Animal and Insect pests

[Deleted]

I have been reading Maria Thun's "The Biodynamic Sowing and Plant Calendar" and apart from giving the planting times of root, flower, leaf and fruit plants there is also suggestions on how to deal with pests.
"If an animal becomes a pest, it can be driven back to within its natural limits using its own burnt remains.
"There is no need to reach for biological and chemical means of control; instead regulate the animal or insect from within its own species. For mice, birds and the like, a few skins or feathers should suffice while for insects, slugs etc, the following method should be followed:
"Take 50 or 60 specimens of the particular pest and burn them in a wood fire. . . . The resulting mixture of wood and pest ash should then be "dynamized" by grinding it in a mortar for an hour.
One gram of this dynamized ash should be then placed in a small bottle with 9cc of water and shaken vigorously for three minutes."

This is the first decimal potency (D1) It goes on to tell you to dilute it further, adding 9ccs each time to D8, producing 100,000 litres. The D8 potency is sufficient to have an inhibiting effect on reproductive capacity of the pest when it is applied as a fine mist for three consecutive evenings.
Has anybody heard of or tried such witchcraft? Or have the Thuns blown the credibility of their calendar?

[skarloey]

Hi Weedhatch,

It sounds very similar to homeopathy to me. The curing of 'like with like', hang on, I'll find you a link.....

Here you are:

www.skeptics.org.uk/article.php?dir=articles&article=homeopathy.php

Now I'm probably one of the most skeptical/cynical people in the world but I DO think homeopathy works. Well I'm only 5'1 and a half, had a 12 hour labour and gave birth to a 9lb 2oz baby using homeopathy and entonox (gas and air)....... Didn't feel a thing...... much! ;D ;D ;D

Do you know if these pest remedies are available to buy? I'm off to google Maria Thun, she sounds very interesting.

[roxann57]

Hi Weedhatch

I was told a long time ago that boiling slugs in water and using the "liquor" was a good deterrent. I hate slugs but would never be able to do it and that goes for burning them too . I'm just too squeamish.

[Deleted]

We've been warned over here that farmers are going to be spraying a lot of pesticides this growing season because it has been so mild this winter. The frosts haven't reduced the over wintering pests sufficiently. I made essence of slug yesterday but I'm wondering if shandies of pest essence will be as effective as the straight version.