So, I heard on NPR the other day that grapefruit juice has a nerve toxin in it that is harmless to us, but insects hate it.
In fact, if they land in it, they die.



Got on the CDC website to confirm, and DANG if it's not true.

Tiger, I have proof that grapefruit keeps the gnats away in Arizona.

If you eat a ripe banana, it keeps the chiggers away; but I don't know for how long. I need to continue the experiment ...

If the insect is on a solid surface and you hit it with a grapefruit travelling at sufficient velocity, it is 100% effective.

So why don't they use it in insect repellent instead of DEET? DEET also kills insects. Grapefruit juice doesn't disolve plastic, does it?

So, here is what I did. I put on my safety goggles .... and I mashed a grapefruit. I didn't know which part of the grapefruit had the most toxin (skin, seeds, pulp?) So I ground the whole thing up...

Put a bug in it the mash. Bug died. It was quick.

mwah ha ha mwah ha ha

Good bye lice.
Good bye fleas.
I will rub this on my knees.
Good bye bugs, one and all.
I will love to see you fall
This gunk smells good in my hair.
This gunk smells good in my lair.
I'm so happy I could dance.
Humble grapefruit, my new lance.

Don't know about melting plastic....I was able to light a diode once using a grapefruit.

Is it sticky? Any residue left after the juice dries?

CSUMarmot wrote:Is it sticky? Any residue left after the juice dries?

Mahhhhhh.. I have a poem for that, Mister Marmot :

When Grapefruit juice dries,
It can attract many flies.

So the point remains mute,
And tiger's poem is so cute.

I whittle away the hours,
Dreaming of solid rock towers.

I don't give a damn about bugs,
But I need to refill my cold glass of suds.

Very handy! Plenty of insects out there that couldn't give a crap about DEET.

Baarb wrote:Very handy! Plenty of insects out there that couldn't give a crap about DEET.

Deer flies totally ignore it. Fortunately they are slow so they are easy to swat and kill.

Buz Groshong wrote:
Deer flies totally ignore it. Fortunately they are slow so they are easy to swat and kill.

Buz, you haven't seen Deer flies until you've visited Mount Rainier National Park during the summer. Those suckers are nothing nice.

How 'bout bananas? Has anybody stuck it to them with a banana ???

lcarreau wrote:

Buz Groshong wrote:
Deer flies totally ignore it. Fortunately they are slow so they are easy to swat and kill.

Buz, you haven't seen Deer flies until you've visited Mount Rainier National Park during the summer. Those suckers are nothing nice.

How 'bout bananas? Has anybody stuck it to them with a banana ???

Nope, I haven't seen them there. I have dealt with them at Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge in NC. Their bite is nasty, but like I said, you can swat many of them and kill them.

Has anybody ever did a doctoral on how fast the little buggers multiply ??? They probably multiply like rabbits in a carrot factory.

Hello? Is this thing turned on ....?



What's UP, Doc ???

nootkatone is the magic ingredient. It is not found in bananas. It is found in Alaska cedars, though!

Here is a CDC powerpoint presentation, worth a look:

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnil ... sman06.pdf

tigerlilly wrote:nootkatone is the magic ingredient. It is not found in bananas. It is found in Alaska cedars, though!

Here is a CDC powerpoint presentation, worth a look:

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnil ... sman06.pdf

10x the LD50 of permethrin... but how much is in grapefruit? Grapefruit has a lot of other weird things (e.g. excess flavanoids).