This question concerns the use of Neem oil as an insecticide. Do solutions
of Neem (made from say the Dynagrow oil with soap) have to be used within a
few hours, or can the solutions be made up and used over a period of time?
What about Neem oil itself. Does it lose its effectiveness if stored at
room temp conditions?

Thanks

Charles VanDyke

Hi, Chuck.

Neem oil is stable if kept cool and dark, but the active ingredient,
azadirachtin, degrades with light and heat. Emulsifying it in soapy water -
by itself - does nothing to change that, but if you consider that a diluted
dispersion will let more light penetrate into itself easier, I guess the
degradation would be hastened.

--

Ray Barkalow - First Rays Orchids - www.firstrays.com
Plants, Supplies, Artwork, Books and Lots of Free Info!


"charles VanDyke" <cvandyke [at] andrew.cmu.edu> wrote in message
news:782197.1130753721 [at] gruel-2-87.ppp.andrew.cmu.edu...
> This question concerns the use of Neem oil as an insecticide. Do
> solutions of Neem (made from say the Dynagrow oil with soap) have to be
> used within a few hours, or can the solutions be made up and used over a
> period of time? What about Neem oil itself. Does it lose its
> effectiveness if stored at room temp conditions?
>
> Thanks
>
> Charles VanDyke