8639 Organic olive pest control?

This one,s a bit esoteric but here goes. Spanish organic olive growers avoid the use of sprays by suspending olive fly attracting and killing traps in their trees made of mineral water bottles and baited with either dilute ammonia solution or Torula yeast solution. I believe the Torula stuff is a yeast fed on wood processing waste ( your pet moggy may be eating it right now) Can I obtain it in Italy and would some baker's yeast tablets from the health food store do just as well?

Category
Gardening & Agriculture

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 01/22/2008 - 03:51

[B]Organic olive pest control?[/B]

Have you tried POPEYE ?????

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 02/10/2008 - 12:45

You can easily buy traps with a phremone in to catch the months.You hang them up in June.

The cost about 7 euros each in Italy.

You can also make a sugar solution to attract the moths then poison them.My book mentions barbituates!!!!I think i'll stick to the trap!!!!

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 02/14/2008 - 16:36

I suppose they'll die quietly with a smile on their faces!

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 02/19/2008 - 10:58

[quote=manopello;82321]You can easily buy traps with a phremone in to catch the months.You hang them up in June.

The cost about 7 euros each in Italy.

You can also make a sugar solution to attract the moths then poison them.My book mentions barbituates!!!!I think i'll stick to the trap!!!![/quote]

What are the traps called? I tried to buy some last year but didn't know what to ask for and gave up.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 03/13/2008 - 11:59

do what I do take a drawing or a UK brochure I think you call them TRAPOLE but I may be wrong.They are yellow in col and are sold flat packed.You put them to gether yourself!

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 03/13/2008 - 12:32

Here's a link to the University of California article about organic olive pest control -- spinosad works well, for sure, the traps described, I think the jury may still be out.
[url=http://www.ucinthevalley.org/articles/2004/feb12art1.htm]Landscape olive trees are sanctuaries for olive fruit fly[/url]

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 03/13/2008 - 12:39

I also meant to include this link from olive oil source -- a great website for olive growers.
[url=http://www.oliveoilsource.com/olive_fly.htm]The Olive Fly - control measures, life cycle[/url]

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 03/13/2008 - 22:55

[quote=manopello;85284]I think you call them TRAPOLE but I may be wrong.[/quote]

To be pedantic but hopefully helpful, it's usually 'trappole' (plural), 'trappola' (singular). And just so that people know what you want them for, the phrase 'contra la mosca olearia' (against the olive fly) could be useful.

I only wish the people who own the olive grove next to us would use them, instead of spraying vast jets of something up to the tops of the trees which then carries on going a very long way if there's the slightest breath of wind.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 03/15/2008 - 18:04

Thanks for all the useful info friends. I am trying to use a wildlife friendly regime, much to the puzzlement of my two Italian helpers. I have a feeling that the use of traps in the trees (200) will be a source of amusement and a topic of conversation on the passegiata for weeks to come.