Knowledgebase

a good home recipe for an herbicide. #442148

Asked March 01, 2018, 10:09 PM EST

Hi, I'm a honeybee advocate making a flier for people to read about the dangers of using mainly RoundUp, but also other toxic pesticides as well. Do you know of a good safe pesticide to replace the toxic ones? It can either be a home recipe or a commercial one that isn't too awful expensive. Can you explain the differences between the different percentages of acid in vinegar? Like 5% vs. 7% Vs 15%. for safety. I'm trying to get people to use something else, so I need a recipe that has been tested. Which I'm sure you have. Thanks!!!

Washington County Oregon

Expert Response

The risk of herbicides like Roundup to honeybees and other pollinators are relatively low if they are used just before or when the plants are not flowering.

Herbicides with acetic acid (vinegar) are contact herbicides that burn foliage, but do not go to the root and kill perennial plants like dandelion or blackberry. Unfortunately, contact herbicides are not terribly effective as herbicides and the acetic acid materials are unpleasant (strong odor and potential for burning skin) to use. The higher the percentage, the higher the potential hazard of the material. This hazard can me managed if one follows the safety instructions on the pesticide package.

There are not any home-made herbicides that are proven to be effective.

For your flyer, here is good information about protecting pollinators in home gardens and landscapes:

In terms of assessing the relative toxicity of pesticides, this resource might help:
https://www.growsmartgrowsafe.org/

I hope that this information helps with your flyer.  Please let me know if you have any further questions.

Weston
Weston Miller Replied March 04, 2018, 8:37 PM EST

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