Striper Talk Striped Bass Fishing, Surfcasting, Boating - View Single Post

FishermanTim · 07-02-2008, 10:59 AM

I smoked for a few years back when I was in high school.
I quit back in '79/80 when I was smoking a pack a week.
My father died from cancer (from smoking) and I've got 2 sisters and 3 brothers that STILL smoke even after seeing what it did to dad!

Anyway, I still use tobacco today, but it's chewing stuff..... and before you start harping on the dangers of using chew, let me clarify....I don't chew it, but use it to make a rather lethally effective bug spray.

See, I have some prized (to me) oriental lilies that would otherwise be decimated by these Asian Lily Leaf Beetles and their larva that defoliate all but the daylily variety of lilies. The beetles are shiny bllod red and will chew the leaves to pieces before mating and laying eggs.
The larva hatch and will then begin eating ALL the leaves (from underneath) until there is NOTHING left. What's really gross is that the larva cover themselve with their own feces, making them safe from predators. Since these beetles were "accidentally" released in Cambridge around 10-15 years back, there are no known checks to prevent the spread of these pests.
This is where the chewing tobacco comes in. I soak the tobacco leaves in water as if I were making tea, and strain the resulting brown liquid into a pump spray bottle, along with a little squirt of liquid dishwashing soap for good measure. Using 1 pouch of chew, I can usually get a half gallon of bug spray.
Because the strained liquid is nothing more than nicotine juice, I get to see up close what it does to the insects.

I can and usually does kill them in a matter of seconds.
If you spray the bugs directly, they WILL ingest it because of their nature to preen themselves. (Some of the various "bad bugs" I've sprayed have literally had their stomachs explode.
(If you've every chewed and accidentally swallowed the "juice", or know someone who has, you know that tobacco juice is indigestable because it contains mostly nicotine, which is a toxin. You know that whoever had the misfortune of ingesting tobacco/juice became sick moments after doing so. This is what it does to bugs, only much more intensely.

The only real warnings I have when using this stuff is as follow:
Don't spray on a breezy day, as it may/will come back in your face.
Don't spray on fruit/vegetables, as it will be absorbed by them.
Don't spray on everything, as it will kill EVERYTHING that ingests it. You don't want to kill beneficial insects as well.

07-02-2008, 10:59 AM	#16
FishermanTim Registered User iTrader: (0) Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Hyde Park, MA Posts: 4,152	I smoked for a few years back when I was in high school. I quit back in '79/80 when I was smoking a pack a week. My father died from cancer (from smoking) and I've got 2 sisters and 3 brothers that STILL smoke even after seeing what it did to dad! Anyway, I still use tobacco today, but it's chewing stuff..... and before you start harping on the dangers of using chew, let me clarify....I don't chew it, but use it to make a rather lethally effective bug spray. See, I have some prized (to me) oriental lilies that would otherwise be decimated by these Asian Lily Leaf Beetles and their larva that defoliate all but the daylily variety of lilies. The beetles are shiny bllod red and will chew the leaves to pieces before mating and laying eggs. The larva hatch and will then begin eating ALL the leaves (from underneath) until there is NOTHING left. What's really gross is that the larva cover themselve with their own feces, making them safe from predators. Since these beetles were "accidentally" released in Cambridge around 10-15 years back, there are no known checks to prevent the spread of these pests. This is where the chewing tobacco comes in. I soak the tobacco leaves in water as if I were making tea, and strain the resulting brown liquid into a pump spray bottle, along with a little squirt of liquid dishwashing soap for good measure. Using 1 pouch of chew, I can usually get a half gallon of bug spray. Because the strained liquid is nothing more than nicotine juice, I get to see up close what it does to the insects. I can and usually does kill them in a matter of seconds. If you spray the bugs directly, they WILL ingest it because of their nature to preen themselves. (Some of the various "bad bugs" I've sprayed have literally had their stomachs explode. (If you've every chewed and accidentally swallowed the "juice", or know someone who has, you know that tobacco juice is indigestable because it contains mostly nicotine, which is a toxin. You know that whoever had the misfortune of ingesting tobacco/juice became sick moments after doing so. This is what it does to bugs, only much more intensely. The only real warnings I have when using this stuff is as follow: Don't spray on a breezy day, as it may/will come back in your face. Don't spray on fruit/vegetables, as it will be absorbed by them. Don't spray on everything, as it will kill EVERYTHING that ingests it. You don't want to kill beneficial insects as well.