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Author Topic: Bees and Motor Oil  (Read 10629 times)

Offline Michael Bush

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Re: Bees and Motor Oil
« Reply #20 on: October 26, 2007, 08:26:22 pm »
>Is boric acid a cleaner?

Sometimes it is sold as a cockroach killer. But it's almost always available in USP grade at the pharmacy.

> Wonder if it is the same as 20 Mule Team Borax that I use for washing some types of clothes?

Not, it's not.  But borax does have the same effect for the same reasons and can be substituted more cheaply.
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Offline reinbeau

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Re: Bees and Motor Oil
« Reply #21 on: October 29, 2007, 08:28:37 am »
Boric acid is the main component in 20 Mule Team Borax.  But be careful with borax, it takes very little for it to build up in the soil, and it causes permanent damage, nothing will grow there.

Offline Cindi

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Re: Bees and Motor Oil
« Reply #22 on: October 30, 2007, 10:04:44 am »
Ann, that is interesting and certainly worthy of deep thought and care.

In one of my seed catalogues this company advises when growing the big sunflowers for seed heads to dissolve a little boron in some water and feed the plants, I think they may need only a tiny little bit.  And I think it was like 1 tsp per cup, giving each plant only a tiny bit of this.  I would have to revisit their instructions though for stronger remembering.  Evidently the sunflowers use alot of boron to grow strong to build good flowerheads.  I haven't ever used it because I am too lazy, but it is worth some thought I would imagine, but surely, one would have to be careful of how much went into the soil for sure.  Have a wonderful day, great life on this great earth.  Cindi
There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

Offline reinbeau

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Re: Bees and Motor Oil
« Reply #23 on: October 30, 2007, 11:43:57 am »
Cindi, I wonder if boron is the allelopathic substance sunflowers exude into the soil.  Most plants won't grow underneath a sunflower, and the hulls, if left to accumulate on the ground, will kill grass.  It's the sunflower's way of thwarting competition. 

Offline asprince

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Re: Bees and Motor Oil
« Reply #24 on: October 30, 2007, 08:08:01 pm »
Cindi, tell me more about plants not growing under sunflowers. I had one come up in my tomato bed. It towered over my tomatoes (7-8 feet tall). My tomatoes in that are did LOUSY and I could not figure out why. Could the sunflower be the reason?
 Steve
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Offline Cindi

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Re: Bees and Motor Oil
« Reply #26 on: October 31, 2007, 10:14:13 am »
Ann, holy smoking mackarel!!!!  Allelopathy....never heard of it and I am going to start a new thread.  You have opened up a can of worms, and now I have to do more research this winter and study this more deeply.  I was shocked at what I read, and go and read the new post that I am going to create. I have some cool thoughts.  Steve....go there too, we have lots to learn and discuss.  Have a wonderful and beautiful day in our life.  Cindi
There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

Offline DennisB

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Re: Bees and Motor Oil
« Reply #27 on: October 31, 2007, 10:30:32 am »
"here is an interesting explanation/discussion of allelopathy."

That really is a great article to read, not just for gardeners. I guess it could also be applied in a very general sense to the "toxins" sent out by some plants to repel animals and other insects. Gardeners have planted these types of plants around the edges of their gardens for a long time to keep certain animals and bugs out. Huum...I wonder if they could be used around the edges of the apiary?

Offline reinbeau

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Re: Bees and Motor Oil
« Reply #28 on: October 31, 2007, 10:24:00 pm »
Ok, I really did open up a can of worms, didn't i?  ;)

There's a difference between repelling and allelopathy.  Plants can possess allelopathic qualities, not animals. A monarch butterfly eats milkweed, which is highly toxic, thereby acquiring the toxicity of the plant so no animal want to eat the butterfly - that's not allelopathic behavior.  Planting marigolds around a garden will repel, but not poison, certain insects that might want to do your garden harm.  Black walnut trees exude a toxin from their roots, called jugulone, that has allelopathic qualities and will kill many plants living within its dripline.  Some plants have a tolerance for it, however, and will grow just fine. 

I am going to post this same post over in Cindi's thread under the Farming section, we should continue it there, I guess!