Less dangerous, and less toxic is 1 cup of Dawn to 1 gallon of water
Pour down the hole after sundown , and the bees/wasps will sufficate as they breathe thru their exoskeleton .
Applicable in all areas, except sandy soil where you will have to increase the volume of mixture.
Ironweed is native to Georgia, and is a form of veronica which is difficult to erradicate.
It will return but I'm not sure flowering will be in time for migrating butterflies.
If you have deer in the "back forty" or 'back corner' be aware of possibilitiy of ticks as a vector for several viral diseases (ie. : Lyme Disease).
Best control is prevention : rubber bands on long pantlegs, don't wear shorts , be aware with full body check when showeing.
Pyrethrins is one of the most common chemicals found in flea and tick elimination products.
Derived from the chrysanthemum flower, pyrethrins kill fleas and ticks by attacking their nervous system.
Thanks for the info - knew the gas fumes suffocate them, but very glad to learn there is a much less toxic way to do it.
As for deer ticks, we are well aware of Lymes and take precautions (and having chickens does a good job keeping ticks & other bugs out of the yard!). I know of several severe cases (through friends) where Lyme’s going undiagnosed for several years has caused terrible health issues - in two advanced cases, antibiotics had to be administered via catheter (P.I.C.C. or Hickman line) near their hearts. The docs, in general, are finally starting to test more frequently for it without the patient having to fling a fit to get it done. A cousin (lives about a 100 miles from where I am) contracted Lymes and had it for about a year before getting it diagnosed - he’s doing well after a course of oral antibiotics.
As if deer ticks aren’t bad enough, there is now an issue with the “Lone Star Tick” causing meat allergies and I have a friend who has this problem - here’s a link:
http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2012/06/red-meat-allergy-likely-caused-by-tick-bites/#.U_DzcYavNiE
On a more cheerful (and beautiful) note, I’m going to post some butterfly pics a little later - I’ll copy you on the post. I also finally got some cucuzzas to grow - batch of cucuzza stew in the crockpot right now and the house is wonderfully redolent with the smells of garlic, onion, thyme, etc. :-)