell to landscapers only, they might know a landscaper willing to say they're buying it and you just go use your money. Some landscapers might charge a bit, or insist on delivering it though, which can cost for a small amount. So make sure you know the cost of these things first. Before agreeing to anything.

Trust me, anywhere people have businesses or homes, there's a nursery nearby for the landscapers to work on their homes. :wink:
Image
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I've been called 'birdbrained' before, but somehow I don't think this is what they meant. say:hah-nay
nil
Posts: 415
Joined: Tue Sep 18, 2007 12:06 pm
Location: Athens-Greece

Post by nil »

i found a very good insecticide for birds and rooms , and is safe too
it is the chevi - tren
http://www.chevita.com/en/products/chevi-tren.php
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