The Most Important Plant on the Planet
The Diatom

#8

by Wallace Tharp

Previously published in the Home Gardener

If you were to apply PERMA-GUARD INSECTICIDE to ten different insects, you would be surprised at the difference in time for them to die. There are two things involved: First the way the bug is built. Obviously, some are better protected than others. Second, it has a great deal to do with the size of the bug and how much liquid must be evaporated before they die.

As near as we have been able to determine the mosquito is the easiest to kill, either is adult or the larva in the water. It is a matter of minutes, but it makes no difference as we are not allowed to kill them. One of our ingredients, Pyrethrum (an extract from chrysanthemum flowers), which has a very low toxicity to warm blooded creatures, but is very effective on cold-blood creatures like insects and fish.

It is nice that EPA cares so much for the safety of the fish. I wish they would have the same feeling for the welfare of the public in mind when they are voting to put these harsh chemicals on the market, many that are taken off the market later, because they are dangerous. It would be virtually impossible for a person to get in serious trouble with our products. The next time you get caught in a bad mosquito situation, do not forget to say a prayer for the good folks at EPA.

FIREANTS; Out of all the terrible chemicals that have been put on the market to kill fire Ants, I do not believe there has been any that are so effective and so safe for people, wildlife and the environment. Draw a circle around a fire Ant hill. Agitate the hole with a twig. Hundreds of ants will boil out. They will not cross the circle of product. Spread a tablespoon of product within that circle and look at your watch. In five minutes, every Ant within that circle will be curled up in a tight knot and dead. Any housewife or her husband can eliminate Fire Ants from their property. Free instructions available from Perma-Guard, Inc.

Flies is another insect that dies very quickly in about 12 minutes. When they get the product on their feet, they rub their two front feet together just like you wash your hands.

They then do an amazing thing. They commit suicide by lifting both front feet behind their head, transferring DE to their most sensitive area—where the head and neck joins the body. In twelve minutes they are dead.

Different bugs can be more or less protected, and might have more or less amount of fluid in their body. It seems that they need to lose around 40 % of their vital fluids before they die.

Large cockroaches take longer. I like to experiment. I went out of the city street late at night with a flash light. I found an extra large bug one and dusted him with our HOUSEHOLD PRODUCT. At first, nothing happened. Then he began to walk, taking his time. he moved about twenty feet and suddenly realized he was in trouble and performed a lot of acrobatic movements. In fifteen minutes he turned over on his back, lying there, unable to get back up. In forty five minutes he stopped all movement.You can easily see how someone might get the idea that the product does not work, if they did not observe the bug for fifteen minutes.

Once you get the product on an insect, you can count on him not taking another bite of your plant. He is going to die, and he might be quite a long ways away and you not be able to prove it.

There are over 800 highly toxic chemicals available for killing insects. They also kill many other things, including people. It is interesting that bugs become immune to these persistent poisons, BUT PEOPLE DO NOT.

Remember, we have said, we can only claim to kill those bugs EPA has listed on our label, but have never found an insect, with reasonable contact with our product, that does not die. Do we need the 800? you now have a choice: Conventional chemicals or PERMA-GUARD!

Wallace Tharp CEO
PERMA-GUARD, INC.