Tobacco as an Insect Repellant?

Discussion in 'Garden Pest Management and Identification' started by WildCityWoman, Sep 24, 2006.

  1. WildCityWoman

    WildCityWoman Member

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    I've just been through the long drawn out process of potting for indoors - it all looks great in the office and lobby of the building here, but whew! A lotta' work.

    Someone told me that if I want to just bring the plants indoors, without changing the soil, I can take tobacco, put it in water then pour it into the plants - it's supposed to kill off insects such as white flies.

    I'm normally a stickler for using fresh potting soil when I bring stuff indoors, but for the few things I have left to pot up, I wouldn't mind trying this shortcut?

    Does anyone know anything about this? Has anyone actually done it?

    Thanks in advance for whatever info you can give.

    Carly :-0
     
  2. jimmyq

    jimmyq Well-Known Member 10 Years

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    steeped tobacco was an insecticide years ago, not in recent use commercially though.
     
  3. WildCityWoman

    WildCityWoman Member

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    Ahhhhhh! I didn't know that, Paul.

    So, whaddya' think? Should I do it? There's enough cigarette butts around here - my own (I'm a sinner myself) and the ones people just carelessly flick . . . should I throw them into a jug of water, let it sit a couple of days, then water the plants with it?
     
  4. Carol Ja

    Carol Ja Active Member 10 Years

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    That sounds really unpleasant.
     
  5. GreenGoose

    GreenGoose Active Member

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    Nicotine is much more toxic then soaps and sprays available at stores. Everyone has gone to great expense to reduce toxicity in insect sprays.

    I think you would be breaking the law to use an unregistered insecticide in a public building.
     
  6. WildCityWoman

    WildCityWoman Member

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    Ahhhhh! I never thought of that . . . we're an apartment building, so there might be restrictions on that.
     
  7. WildCityWoman

    WildCityWoman Member

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    Excuse me, ma'am? We're the plant police? We want to check for evidence of tobacco in your plants . . .

    Come right in, officers.
     
  8. GreenGoose

    GreenGoose Active Member

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    Or,
    "Hello. A child has been admitted to emergency and toxicology indicates nicotine poisoning so we will need to search your building..."
     
  9. Michael F

    Michael F Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator 10 Years

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    So it is legal to drop butts on the carpet, but not in plant pots . . .

    Of course in a sensible world, consumption of Nicotiana would be put on the same level as consumption of Papaver somniferum, Erythroxylum coca, Cannabis sativa, etc.
     
  10. GreenGoose

    GreenGoose Active Member

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    Certainly still legal to grow Nicotiana in Canada but Papaver and E.coca are not.

    So you can drop butts on the carpet but not poppy seed ! LOL
     
  11. cactus6103

    cactus6103 Member

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    Use chewing tobacco instead. I use this same method with a little liquid dish soap and spray all my plants before bringing them in for the winter. I also spray this outside year round on all my plants. Works like a charm. Red
     
  12. PhillyPalms

    PhillyPalms Active Member

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    Tobacco dust is still in use in PA. It also helps keep animals away.
     
  13. oscar

    oscar Active Member

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    Nicotine as an insecticide is still available to use here, however its classified as one of the more toxic of the pesticides (skull and crossed bones type of warning with it)

    *lights up another ciggy* *coughs*
     
  14. Newt

    Newt Well-Known Member 10 Years

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    I remember reading somewhere that using tobacco as a spray on plants can sometimes spread tobacco mosaic virus in some plants. I found this info interesting.
    http://www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/envirohort/426-366/426-366.html

    This was also interesting.
    http://wwbota.free.fr/XMLPublication/text+index/work/master.xml

    Newt
     

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