Nicotine, A Natural Insecticide
For most people, when they hear nicotine, images of cigarettes and lung disease come to mind. Nicotine comes from tobacco and is very dangerous to mammals - including humans. As you may already know, people that smoke become addicted because of the nicotine in their cigarettes. Nicotine should not be taken lightly. If it affects humans and other warm blooded mammals, then logically it affects small insects. Nicotine is used against pierce sucking insects such as aphids, whiteflies, leaf hoppers and thrips.
Nicotine comes from a plant and as found mainly in tobacco, tomato, potato, eggplant and green peppers. Nicotine can also be found on the leaves of coca plants. Like other natural insecticides, nicotine is diluted and used as a spray against insect pests. With today's technology, nicotine as a natural insecticide is also combined with other chemicals to become a stronger pesticide against insects. Nicotine, as you can imagine, may infect the environment and ecosystems. Nicotine as a natural insecticide is regulated by the government.
As of now, the insecticide is usually sold in less than a 50% liquid concentrate, it is diluted in water and used as a spray. On the home front gardeners can create their own spray. All they need to do, it is steep a cup of tobacco in some water, after about 12 hours, strain it and then compare it as a spray. The idea is to spray the plants you want protected from those pesky insects that want to feed on it. Nicotine works very well with caterpillars and aphids.
There are sometimes some side effects when working with pesticides - natural insecticides is no different. In one study, some worms that became resistant to nicotine as a natural insecticide actually became bigger and faster than those worms that fed on plants with normal nicotine levels. But the natural insecticide is still effective with other insect pests. The green peach aphid is an example of an insect that repels against nicotine.
It is important to point out that nicotine as a natural insecticide is very toxic to humans. Nicotine can actually be absorbed through the skin. It is best to use gloves when handling nicotine. The good thing about nicotine when used as a natural insecticide is that it is highly biodegradable, and can be used on crops because of this. When using nicotine as a natural insecticide, it is also good to know that it can harm other plants such as roses.
When it comes to humans we should remember that many people have died because of nicotine in cigarette smoking. Nicotine in pesticides has also been used as a suicidal means. Young children have been rushed to the ER due to ingesting nicotine pesticides by accident. Nicotine is a great natural insecticide to use against insects, but we should handle it with great respect.
Instead of homemade nicotine insecticide, it is probably better to purchase products with nicotine as a natural insecticide. For example, Black Leaf is a popular brand of pesticide that includes nicotine in its 40% concentrated state. Buying products such as Black Leaf is safer for most people to handle.
