Methylated spirits/alcohol
Eric G
problem.
My local hardware store had methyl hydrate rather than methylated
alcohol. What is the difference? Can methyl hydrate be used in this
case?
Thanks
Eric
Franz Heymann
"Eric G" <Er...@ether.net> wrote in message
news:sbhcs09d6nmptp9uj...@4ax.com...
Try your chemist for methylated spirits.
Franz
Peter
4ax.com:
Methyl hydrate is not the same as meths. It is sold as a paint stripper,
but otherwise its more usual name is wood spirit or methanol. It's pretty
nasty stuff and I don't think it will do your plants much good.
"Meths", on the other hand, is 95% pure ethanol (grain spirit), to which
chemicals have been added to make it unpalatable, to avoid tax on booze -
that is why meths, which would otherwise be taxed at twice the rate of
vodka, is so cheap. The main additive is methanol, hence the name
"methylated" sprirt.
Hope this helps,
Peter
anton
"Eric G" <Er...@ether.net> wrote in message
news:sbhcs09d6nmptp9uj...@4ax.com...
Methylated alcohol, methylated spirit, meths, are mainly ethanol (the
alcohol in alcoholic drinks) with a small proportion of methanol (the
alcohol that can make you go blind), and often a bit of dye to colour it and
something that tastes bitter to discourage you even further from drinking
it.
Methyl hydrate, which isn't sold under that name in this country afaik,
seems from a quick google to be pure methanol.
Try not to breathe in an excess dose of either, especially the methyl
hydrate.
I would guess that either will be instant death for bugs of all
descriptions, and I'd also guess that using either of them neat you might
have a problem with scorching the foliage. Does the advice for mealybugs
involve watering the alcohol down with water before use?
--
Anton
Rod
<anto...@SPAMbtinternet.com> wrote:
>I would guess that either will be instant death for bugs of all
>descriptions, and I'd also guess that using either of them neat you might
>have a problem with scorching the foliage. Does the advice for mealybugs
>involve watering the alcohol down with water before use?
When I had a severe problem with mealy bug I found that alcohol of any
kind is a very efficient way of killing Streptocarpus, following from
that I would say if anyone had any other Gesneriads, to do a small
scale trial before treating wholesale with meths or whatever alcohol
you choose.
=================================================
Rod
Weed my email address to reply.
http://website.lineone.net/~rodcraddock/index.html
Pam Moore
<rodcraddock...@lineone.net> wrote:
>When I had a severe problem with mealy bug I found that alcohol of any
>kind is a very efficient way of killing Streptocarpus, following from
>that I would say if anyone had any other Gesneriads, to do a small
>scale trial before treating wholesale with meths or whatever alcohol
>you choose.
I found that the Ultimate Bug Killer spray was also a good way of
killing Streptocarpus. I asked at the Dibleys stand at the next show
when I bought a replacement plant, and the chap said they use the
Provado granules mix to treat their plants. Don't know if it works on
mealy bugs, but I did have a few on other plants, and there's no sign
of them now. (as far as I can see, which is not as much as most of you
can!) It comes to something when gardening friends come visiting, and
I ask them to check my houseplants for bugs!
Pam in Bristol
Eric G
>Methyl hydrate is not the same as meths. It is sold as a paint stripper,
>but otherwise its more usual name is wood spirit or methanol. It's pretty
>nasty stuff and I don't think it will do your plants much good.
>
>"Meths", on the other hand, is 95% pure ethanol (grain spirit), to which
>chemicals have been added to make it unpalatable, to avoid tax on booze -
>that is why meths, which would otherwise be taxed at twice the rate of
>vodka, is so cheap. The main additive is methanol, hence the name
>"methylated" sprirt.
>
>Hope this helps,
>
>Peter
Thanks Peter and Anton.
I'm glad I checked with you folks before applying any methyl hydrate.
I will search more thoroughly now for meth spirits. The methyl hydrate
is pretty cheap, I hope the spirits are too (meth spirits that is).
Eric
David Hill
known as "Black Biddy".
--
David Hill
nambucca
You should be able to buy Methylated spirits in any DIY or hardware store
........its used for all kinds of things from removing ballpoint pen stains
to rubbing down the surface of polished furniture
Rod
<moore...@NOSPAMvirgin.net> wrote:
>I found that the Ultimate Bug Killer spray was also a good way of
>killing Streptocarpus. I asked at the Dibleys stand at the next show
>when I bought a replacement plant, and the chap said they use the
>Provado granules mix to treat their plants. Don't know if it works on
>mealy bugs,
It should work on mealy bugs. The commercial preparation containing
Imidacloprid that we use certainly saw our mealy bugs off the
premises. That is applied as a drench to the compost (not to the
foliage, though you can't avoid wetting at least some leaves) I wonder
how and under what conditions you applied the spray? Streptocarpus
really don't like their leaves wet, especially in bright sunshine,
also I wonder about the carrier used in the spray on preparations.
Sometimes it's the carriers and solvents that damage the plants rather
than the active ingredient.
Incidentally it was at Rex Dibley's suggestion that we tried the
Imidacloprid drench.
Eri...@ether.net
<namb...@nospam.com> wrote:
>You should be able to buy Methylated spirits in any DIY or hardware store
>........its used for all kinds of things from removing ballpoint pen stains
>to rubbing down the surface of polished furniture
I'm still having a heck of a time trying to track down some meths
here in Guelph Canada. Maybe I should move to the UK?
Most people/stores I've called have never heard of the stuff.
I've called paint stores, hardware stores, chemical stores,
pharmacies.
Hardware stores carry methyl hydrate but not methylated alcohol.
Rubbing alcohol consists of isopropyl alcohol here, 70% isopropyl ISP.
Could isopropyl alcohol be used instead of methyl alcohol to kill
these mealybugs?
Eric
Nick Maclaren
>
> I'm still having a heck of a time trying to track down some meths
>here in Guelph Canada. Maybe I should move to the UK?
Nah. I would give a lot to live that far south of here.
>Most people/stores I've called have never heard of the stuff.
>I've called paint stores, hardware stores, chemical stores,
>pharmacies.
>Hardware stores carry methyl hydrate but not methylated alcohol.
That is probably the same stuff. As names fly across the pond,
they often mutate.
>Rubbing alcohol consists of isopropyl alcohol here, 70% isopropyl ISP.
>Could isopropyl alcohol be used instead of methyl alcohol to kill
>these mealybugs?
Yes. And so could medicinal ethanol. It is the dessicating effect
that kills them, not the particular chemical.
Regards,
Nick Maclaren.
Eri...@ether.net
>>Most people/stores I've called have never heard of the stuff.
>>I've called paint stores, hardware stores, chemical stores,
>>pharmacies.
>>Hardware stores carry methyl hydrate but not methylated alcohol.
>
>That is probably the same stuff. As names fly across the pond,
>they often mutate.
HI Nick,
Well I have since learned that methyl hydrate is methanol whereas
methylated alcohol is 95% ethanol and 5% or less of methanol.
So they aren't really the same.
>
>>Rubbing alcohol consists of isopropyl alcohol here, 70% isopropyl ISP.
>>Could isopropyl alcohol be used instead of methyl alcohol to kill
>>these mealybugs?
>
>Yes. And so could medicinal ethanol. It is the dessicating effect
>that kills them, not the particular chemical.
OK, then I guess I'll try the isopropyl alcohol and see if it does
the trick.
Thanks.
Eric
Martin Brown
> In article <41c8d0a0....@news1.sympatico.ca>, <Eri...@ether.net> wrote:
>
>>Most people/stores I've called have never heard of the stuff.
>>I've called paint stores, hardware stores, chemical stores,
>>pharmacies.
>>Hardware stores carry methyl hydrate but not methylated alcohol.
>
> That is probably the same stuff. As names fly across the pond,
> they often mutate.
Unlikely in this case more like they stayed the same and ours evolved.
The problem is that to communicate chemicals by common names in the
colonies you need to know what Elizabethan alchemists called the stuff.
According to Henley's (ca 1921) even if he did find "methylated spirits"
in the USA/Canada it would be impure methanol or wood alcohol. Same for
methyl hydrate only more so. Pure methanol is too phyto-toxic to use. It
will certainly kill the mealy bug but probably the plant as well.
What we call meths they call something like denatured (pure) spirit or
grain alcohol. (NB *not* petroleum spirit). I'd expect any half decent
chemist to have impure alcohol spirit for use in spirit burners.
I expect it is residual fallout from the days of prohibition that
ethanol is so hard to find on sale over there.
>>Rubbing alcohol consists of isopropyl alcohol here, 70% isopropyl ISP.
>>Could isopropyl alcohol be used instead of methyl alcohol to kill
>>these mealybugs?
>
> Yes. And so could medicinal ethanol. It is the dessicating effect
> that kills them, not the particular chemical.
Just be careful handling isopropanol that you don't get it in your eyes.
It is a severe eye irritant.
Regards,
Martin Brown
Nick Maclaren
>
> Well I have since learned that methyl hydrate is methanol whereas
>methylated alcohol is 95% ethanol and 5% or less of methanol.
>So they aren't really the same.
Well, if you were buying from a chemical warehouse, that might be
true. But I doubt very much that what is called methyl hydrate really
is pure methanol. You could test its density and check.
Part of the reason is the toxicity (to humans) of pure methanol. It
really is very dangerous indeed.
Regards,
Nick Maclaren.
JennyC
<Eri...@ether.net> wrote in message
news:41c8d0a0....@news1.sympatico.ca...
> On Tue, 21 Dec 2004 17:51:18 +0000 (UTC), "nambucca"
> <namb...@nospam.com> wrote:
>
> >You should be able to buy Methylated spirits in any DIY or hardware store
> >........its used for all kinds of things from removing ballpoint pen stains
> >to rubbing down the surface of polished furniture
>
> I'm still having a heck of a time trying to track down some meths
> here in Guelph Canada. Maybe I should move to the UK?
Thought I'd found you the answer :
http://www.ultralight-hiking.com/fuelnames.html
They have the translation / eqvielent for meths in about every lanuage except
Canadian or American!
But perseverence threw up the following site:
http://members.iinet.net.au/~mbuckler/fuel/index.shtml
which has meths as - Denatured Alcohol or Solvent Alcohol in the US and Canada.
HTH Jenny
Franz Heymann
Eri...@ether.net
Yes I suppose you are right. The company that sells the methyl
hydrate does not mention the chemical breakdown on the container. They
likely dilute it to provide some degree of safeguard to the consumer.
They also warn what to do if ingested.
Eric
Eri...@ether.net
Thanks very much Martin and Jenny!
Now I'm starting to hear more familiar words (denatured alcohol).
Eric
Bill
"Eri...@ether.net" <Eri...@ether.net> wrote:
Does Rubbing Alcohol ring a bell? Diluted 1:1 in a spray bottle. Very
effective on cactus plants...I understand. And does not hurt them. Other
plants I'm not certain...I would personally try it.
I would not have thrown out those plants that you did but then I am a
person that has faith in the ability of plants to recover...
You could just pick off the singletons that you see in the future.
How did those first plants get so badly infected? Were you out playing
golf?
I was introduced to my first Mealybug just the other day. I had seen
'them' before but didn't know what it/they were called. We just picked it
off and then I was introduced to Rubbing Alcohol (1:1) in a spray
bottle..."it does not hurt the plants" I was told.
Bill
Martin Brown
Mind your eyes if you spray that stuff - rubbing alcohol is isopropanol.
It is a powerful eye irritant and a fire risk. Some commercial
formulations using it have been withdrawn for that reason.
IPA isn't approved for Organic(TM) use AFAIK.
Regards,
Martin Brown
Franz Heymann
"Bill" <Bi...@hokeypokey.com> wrote in message
news:BDF11649.14D5F%Bi...@hokeypokey.com...
Just to help in attempts to buy it: That is the same as surgical
spirit, which I am pretty certain is isopropyl alcohol.
> Diluted 1:1 in a spray bottle. Very
> effective on cactus plants...I understand. And does not hurt them.
Other
> plants I'm not certain...I would personally try it.
> I would not have thrown out those plants that you did but then I
am a
> person that has faith in the ability of plants to recover...
> You could just pick off the singletons that you see in the
future.
> How did those first plants get so badly infected? Were you out
playing
> golf?
> I was introduced to my first Mealybug just the other day. I had
seen
> 'them' before but didn't know what it/they were called. We just
picked it
> off and then I was introduced to Rubbing Alcohol (1:1) in a spray
> bottle..."it does not hurt the plants" I was told.
> Bill
Franz
Franz Heymann
"Martin Brown" <|||newspam|||@nezumi.demon.co.uk> wrote in message
news:cqgnp0$c0$1...@newsg4.svr.pol.co.uk...
Oh dear. How unfortunate for them..
Franz