# neem oil



## oorah (Jan 11, 2009)

Can you tell me if Neem oil is safe around a tortoiseÃ¢â‚¬Â¦I have been spraying my roses and concerned due to the tortoise eating rose leavesÃ¢â‚¬Â¦

Thanks

andy


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## egyptiandan (Jan 11, 2009)

It is safe around tortoises. Just make sure though that you wash off leaves and flowers before feeding them to your tortoises.

Danny


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## oorah (Jan 11, 2009)

egyptiandan said:


> It is safe around tortoises. Just make sure though that you wash off leaves and flowers before feeding them to your tortoises.
> 
> Danny




thanks for your response but I am a little confused....I dont plan on feeding him the rose leaves but if he happens to eat them will it cause him harm....the tortoise has the run of the yard and seems to know whats good and bad...the roses are minitures so if he wanted to ...he could eat them.....


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## longbeachskunk (Jan 12, 2009)

Roses are a safe yummy treat for them (petals and leaves)... Rinse the bottom parts of the rose bushes as far as the torts can reach.


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## oorah (Jan 12, 2009)

if the tortoise has full run of the yard and eats anything he wants is the question.....if the roses are sprayed with Neem oil and he eats them....will he be hurt.........when he roams the yard he eats snails...fruit that has fallen from fruit trees.....berrys.....etc....has anyone experienced the useage of Neem oil and the affects it had on a tortoise if he ate the sprayed leaves......thanks

andy


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## Crazy1 (Jan 13, 2009)

Hi I have not heard of any one that has had experience with their torts eating things sprayed with Neem oil. I would use caution in this case and not spray the roses, or fence the roses that are sprayed off until you are sure there is no oil left. Better safe than sorry when it comes to the health of your tort.
FYI ; Cautions and side effects: 
Women who are pregnant or nursing should not take neem, and it should also not be administered to children. Neem use by young children may cause severe poisoning. Oral use of neem over an extended period of time may cause liver damage.


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## oorah (Jan 22, 2009)

Crazy1 said:


> Hi I have not heard of any one that has had experience with their torts eating things sprayed with Neem oil. I would use caution in this case and not spray the roses, or fence the roses that are sprayed off until you are sure there is no oil left. Better safe than sorry when it comes to the health of your tort.
> FYI ; Cautions and side effects:
> Women who are pregnant or nursing should not take neem, and it should also not be administered to children. Neem use by young children may cause severe poisoning. Oral use of neem over an extended period of time may cause liver damage.




I contacted the mufacture of Neem Oil and this is what they said.......Using Green Light Neem Concentrate around your tortoise should be done carefully. Neem stays on the leaves up to 10 days depending on the weather conditions. You should keep the tortoise away from the plants for 1-2 days after spraying. I do not know if Neem will harm him but you do not want to take the chance. It's better to be safe and keep him away. If you can spray the leaves that are out of his reach might be a solution. I hope this helps. If you have other questions, please let me know. If the manufacturer doesnt know of the risk then it should be treated as a harmful substance....thanks for all your responses...

andy


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## Maggie Cummings (Jan 23, 2009)

I would not spray that around my tortoise, also, I would not allow him to roam a yard that has not been tortoise proofed. You are assuming he won't eat anything that is harmful to him, but I don't believe that's the case...they will eat anything, including harmful stuff...leaves sprayed with poison for example...they would eat cat or dog poop...I wouldn't use neem oil in my tortoise yard...


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## oorah (Jan 23, 2009)

*RE: tortoise safety*

Do not take this wrong....just wondering.....I do not have that much experience with a tortoise....about 5 years with a 30 year old.....everyone says be careful with the surroundings of the tortoise....plants....animals...etc....and we are all concerned about the safety of the tortoise.....but the natural habitat of the tortoise is more severe than our yards and whatÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s in our yards....I am not saying let him be on his own.....I watch him and enjoy him but also sense that he is aware of whatÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s good to eat and not good....the desert had all kinds of animals which poop all over the place as well as toxic plants......I am just airing my views and not being naive ....just wondering...


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## Yvonne G (Jan 23, 2009)

In the wild, they wander for miles eating and looking for food. We have them contained in small habitats, and when they're hungry, they will eat what is provided, whether it has Neem oil on it or not. (Even a large backyard is considered a "small habitat" when you realize how far they travel in the wild). And they have territories. They know what plants grow where in their territory. I DO believe that they won't eat something that isn't good for them. For instance, a horse will graze all around a Yellow Star Thistle plant, never once taking a bite of it, but bale that same plant up in the alfalfa hay and the horse will eat it because he has no choice. Its better to be safe than sorry. I'm sure there are other holistic things you can spray on your roses to keep the bug population under control. 

Yvonne


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## Maggie Cummings (Jan 23, 2009)

You are assuming that he would know what is good for him and what isn't, and I do agree with you that he would know in his natural habitat. But your back yard while he is familiar with it, has plants and weeds that he wouldn't normally come in contact with. So if he was in the wild his instinct would kick in, but those same instincts don't kick in in your back yard. For some reason I am having a very hard time making myself clear on the computer this morning...guess I should just go lay down...audios..


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## Yvonne G (Jan 23, 2009)

maggie3fan said:


> You are assuming that he would know what is good for him and what isn't, and I do agree with you that he would know in his natural habitat. But your back yard while he is familiar with it, has plants and weeds that he wouldn't normally come in contact with. So if he was in the wild his instinct would kick in, but those same instincts don't kick in in your back yard. For some reason I am having a very hard time making myself clear on the computer this morning...guess I should just go lay down...audios..



I thought your thought came across very thoughtfully! That is, except for the sound bite - "audios??"

Adios!

Yvonne


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## oorah (Jan 23, 2009)

thanks for your input.....after hearing from the Neem oil people I wont be using neem oil or any other insecticide.....just some natural ones tho....any name brands that you might suggest would be appreciated....

andy


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## Maggie Cummings (Jan 23, 2009)

If you go to Garden's Alive they have tons of advice and products that we can use with out torts...

http://www.gardensalive.com/category.asp?c=13


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## galvinkaos (Jan 23, 2009)

Hey, a subject I know about. You have hit on my work field (would never say field of expertise though). Any eco-friendly/green/organic or whatever you want to call it, pesticide that does not have to be registered with the EPA, is exempt from registration is made from food grade botanicals. So if the plant/fruit/spice - wintergreen, cloves, mint, rosemary (just to name a few that are used) it is made from is not toxic to your tortoise then you can spray with it. These same products are use by pest control professionals in organic food processing plants and regular food processing plants when a pesticide application is needed.


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