Systemic contact-intestinal insecticide Tanrek has established itself as the "last line of defense" against the Colorado potato beetle, aphids, greenhouse whiteflies and some other particularly dangerous pests. Produced in the Russian Federation by Firma August LLC (trade mark for export products - avgust crop protection).
In Russia, Tanrek is approved for use in private household plots until 2020 and, accordingly, goes on sale in packaging convenient for processing small areas, see fig.:
Commercial forms of insecticide Tanrek
But the renewal of its registration is a big question. Yes, there is no better remedy for the Colorado potato beetle, when there are so many of them that the entire crop is threatened. However, Tanrek is fraught with serious harmful post-effects from its use, both immediate and long-term.
However, potatoes are a vital food crop. All over the world there are places where, if the harvest of potatoes is lost, you can simply not survive the winter. In Russia too. A ruined greenhouse is also not an easy case. Therefore, the farmer needs to know when and how it is possible and necessary to use the Tanrek insecticide so that he does his job - save the crop - without causing harm.
How to use aphid and whitefly remedy
Solutions of different concentrations are prepared against aphids and whiteflies. It is necessary to dilute the product (depending on the cultivated crop) as follows:
- 3 ml per 10 liters of water (for apple, currant; processed before flowering);
- 5 ml per bucket (for cucumbers, tomatoes; spraying should be carried out no later than three days before the fruits ripen);
- 5 ml for the same volume of liquid (for garden and indoor flowers).
The poisonous composition is absorbed into the leaves of plants, enters the body of insects during their feeding, affects the central nervous system (causes paralysis of the respiratory tract and convulsions). The aphid completely dies after three days.
Precautions
In view of the high danger of imidacloprid for beneficial insects and the hidden possibilities of its effect on humans, the following protection zones are established for working with Tanrek insecticide:
- Recreation areas, children's and medical institutions - from 150 m.
- Residential buildings, incl. temporary, open poultry houses and stockyards - from 50 m
- Farm buildings and closed rooms for keeping animals - 15 m.
- Water bodies, water supply sources - according to their cadastral protection zone, but not less than 1.5 km.
- Apiary, wild pollinator reserves - from 6 km.
- The limitation of summer bees is not established, because it is impossible to isolate them during the disintegration of the drug in plants.
- Allowable working time with the drug is 4 hours.
PPE
Imidacloprid quite actively penetrates the human body through mucous membranes, through the respiratory tract and during the reabsorption of grease. Therefore, PPE for working with Tanrek must be chosen very carefully. You can wear ordinary waterproof shoes; Protect the body over clothing with a waterproof raincoat with a hood.
Latex gloves are not suitable for hands, you need protective gloves for pesticides. The lightest (and cheapest) single-layer will do, pos. 1 in fig. If you shell out for 2-3 ply gloves, it won't get any worse.
Personal protective equipment for working with pesticides
Imidacloprid is weakly volatile, but a simple petal respirator (item 2) will not protect against its vapors.The filter respirator with full face mask (item 3) is a pleasure for anywhere in the $ 300 or more. Even professionals working with toxic chemistry often replace him with a clothed respirator with gas-mask cartridges (item 4) and closed protective goggles (canned food glasses).
But, firstly, part of the facial skin still remains unprotected. Secondly, canned glasses are different. Industrial ones without face seals (item 5) are not suitable in this case - they protect against sparks, dust, shavings, but not from poisonous fumes - and safety glasses for pesticides are also expensive.
Especially for use in private household plots, sets of goggles-respirator are sold, pos. 6. Their resource is much less than professional face PPE, but the price is not godless either. To work with Tanrek and other toxic chemistry with latent hazard potential, it is better to supplement the kit with a splash-proof face shield (pos. 7), medical or home-made made of polycarbonate.
First aid
Symptoms of imidacloprid poisoning are shortness of breath, lethargy, decreased motor activity (lethargy), trembling of the limbs (tremor), drooping eyelids. If it comes to them, the accumulation threshold in the body is exceeded. The victim must be immediately taken to a doctor - self-help measures will only harm, there is no antidote, the treatment is sympathetic.
