gene
Thanks for the study link. I used permethrin on my grapes to control a bad infestation of Japanese Beetles. Now that some of the grapes are becoming ripe, I was curious to know the delta between permethrin application and harvest. I couldn't find any data, and Bayer (the maker of the dust I have) said that I should not eat the grapes this season because the EPA has not approved the use of permethrin on grapes.
I have all intentions of washing the fruit in soapy water, but I was not sure why the EPA had approved carbaryl (Sevin) and not permethrin. permethrin.
I also found an interested comment in this document:
"Washing the samples did not decrease the amount of permethrin detected (Table 3)."
I'm not understanding why washing does not remove permethrin from grapes, but it does for other fruits and vegetables. Does the grape absorb or bond to this particular pesticide?
Anyhow, To be on the safe side, I may have to throw away the grapes this year, and next year I'll use something less toxic, like insecticidal soap or just let the beetles have their way. A lesson learned.
