Safety of AzaSol™
Q: Is AzaSol safe for beneficial insects such as bees and ladybugs?
A: Unlike chemical insecticides that kill anything they touch, insects absorb AzaSol only if they consume part of the plant, perhaps leaves, buds, bark, sap, seeds, and / or roots. This means that chewing, sucking, and boring insects will be eradicated but beneficial insects such as pollinators, bees, ladybugs, spiders, butterflies, and more are safe. Only plant-eating insects are affected.
Q: Is neem safe for children and pets?
A: According to the US National Pesticide Information Center, neem powder spray (AzaSol) is Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Neem is widely used today. Some flea repellents contain neem. In the household, neem can be found in toothpaste, facial products, and more. In India, healthy teeth are common and are sometimes attributed to the habit of residents to break off a neem twig, fuzz it, and use it to clean teeth and gums.
Q: Is AzaSol safe for pregnant women?
A: No research has been done to prove whether it is safe for pregnant or nursing women. As with many agricultural or garden products, it is advisable that pregnant women avoid close contact during pregnancy and when nursing.
Q: Can AzaSol be sprayed around water? Is it safe for aquatic life?
A: AzaSol is completely safe for aquatic life.
AzaSol™ and Control of Insects and Benefits to Crops
Q: How does AzaSol control insects?
A: Once consumed by pests, AzaSol interrupts the natural reproductive cycle of insects. Although research is ongoing, it is known that the insects accept extracts of the neem tree as reproductive hormones. As a result, their endocrine systems are blocked, and reproduction declines rapidly. Mating and reproductive communication are interrupted; females are inhibited from laying eggs; and the development of eggs, larvae, and pupae is disrupted. In some cases, insects lose their desire to eat.
Q: Does AzaSol eradicate insects instantly?
A: No. AzaSol works as an Insect Growth Regulator (IGR); insects die because their development and reproduction are interrupted. It may take a couple of weeks to see the results. Because AzaSol is best applied at regular intervals, existing insect populations continue to decline, and newly arrived insects are inhibited from establishing a colony. The plant is not affected by AzaSol.
Q: What are some of the crops where neem can help to increase production safely and organically?
A: Some examples are leafy vegetables (including Brassica leafy vegetables), root and tuber vegetables, beans and legumes, fruiting vegetables, cucurbit vegetables, bulb vegetables, nuts, tropical fruits, citrus fruits, pome fruits, stone fruits, berries and grapes, cereal grains, oilseed crops, shrubs and trees, herbs and spices, flowering plants, and mushrooms.
Q: On which kinds of insects is AzaSol most effective?
A: Some of the most common insects are whiteflies, leaf miners, scale, mealy bugs, thrips, aphids, psyllids, flies, sawflies, caterpillars, beetles, weevils, borers, mole crickets, mushroom flies, and pests of turf grass.
Q: Is one application of AzaSol sufficient?
A: No. The need for additional application depends on the intensity of the infestation. Our product enclosure gives details of application rates and frequency.
Q: How often do I need to reapply the neem powder spray?
A: Generally, every two weeks until the infestation disappears. The frequency depends, however, on the plant, the targeted insect(s), the geographical area, and more. Please refer to the AzaSol product enclosure for details.
Q: Does AzaSol affect the taste of any vegetables, fruits, or grains produced?
A: Because the active ingredient in AzaSol dissolves in the water used to spray it, it leaves no taste or smell in the vegetables or flowers.
AzaSol™ Manufacture and Use
Q: How is AzaSol™ made?
A: AzaSol™ is extracted from the seeds of the neem tree. The seed kernels are dried and ground into powder. In India, the scientific partners of SoluNeem have developed a new, patented process which allows for the maximum extraction of the active ingredient, Aza, from the kernels of the neem seed. This enables SoluNeem to bring a superior product for the public at a reasonable cost, which would not have otherwise been possible due to the exorbitant costs of production. As part of the process, neem oil is extracted. The residual husks are formed into neem cakes and can be used as a fertilizer. The remaining extract, rich in Aza content, is used to make AzaSol.
Q: How long can AzaSol™ be stored?
A: Stored in its packaging, AzaSol has proven to be effective for 2 years after manufacture. However, for maximum effectiveness, we recommend that it be used within 1 year after purchase.
Q: Once AzaSol™ is mixed in water, how long can the solution be used?
A: Once mixed, the solution should be completely used up. In case of home applications, it is best to spray the plant. Any remaining solution can be poured into the soil.
Q: Can AzaSol™ be used in hot weather?
A: While there have been incidences of leaf damage from spraying neem oil in hot weather, and in some cases, during the day, that has not been found to occur with AzaSol™.
Q: Why is AzaSol ‘superior’ to EC/oil based pesticides?
A. EC/Oil based products can block the leaf stomata and interfere with plant photosynthesis and normal metabolism, which does not happen with water based AzaSol.
Q. Why is AzaSol more effective than EC/oil based insecticides?
A. EC/Oil based insecticides are contact insecticides. They must come in contact with the insect directly. Some insects like aphids, mites and caterpillars escape contact by hiding under the leaf and others like borers, weevils and miners; by hiding inside the plant. AzaSol, through systemic process reaches every part of the plant and is therefore more effective.
Scientific Studies of AzaSol™
Q: What scientific studies have been done on the effectiveness of AzaSol™?
A: A great number of studies have been carried out and published. One example, published in Current Science, Volume 78, No. 2, pp. 178-179, is “Control of black-bearded caterpillar (Opisina arenosella Walker) by systemic application of ‘SoluNeem [AzaSol™]’ – A new water-soluble neem insecticide formulation.”
Botany and Habitat of Neem
Q: What is in neem?
A: Neem is the name of a tree whose seed kernels carry compounds which are as safe, natural insecticides. Nine limonoids, or insect growth inhibitors, have been identified so far and research continues. Those identified include: azadirachtin (the most effective), meliantriol, salannin, nimbin and nimbidin, and deacetylazadirachtinol. Each one plays a role in the growth inhibition of chewing, sucking, and boring insects on various plant species.
Q: What is the botanical classification of a neem tree?
A: The neem tree is in the mahogany family Meliaceae and its botanical name is Azadirachta indica. It is sometimes called the Indian Lilac.
Q: Where does the neem tree grow?
A: Originally found in India and Burma and other countries in that geographical area, the hardy neem tree has been introduced around the world and is now being grown successfully in parts of Africa, the Caribbean, Florida, and near Mecca where it provides shade for pilgrims. From Mauritania to Somalia , the neem tree helps prevent the creep of the Sahara Desert. (Neem: A Tree for Solving Global Problems, National Academies Press, National Academy of Sciences)
Q: What is the difference between neem seed powder and neem leaf powder?
A: The difference in potency is very great; neem seed kernel powder (AzaSol) is much more potent as an insecticide.Azasol Product Label