Storage
Tanrek is stored in the usual conditions for pesticide chemistry: in a separate non-residential premises, inaccessible to children and animals. An additional condition is a waterproof flooring (eg linoleum), because you need to breed Tanrek in a specially adapted room. Neutralization of the drug spilled on the ground is ineffective, and it must be collected from the floor with a disposable rag (a large lump of toilet paper is good), then wipe the floor with a solution of baking soda or soda ash (3-4 tablespoons per 1 liter of water) and wash the floor with water. Wet rags, together with empty packaging, are burned or handed over for recycling to a special collection point.
Advantages and disadvantages
Insecticide Tanrek VRK has its advantages. Among them:
- the possibility of processing seed material before planting in the ground;
- efficiency and availability;
- lack of strong stench;
- rapid onset of the effect (parasites die in 3-5 days);
- a wide range of actions;
- sufficiently long exposure time (provides plant protection for a month);
- ease of preparation and use of the composition;
- efficiency (regardless of weather conditions);
- suitable for use as a prophylactic agent;
- can be used to treat indoor plants.
Among the shortcomings are noted:
- the need for strict adherence to proportions (overdose can lead to the death of plants);
- unequal effect on insects of different species (the drug is ineffective against ticks, poorly destroys mealybugs);
- insecurity for bees.
Spraying should be done in the morning or evening. If processing is carried out with high sun activity, then this can provoke a leaf burn.
So that the pesticide lingers on the plants and is not washed off by the rain, grated laundry soap must be added to the aqueous solution.
What is the problem?
Tanrek is an insecticide from the neonicotinoid class. These are new synthetic organic compounds unknown in nature; to date, only 5 neonicotinoids are known. At first, neonicotinoids seemed like a find: they are highly effective against targets, as pesticides have a number of valuable qualities (see below) and looked low-hazard for vertebrates, incl. fish.
However, firstly, all neonicotinoids were immediately assigned the first hazard class for bees. A little later it turned out that these substances are no less dangerous for crustaceans. But the hazard class is a generalized factor with a certain range of values of hazard parameters.The active substance of Tanrec - imidacloprid - is closer to its upper limit. For example, its LD50 for bees is 4-17 ng / individual for oral administration and 24 ng / individual for contact (!). Cypermethrin from the same chemical class and also hazard class 1 acc. values 160 and 120 ng / individual. Those. imidacloprid is tens of times stronger, too, not at all weak "chemical brothers", and the ratio of its intestinal and contact activity is the opposite of what they have.
Note: LD50 means a lethal dose for 50% of those who took poison, i.e., if you feed, say, 100 individuals according to LD50, then 50 of them will die, with small statistical deviations.
Secondly, the translaminar activity of imidacloprid in terms of the totality of indicators is also many times higher: in 3-4 hours. it permeates literally the entire plant - from root caps to nectar and pollen. As a result, any non-predatory insect that visits the plant treated by Tanrek, even by accident, is doomed to death. Recent studies have finally confirmed: the main reason for the total death of bees and the pestilence of wild pollinators in Europe and a number of American countries is the result of the use of neonicotinoids.
Note: Massive pest of bees in the summer of 2020 in neighboring countries is also caused mainly by neonicotinoids.
But domestic bees are the main and irreplaceable pollinators. The role of "savages" in pollination of plants is several times less - plant biocenoses have long been able to adapt mainly to bees, because as pollinators, they are consistently highly effective, and wild bees for millennia have not withstood the competition with domestic ones. Plants provide food for all living things, and the complete death of bees is an ecological disaster of historical proportions. Not human history, geological. Therefore, at present, neonicotinoids in the EU are allowed to be used only on greenhouses, and imidacloprid is unconditionally banned. Are you late - time will tell ...
And that is not all. All nicotine derivatives as poisons have a cumulative effect: their effect is sharply enhanced when accumulated in the body up to a certain threshold concentration. The long-term effects of the systematic intake of neonicotinoids are generally the same as from nicotine from tobacco. But imidacloprid also stands out among neonicotinoids for its persistence: its half-life in soil is 100 days and depends little on temperature. In fruits, it disintegrates faster, but still rather slowly, see below.
Imidacloprid contains many pesticides; the most popular are Confidor, Iskra Zolotaya, Biotlin, etc. But they contain complementary active ingredients that reduce the danger of drugs and simplify their handling. Tanrek is a pure imidacloprid of a very high concentration for this class of substances of 20% (200 g / l). And its preparative form - water-soluble concentrate (WRC) - makes Tanrek insecticide particularly demanding on the technology of use and compliance with precautions when working with the drug.
