Is nicotine toxic to plants?

[hejdaman]

Hey, it was a while since i was over here.

I have a problem with Thrips, and was thinking about trying to fight them with nicotine, and i just wanted to ask if the nicotine may be harmful to cacti, and other plants.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Dr Fluff]

Nicotine is used in many home made insecticides.

Nicotine does kill insects, you also want to make sure you keep concentrated nicotine off your skin it is also toxic to humans.

Making nicotine insecticides from tobacco leaf/cigarettes means that you could be transferring mosaic virus to your plants.

It may be possible to use e-liquid for vape pens for you source of nicotine and one that uses "propylene glycol" (PG) rather than "vegetable glycerine" (VG).

It is possible that if you used vegetable glycerine based e-liquid it could leave a sticky surface on your plant much like the "honey dew" which is excreted from aphids.

Honey dew secreted from aphids is a great breading ground for molds, which is why I would avoid veg glycerine.

If using e-liquid as a source of nicotine,don't use flavored eliquid, keep it off your skin (wear protective gloves), it will also need diluting.

The reason I mention using e-liquid is because the manufacturing of nicotine e-liquid through industrial processes should hopefully remove any potential viruses.

Here is a recipe for a nicotine insecticide, from http://www.aselfsufficientlife.com/nicotine-spray-insecticide.html ,


[h=3]Nicotine Spray Recipe[/h]

• Boil 100 cigarette ends in 4 litres of water.
• Strain and bottle.
• Dilute with two parts water before spraying the solution on infected plants.

Nicotine spray is a very effective insecticide against many pests including weevils, caterpillars and leaf miners. It is strong though so beware of using too liberally as it will endanger helpful predator insects too.Do not use on any members of the tomato/potato family. Tobacco is related and can pass on viral diseases to its relations. Do not use on the edible parts of crops within one month of harvesting.Remember this nicotine insecticide is not quite as green and eco as the soft soap sprays but it is a winner in the reuse, recycle and frugal categories! As it is a poison keep it out of reach of children and wash well after using. Warning’s aside it is not nearly as scary as the multi chemical recipes of most commercial insecticides and pesticides.We only use this product as a last resort if the caterpillars have gotten the better of us. It really is an emergency remedy.

If you do substitute e-liquid for 100 cigarette buts, I would try using the equivalent of 50 cigarettes of e-liquid and dilute as per the recipe ( maybe even make the dilution a little weaker and try on a plant you aren't so bothered about losing as a test run).

Here is section of the nicotine page of wikipedia concerning insecticides containing nicotine.

[h=2]Use as an insecticide[edit][/h]Tobacco was introduced to Europe in 1559, and by the late 17th century, it was used not only for smoking but also as an insecticide. After World War II, over 2,500 tons of nicotine insecticide (waste from the tobacco industry) were used worldwide, but by the 1980s the use of nicotine insecticide had declined below 200 tons. This was due to the availability of other insecticides that are cheaper and less harmful to mammals.[SUP][6][/SUP]
Currently, nicotine, even in the form of tobacco dust, is prohibited as a pesticide for organic farming in the United States.[SUP][105][/SUP][SUP][106][/SUP]
In 2008, the EPA received a request, from the registrant, to cancel the registration of the last nicotine pesticide registered in the United States.[SUP][107][/SUP] This request was granted, and since 1 January 2014, this pesticide has not been available for sale.[SUP][108][/SUP]

I have not tried the e-liquid method but would think it better than from raw plant material.

There are plenty of internet pages concerning nicotine insecticides, take time and do some research , you never know you might find some excellent advice and recipes not covered here.

Just remember making your own insecticide could kill beneficial insects and if improperly made/used could affect your plant.

Have you tried insecticides containing "pyrethum" it will kill thrips, it is organic (made from chrysanthemums which is a flower)[FONT=Arial, Georgia, TimesNewRoman, Times, serif] it is generally easy to find at plant centers, be warned it will also kill beneficial insects and SHOULD BE KEPT AWAY FROM FISH PONDS AND AQUARIUMS!!. FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS![/FONT]

 

[Guerrilla]

Dam bro! Learning new stuff everyday! Nicely done

 

[derek420colorado]

Wow I never would have guessed, I am with you on not using the vegatable glycerin for the reasons you stated. Max Rep for that one!

 

[Eyes on Fire]

the only other issue with using spent butts is they contain burnt processed tobacco and does contain a high levels of carcinigens.just an fyi.:Sharing One:

 

[elsamurai]

if you get it in your soil or res, it will also kill your benifical mycro,s. but you can flush and re-inoculate the mycro's. I spray it around the outside of my cab.kill em before they get in!

 

[Waira]

Good stuff Arty!..thanks mate...:thumbs:

..Hejda' --- Ahhh, thrips,.."Swivel"... little poop stains! First are you sure they are thrips? They're small, this dash (-) would be a decent sized one and nearly the same shape... The damage they do is similar to mites, but often as not they attack the upper surfaces of the plant as well (mites strongly prefer to stay under), creating that tell-tale silvery stippling.... I know them all too well, growing outdoors! Good news, bad news: they're pretty easy to kill, vulnerable to several common MJ safe pesticides,... but they are highly mobile scrambler-jumpers (adults can fly),...I see them actually dodging away from me as I search for them on the plants! ...they're ubiquitous outside (endless population) until it gets cold, but inside they go all year,...eggs get laid on or into plant crevices/stems/leaves---> feed--> pupate in the soil--> hatch out as adults and start feeding again... So, point is, you'll need to pursue them with multiple treatments and serious surveillance for a about couple weeks...
I had great results with products that have Spinosad in it,...it's food safe, leaves minimal residue, no odor,... like pyrethrum (made from chrysanthemums), it's a natural neurotoxin (derived from an obscure species of bacteria) that only effects a limited range of bugs,... Other choices include Neem, Azamax, safer soaps,... a layer of diatomaceous earth will help nail the larvae as they try to pupate in the soil... (DE is like broken glass shards at the micro' level, slices and punctures, making them bleed out!).... As for the nicotine based stuff,...meh! There's better, more effective, less PITA stuff around,...why bother?!

 

[Muddy]

Just a word of caution about using any tobacco products around plants. Tobacco can contain the Tobacco Mosaic Virus which can also infect canna. If your a tobacco user it's a good idea to wash your hands thoroughly before handling your plants. More into on TMV here: http://www.ask.com/wiki/Tobacco_mosaic_virus?lang=en.