Wednesday, January 7 2009
Kitties, Bugs and Chrysanthemums
I'd hide around the corner too.
For years I've advocated the use of pyrethrin-based insecticides as one of the few safe remedies for fruit-fly infestations. Melanogaster drosophila (the mug on the left) can be a real pain in the carboy. Not only are they unsightly, they carry the hazards of a schnozzle full of bacteria wherever they go, and can (at least potentially) transfer it into your poor innocent wine. They ignore flypaper, are too small to swat, and seem to appear out of thin air whenever there's fermentation going on.
Fortunately there are insecticides chosen particularly for their usefulness against these compound-eyed little yeast beasts. Pyrethrins are a class of chemical compounds extracted from an African chrysanthemum, and they work against a wide array for naughty bugs while still being relatively safe.
Make a stand for you wine, honey. Try to can the can
I first used these insecticides in food service. The supplier referred to them as 'food-grade' insecticide, which has me visualising people spraying it on their scrambled eggs, but what he meant was that it's safe for food prep surfaces, for the most part. It doesn't smell particularly good, and I've seen someone with a grass allergy nearly sneeze themselves unconscious around it, but the toxicity is low--yay team.
Where the problem crops up is with synthetic pyrethrins, also know as pyrethroids. While the natural stuff is pretty safe for kitties and doggies, and breaks down very quickly in the environment (sunlight denatures it in very short order) and it's even used as a direct-application flea killer on pets, the synthetics are incredibly persistent and dangerous. Cats lack the enzymes to break them down, so they can easily develop pyrethroid toxicity when exposed.
A face to melt the coldest heart, no?
I'd feel terrible if my advice hurt any kitties, so make sure if you're using a pyrethrin-based insecticide around your winemaking that you read the label and follow the instructions precisely. Also, don't use synthetic pyrethroids around animals (or even humans, if it comes to it) or areas where your animals may come in contact with the residue. We may be fighting a raging battle with the arthropods for control of our precious wines and grape juices, but our furred companions are non-combatants.
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