Therefore, the main rules for using Tanrek:
- It is permissible to treat plants with this pesticide only and only once in the current season;
- It is necessary to apply Tanrek only when a pest infestation on a scale that threatens the entire crop or the existence of a perennial plantation;
- Do not use Tanrek in conditions and / or during a time when it is possible for pollinators to visit the plants, as well as for plants that they can at least "taste";
- Although Tanrek is classified as a 3rd hazard class for humans, the precautions necessary for working with the drug in private households (see below) must be observed with a class higher.
Limitations
Tanrek vrk from the Colorado potato beetle - although it belongs to chemicals, it is a moderately dangerous substance for humans. Carry out the processing of plants in protective clothing, a respirator, glasses. The temperature should not be higher than 15 degrees.
If you neglect such rules, then this can lead to poisoning.Vomiting, weakness and nausea will be observed. Since the poison is moderately toxic to humans, you should immediately consult a doctor. By the way, glasses, which are often forgotten, are also very important for safety. Contact with the solution on the mucous membrane can cause swelling, severe itching and redness.
The drug is incompatible with other agents that exhibit alkaline and acidic properties. But on the other hand, it shows good efficiency in combination with fungicides.
Storage conditions
According to the instructions, Tanrek is stored at a temperature of -25 - + 35 ° C. For storage, choose a well-ventilated, dark and dry place. It is forbidden to store the insecticide in a place that children can reach, in the refrigerator with food, tablets and medications, animal feed. When diluted, Tanrek must be used within 24 hours.
After the passage of the day, the active substance is oxidized and treatment with such a solution will not be effective.
To protect which plants are suitable
Most of the pests will certainly die during the treatment, causing them to become paralyzed. It is also used to protect the following crops:
- fruit trees;
- roses;
- currants;
- cucumbers;
- tomatoes;
- bell pepper;
- cabbage;
- viburnum;
- dill;
- raspberries;
- indoor plants.
Note! With constant use of Tanrek, insects can develop resistance. That is, they will not react to it. So the drug must be alternated with other insecticides from this line.
Instructions for use
To develop the prepared insecticidal composition within six hours. The basic rules of use are as follows:
- Carry out processing in sunny, calm weather in the morning or in the evening.
- You can use metal and plastic sprays, this will not affect the properties of the drug.
- To consume the finished insecticidal composition strictly in accordance with the standards that are prescribed in the instructions for use. Do not pour 10 liters of solution on one or two bushes at once.
Tanrek can be mixed with some anti-tick fungicides. Namely: "Topaz", "Horus", "Bi-58", "Omite". Each of them has its own instructions for use.
The principle of the drug
Imidacloprid, penetrating into the vascular system of plants, makes them poisonous to insects. The ingress of poison into the gastrointestinal tract of Colorado beetles leads to a blockage of the transmission of nerve impulses. As a result, pests develop paralysis, they lose their ability to feed, and die after 20-24 hours.
Tanrek contains substances that improve the adhesion of the insecticide to the leaves and stems of plants. The product is not washed off during watering and rains, due to which it can have a toxic effect for 2-4 weeks.
See also How and why to spud potatoes
Reviews of gardeners about Tanrek insecticide
For the most part, gardeners like Tanrek, but sometimes they complain about it.
- Timur Kozlov: “When Tanrek first went on sale, its effectiveness was really high. We have used it for Colorado potato beetles, aphids and other pests. But in the last couple of years, the product has deteriorated a lot! At first I thought that the case was in fakes and ordered on the official website, but this time it did not cope with the beetles. Now I am purchasing Prestige - it is more effective against the Colorado potato beetle. "
- Masha Petrova: “I really like Tanrek insecticide. I have been using it for over 5 years. He copes well with the Colorado potato beetle, aphids, helps with whitefly. The smell is not very pleasant, but it doesn't matter, it disappears quickly. I use it even without a sprayer, but by sprinkling or moistening a broom and shaking it over the plants. I just don’t like it’s chemistry, but I only use it once a year, so I think it will not do much harm. ”
- Egor Morozov: “I don’t know how from the Colorado potato beetle, but Tanrek literally saves the garden from aphids. Around the beginning of July, there were a horde of aphids in our garden. Last year, we decided to fight in a complex way, not only against this pest, but also against ants. They poisoned them with different means, from aphids they used Tanrek. After a few days, the site was clean. Of course, there are still a few ants left, it is difficult to remove them, but aphids, as it were! ".
