Donna asked: How long do freshly-mixed insecticides remain viable? assuming they lose effectiveness fairly quickly, then is the mixture still unsafe to dispose of, say in the ground? can it poison ground water? donna in maryland
That was almost a stupid question, but not quite. You MUST read the label, go to the Disposal section (it will be in bold type) and READ it. MOST chemicals require you to dispose of them at a Disposal Station. Here in Canada, they charge depending on the Active Ingredient, how toxic it is and how long it persists in the environment. NEVER, EVER dispose of a chemical in the ground where a water source is close by. There have been cases up here where a greenhouse or nursery has innocently emptied a chemical sprayer close to a fish-bearing stream and 2 or 3 days later there were 100's and 100's of dead salmon fry, fingerlings and smolts. PLEASE read the labe BEFORE you do anything with the left over chemical!!!!!!!!!! If you follow the manufacture'rs recommended mixing rate / L (gallon) and only mix what you need, there shouldn't be any chemical left over. ALWAYS rinse an empty container 3 times with plain water before using it again. PLEASE use cation when disposing of it, think of the environment and the animals and insects you may put at risk, Sincerely, Cody Cruise Valley Pest Consulting _______________________________________________ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://lists.orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids
