Cleaning leaves?

lovebugfarm

lovebugfarm

Eleventh Instar
So I was driving down the street and saw huge bags of leaves and brought them home. Now im worried about pestisides. Is there any way to clean them or soak them and change the water a few times to be sure thier pestiside free? I live in austin and its pretty unlikely there is a problem but just wanting to be sure. Maybe put some with a test group of roaches? Any thoughts on random leaves?

 
hello,

2 points:

- In France, the public tree don't received pestiside, I suppose that it's the same thing in US. The pestiside are used when you have something to protect, like fruit.( if it's leaves from fruit tree: I would put the leaves again).

- All the leaves canno't be used with cockroaches if you want to be sure that they can eat them; some leaves should be privileged: oak, chestnut....

In other words, go to forest with these bags (empty) and picks up a mixture of leaves. ;) It's less work finally (compared to actually wash the leaves and dry them) and less anxiety about your cockroaches.

 
In america we are ruled by money not logic. So they spray any where. I found these leaves at someones home. They decide if they want to spray it or not. It wasnt a nice looking yard so I dont think they are spending much money but some people fear bugs so much they pay to spray as precaution. Crazy right anyone can get these chemicals.

Austin texas is know for its live oaks. My concern isnt with how to id trees. ;)

So it is actually illegal to just go to a forest and take leaves. The forests are either privatly owned or state owned. Private forest trespassers get shot at and state ones you get fines. They tell you at the parks if you take a pebble you will be fined.

I was able to fill my truck with 9 big bags which is good cause I keep a variety of bugs. Theres no where else to get that much leaves when you live in an apartment in the city legally.

 
histrio said:
- In France, the public tree don't received pestiside, I suppose that it's the same thing in US. The pestiside are used when you have something to protect, like fruit.( if it's leaves from fruit tree: I would put the leaves again).
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It really depends on the city, but I see guys spraying public trees with pesticides. Most Americans have the thought of "insects are disgusting, kill them all" so they drive both government run and private companies to spray everything. Nothing is safe in urban and sub-urban USA.

 
Where I live, they spray for mosquitos every summer, so there's almost guaranteed to be at least some residue of pesticides on all the trees nearby. Plus I live in a farming community, so where one would normally pick up oak leaves and wood, there's guaranteed to be an orchard or field nearby that's been bombarded with pesticides.

Unfortunately I have to travel a good hour or more to collect wood and leaves in the hills. The leaves you collected may be pesticide free, but I myself get somewhat paranoid from where I collect plant matter that's going into my roach bins. If you have nowhere outside of city limits to collect wood, another alternative may be to buy some leaves and wood from cape cod roaches or another site.

 
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I would soak the leaves in hot water, rub them a bit, then take them out and dry them out on newspaper or something. Then cook them in your oven or microwave, to completely eliminate pests.

 
So it is actually illegal to just go to a forest and take leaves. The forests are either privatly owned or state owned. Private forest trespassers get shot at and state ones you get fines. They tell you at the parks if you take a pebble you will be fined.
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:wacko: :blink: :o wow..... I did not think that the difference between our two countries was so great ... I can go in public wood pick up leaves and dead wood without worry. Only the collection of oak acorns is prohibited.

You really do not seem to have a choice for your leaves.

After reflexion, the spraying of pestiside is normaly not made in winter, so if it rained this winter, the leaves should be already quite clean.

Finally, if the "insect killers" does not use pesticides in winter (insects were hidden to protect themselves from the cold, it is useless) , and if it rains in your area. :D ;)

 
Don't tell anyone about my pebbles.

lovebugfarm said:
So it is actually illegal to just go to a forest and take leaves. The forests are either privatly owned or state owned. Private forest trespassers get shot at and state ones you get fines. They tell you at the parks if you take a pebble you will be fined.
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Thats a great point about the fact spraying doesnt happen in winter. We have had a wet year so im feeling much better about them. Thanks for putting my mind at ease.

 
After reading this thread I decided to take some leaves from my front yard. They are mostly ash leaves mixed with the leaves of whatever trees my neighbors have in their front yards. Do you think that a soak with vinegar and baking soda would eliminate pests? I'm assuming the leaves are acceptable for roaches, as they are all hardwoods. I don't want to bake them in the oven/ microwave. With my track-record of fires, I wouldn't be surprised if I set water on fire in the oven/ microwave.

 
As far as pests vinegar and baking soda will prolly be to light. I think 48 hours in the freezer would do the trick. Of course having a deep freeze would help with that.

 
Tenevanica said:
After reading this thread I decided to take some leaves from my front yard. They are mostly ash leaves mixed with the leaves of whatever trees my neighbors have in their front yards. Do you think that a soak with vinegar and baking soda would eliminate pests? I'm assuming the leaves are acceptable for roaches, as they are all hardwoods. I don't want to bake them in the oven/ microwave. With my track-record of fires, I wouldn't be surprised if I set water on fire in the oven/ microwave.
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Oh come on, putting wet leaves in the microwave for four minutes shouldn't start a fire, if you're careful. :D I've done it many times, always kills all the pests, and I have never had a fire.

 
Hisserdude said:
Oh come on, putting wet leaves in the microwave for four minutes shouldn't start a fire, if you're careful. :D I've done it many times, always kills all the pests, and I have never had a fire.
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Not in my microwave. I set a can of beans on fire in the microwave, and it was almost fully filled with water! 30 seconds and even wet sticks begin to crackle. It heats a few specific areas to really high temperatures which concentrates the heat and is a recipe for fire. It does this to food too. Bugfarm said 48 hours in a deep freeze would do the trick. I'll soak them in vinegar, rinse them in the bathtub, dry them in the sun, and then freeze them in the deep freeze. Considering it's winter and pests will be in fewer numbers, I think I will be fine.

 
Tenevanica said:
Not in my microwave. I set a can of beans on fire in the microwave, and it was almost fully filled with water! 30 seconds and even wet sticks begin to crackle. It heats a few specific areas to really high temperatures which concentrates the heat and is a recipe for fire. It does this to food too. Bugfarm said 48 hours in a deep freeze would do the trick. I'll soak them in vinegar, rinse them in the bathtub, dry them in the sun, and then freeze them in the deep freeze. Considering it's winter and pests will be in fewer numbers, I think I will be fine.
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I think you're overthinking it a bit.. If you're sure it's free of pesticides, just toss it on into the enclosure. I think whatever the roaches benefit from the leaves will be washed away by such a process. They seem to benefit from rotten, old leaves and wood straight from the forest floor.

 
Tenevanica said:
Not in my microwave. I set a can of beans on fire in the microwave, and it was almost fully filled with water! 30 seconds and even wet sticks begin to crackle. It heats a few specific areas to really high temperatures which concentrates the heat and is a recipe for fire. It does this to food too. Bugfarm said 48 hours in a deep freeze would do the trick. I'll soak them in vinegar, rinse them in the bathtub, dry them in the sun, and then freeze them in the deep freeze. Considering it's winter and pests will be in fewer numbers, I think I will be fine.
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Did you put the can in the microwave? You're not supposed to put metal in a microwave, you can easily start a fire like that. Still, sounds like you need a better, safer microwave! :P

Freezing does not always kill some pests, including mites. Still, it's better than just dumping the stuff straight in the cage I suppose.

Sleepy Lemur said:
I think you're overthinking it a bit.. If you're sure it's free of pesticides, just toss it on into the enclosure. I think whatever the roaches benefit from the leaves will be washed away by such a process. They seem to benefit from rotten, old leaves and wood straight from the forest floor.
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While sterilizing the leaves probably gets rid of some nutrients, it is better to clean them than to let harmful pests and fungi into your enclosures. Once you have such pests, it can be almost impossible to eliminate them. The roaches do just fine with sterilized leaves/wood, and the pros of sterilising far outweigh the come.

 
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