Derris/Rotenone banned in France

[Millymollymandy]

I've just read in a gardening magazine that the insecticide Rotenone (also known as Derris) has been banned in France, from sale since Oct last year and from being used after April 2007.

I know some of you on this site use this insecticide although you are in other countries. It has been thought of as an organic insecticide as it is plant based, and although it kills all insects indiscrimately, it has been thought of as harmless for man and animals.

The article says that there has now been proven a link between Rotenone and Parkinson's Disease and is now classed as toxic in case of ingestion, is an irritant for the skin, the eyes and the respiratory passages, very dangerous to aquatic organisms and above all, dangerous to the environment!

I don't use any insecticide in the garden and don't like this stuff because Rotenone is indiscrimate anyway and kills all insects, however, it is the only product in this country that you can find for use in chicken sheds against mites!

So I thought it was safe for me and my chooks! Bit scary to think I have been puffing this stuff around the chook house whenever it has been cleaned out and I and the chooks have been breathing it in, the chooks probably have ingested it too.

[Shirley]

That's interesting M3 - not to mention SCARY!

I wonder whether there are any plans to ban it from the UK market. One would think that it should be a matter of course, but that doesn't always happen does it.

[Andy Hamilton]

Derris has been mentioned in many of my organic gardening books - I have almost used it on some occasions when other methods don't work. I am glad that I have not so far. Blimey, I wonder when the news will break over here.

[Wombat]

I have used it, ot extensively but I have used it. Mostly to combat cabbage moth. Ah well if it causes oldtimers disease, that does explain a few things.......

[Christina]

Is there no natural preditor to eat the mites in the chicken shed?

I know a friend bought some kind of bug to eat another

[Wombat]

Not that I am aware of........

Could go back to painting all of the surfaces with kero or something.....

Nev

[Millymollymandy]

Good news! I have just looked at my pot of insecticide for the chicken shed and it no longer says contains Rotenone but now contains Pyrethrine!!! I hadn't noticed because it is in the same puffer pot.

It also now says good for use in aviaries and chicken sheds too - so cross fingers we shan't get mites in the chook house!