New Red Bug Treatment?

[treehugger]

Hello All-
So I've been researching red bugs a bit further lately as I am very interested in treatments for pests and the like. I work at a shelter and was talking to a vet today and he made an interesting suggestion to me. I explained to him about using Interceptor and possibly Ivermectin to treat red bugs and he asked if I had ever tried tobacco. Apparently it works well on aphids and he seemed to think it would be equally as effective in a dip for corals to kill redbugs. So if there are any brave souls out there with a redbug problem here is something to test (I have yet to try it myself so this is only a suggestion) He said to get some tobacco (you could try both rolling tobacco or just breaking up a cigarette) and soak it in a gallon or so of salt water (about what would be in 1 cigarette to the gallon), then strain the tobacco out and try dipping the coral in the saltwater/tobacco mix...anyway if anyone tries it out keep me posted on the success or lack there of. Again I have not tried this so do so at your own risk.
Jeff

 

[Snowboarda42]

LOL, I won't be the first to try sorry

 

[Maxx]

The active ingredient in Interceptor is Milbemyecin oxime, which acts as a chitin inhibitor. What exactly does the vet feel the tobacco will do that MO wont? How does the vet think the tobacco will affect the red bugs specifically?

Nick

 

[treehugger]

Nicotine kills insects by interfering with the transmitter substance between nerves and muscles. It's commonly used to control aphids, thrips, spider mites and other sucking insects. He just thought it might be an alternative that would be easier for most people to get a hold of. He was unsure about how the corals would react to it as it could potentially be very toxic to them. I just thought it might be an interesting substance to try. Like I said I've never tried it and I wouldn't just try it on my whole system but rather just as a dip for corals before going into the system...I would also probably give them a nice dip in fresh saltwater before introducing them back into the system to make sure there was no residue...I was just throwing out a new idea.

 

[DonW]

I dont know about red bugs, but chewing tobacco has been used for years with horses and cattle even dogs as a dewormer. My grand father used to save those nasty 1 gallon jugs of chew juice (spit) to spray his garden. Not that girly stuf in a can, the really nasty stringy stuff in a bag.

Don

 

[JoshF]

If anyone is to try this, don't use a cigarette. Find pure tobacco. Cigarettes have a lot of other nasty crap as additives.

Josh

 

[mcvicker]

What if the coral became addicted?