Geez. So is lavender OK to use or not? Jay and others say it's great and doesn't kill everything indiscriminately. MadL feels it is an added risk...
No, I trust Jay. He did not recommend lavender oil, he recommended lavender FPE. He gave a list of beneficials that seemed to suffer no harm, and anyone who talks to Jay about anything knows the guy can observe.
ladybugs, lacewings, hoverflies, and the larvae to all of those. wolf spiders, jumping spiders, crab spiders, predatory wasps, all sorts of native and honey bees, predatory mites (yes i use it as a soil drench too) and more. never saw any die from it.
I would have no problem using the oil either, as long as I know what I am doing FIRST, and of course I should follow Jay's advice literally before I start branching off. So if the FPE fails in other words, I consider the oil. Or maybe just stick with neem. Depends on the facts on the ground.
I also use tobacco, which is similar but more toxic in lower doses, and I really push the IPM fence a bit when I do. Nobody's perfect.
I have a package of lavender buds for tea, just waiting for a mite invasion. I'm really not so eager I am hoping for the chance to experiment, Mites, mites, go away, come back here some other day.
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