[compost_tea] White flies? How would it work

From: Jeff Lowenfels <jeff_at_gardener.com>
Date: Sat, 7 Dec 2002 16:35:30 -0600

One of Bob's questions was if CT can be used as a "dormant oil spray." I
think Dr. Ingham read it as "spraying a dormant microbe spray."

Dormant oil sprays suffocate eggs on tree bark.

How would CT kill off white fly populations. You can't do it by killing the
adults because there are the eggs still there.....so you have to go after
the eggs and the eggs are always on the bottom of leaves. It would seem CT
application is a natural. Can CT be a "suffocate" of white fly eggs? Could
there be a bacterial and fungal coating of the eggs that somehow suffocates
them or is the pH changed or is there a bacteria or fungus that eats the
eggs?

 There sure are enough stories about white fly populations disappearing when
exposed to CT for someone to do a real test. This would be a great science
fair experiment.....we should pass it on to every jr. high science teacher
we know.

It would be fun to see a good electron microscope photo of a before spray
and after spray of a few leaves with white fly eggs on them.....I would have
mine tested, but I don't have any more white flies!

Cheers,

Jeff



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Received on Tue Dec 10 2002 - 21:45:16 EST

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