Diazinon for Japanese Beetles?

Diazinon was outlawed for residential use in 2004 in the United States. Unfortunately, it is still used in commercial agriculture, however.

Diazinon is a very effective Japanese beetle killer, but also poisons birds and all the other insects in the environment. There are very good reasons why it was disapproved for residential use, and in my opinion it should be disapproved for any kind of use.

Diazinon works by blocking an enzyme that is essential to the proper functioning of the central nervous system. It it blocks this enzyme until the nervous system essentially shuts down.

The scary part is that there has not affects insects, but also people and pets in the same way. Symptoms range from mild to severe from individual to individual. Diazinon exposure can lead to drooling, headaches, and usually takes about 20 minutes for symptoms to take affect.

So you can see how Diazinon might be considered a very dangerous chemical to be spraying on our food. But it is a cheap pesticide that kills a wide range of pests so big agriculture fights to keep it legal.

Instead of diazinon, I recommend using milky spore powder because it targets Japanese beetles but leaves other insects in your garden alone. You can also use cedar oil as a natural beetle repellent, as well.