Does anyone use any alternatives to neonicitonoids?

[Dbodave]

Just wondering since these products may be banned someday.

 

[ATH]

1) I don't worry too much about what MAY happen. If it is the best choice today I'll use it. Used to be a day when organophosphates we're the best bet and what would anybody do if they went away...
2) what are you controlling? There is no "silver bullet" in pesticides. Thinking there is causes things to be banned...

I use several products that are not neonics....as the situation fits.

 

[Dbodave]

Not worrying too much, just wondering if there was anything else out there that is effective. I do like to try new products and want to use products that are both effective and "safest" for people and the environment.
Pests I treat with neonics are Scales (hard and soft), adelgids, bronze birch borer, japanese beetle (mostly foliar spray), and aphids (occasionally). I believe that's all, just thinking off the top of my head.

Thanks!

 

[ATH]

Obviously horticultural oil is always an option for "safe" control...but I much prefer systemic products.

I have had good results controlling hickory bark beetle with AzaSol. I suspect it would do well with Bronze birch borer as well.

Acelepryn probably holds some promise for caterpillar control. I haven't tried it because it is pretty expensive, and I haven't had enough caterpillar problems to justify it. If Gypsy moth flares up again here, I'll probably give it a shot.

Tree-AGE is very effective against bark beetles and many other pests. Not sure about scale...haven't tried because there are better (cheaper, and don't require injection) options.

Abamectin has given good control of Spruce Spider Mites - the only thing I have used it for, but it may hold some promise for systemic control of other pests.

Of course...I've wondered: if neonic insecticides taken into the plant systemically threaten bees, why wouldn't most other systemics do the same? It is a question of how much ends up in the pollen, then how toxic that is to the bees - but that question is still unanswered for bees.

 

[Dbodave]

Thanks for sharing, acelepryn looks very promising and I saw on a fact sheet it has good control of jap beetle adults. Low impact on non target organisms is a strong selling point.
Tree-age isn't labeled for scale and I suspect since it sticks to the wood so well, it would be very slow to reach the target.

I'll have to look into azasol, and I'm planning on picking up abamectin this spring for spruce spider mite control.

Thanks again.

 

[Dbodave]

On another note I found this article that shows the fungicide chlorothalonil has a strong role in bee decline. I stopped using chlorothalonil a few years ago, but alot of the university fact sheets still list chlorothalonil to control needle cast. I suspect they simply are outdated and haven't been updated since chlorothalonil was shown to have phytotoxicity on blue spruce a couple years ago.
https://www.theguardian.com/environ...-between-fungicides-and-bee-declines-revealed

 

[Jason Douglas]

Chloro is a great broad spectrum fungicide but may be a carcinogen. We'll see.

Good study on acelepryn in the journal of arboriculture and urban forestry. Really expensive though. It works best on chewers, not sucking insects though.

Hopefully new and low impact products are being developed.

 

[Dbodave]

Chloro is a great broad spectrum fungicide but may be a carcinogen. We'll see.

Good study on acelepryn in the journal of arboriculture and urban forestry. Really expensive though. It works best on chewers, not sucking insects though.

Hopefully new and low impact products are being developed.

I stopped using chlorothalonil about 5 years ago when I read the label and found all the restrictions about it. A few are- sprayer must wear respirator, do not spray on or near school athletic grounds, parks, apartment buildings, daycare centers, playgrounds etc.