Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

i had to wave the white flag to helothis moth on one of my tomato plants this week - the grubs were actually eating the stems not just the fruit anymore.
however i noticed one of my plants has been a lot less affected lately and it's also next to the pizza oven and gets a bit of smoke when i use it - since i've been using it again the grubs have backed right off.
could hardwood smoke be a good insect deterent for ap?

I've heard that smoldering oak leaves is a good bug deterrent...but haven't done any research on it. My grandfather used to set of nicotine bombs in his commercial greenhouses to kill aphids....probably not too great for the fish.

Good idea then you would get pre smoked fish

The various compounds produced by smoke can be carcinogenic, so it''s not surprising that the grubs are avoiding it. Unfortunately, the fruit and leaves of the smoke-affected plants probably wouldn't be very good for you either, and only the water-soluble chemicals can be washed off.

Would beekeeping smoke be safer, or do beekeepers not worry about carcinogens?

so lash out and spend $15 on some Dipel

Was watching a youtube on organic growing in Cuba and they mainly used smoke water as an insecticide/deterrent.

You need a bong type set up to trap the smoke smell in the water and then maybe dilute that and spray it.

Hmmmmmm...... Bong water spray

But your honor I was only using the bong to get rid of the insects.

hhhhmmm wonder what the missus would say if I suddenly started making a bong like apparatus

Probley say what slipping bask to your old ways

Heres an interesting article about using smoke to protect stored grain. http://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&sourc ... 1A&cad=rja

On the farm after a big wet, we used to light a wet stump and fill it with cow manure. The dairy cows would jostle for position to keep the mossies at bay. First aussies did the same.

pfft carcinogenic. how much smoke do you think i'm going to use?!?!?!
I bet i could find "suspected" carcinogenic compounds in the organic foods people buy that occur naturally.
I had to laugh at the chili festival last week, this guy was hawking his organic chili sauce that contained "No chemicals". wtf does he think makes it spicy???

dipel is very limited in what it'll kill off - sucking or burrowing insects laugh at your dipel.

i've got another crop of tomatoes growing now, if helothis moth doesn't get this crop i'll know it was the smoke. i'll just have to tough it out and be forced to use the pizza oven on a regular basis, curse my luck!