Systemic Insecticide For Elm?

[PinkFloydEffect]

Two years ago we drenched an elm suffering from leaf miners with Bonide Annual Tree & Shrub Drench which showed good results it was kind of expensive and only less than 2% Imidacloprid Systemic Insecticide, is there something cheaper I can buy in a smaller amount of pure Imidacloprid??

Thanks

 

[derwoodii]

try or look for similar trade name by Bayer Confidor

http://www.yates.com.au/products/pe...ayer-confidor-garden-insecticide-concentrate/

 

[ATH]

Look at site sponsor treestuff.com Search for imidacloprid

 

[PinkFloydEffect]

I couldn't find it under Bayer and treestuff would be even more expensive then Bonide but I need to act quick to order something soon.

 

[ATH]

the price tag may be higher, but the concentration is much higher...so the usable amount is MUCH less costly.

you'll notice the 75 WSB packets are 75% imidacloprid. One pouch makes 300 gallons. You can get 4 packets for $35. I prefer the 2F formulation because it is possible to make a smaller batch. It is a liquid and is 21.8%.

Sorry, I didn't see that Treestuff doesn't sell that by the quart....I assumed they do. I buy it elsewhere, but wanted to point you to a site sponsor...I have bought other things from treestuff and they are a good company and very prompt with shipping. I looked at the place I buy it from, and the don't have 2F by the quart either...only gallon. I buy it by the gallon, so hadn't notice that. Search for "Imidacloprid 2F" or Merit 2F (that is the name brand). If you have a local farm chemical or fertilizer store/co-op in your area they can probably get it for you. Should be about $35-45 per quart... If you are using 2%, that should take you 10-11 times as far as what you are currently using.

I haven't seen the 2F formulation in a container smaller than a quart or the packets in a lower concentration/fewer packets.

 

[PinkFloydEffect]

$35 is not bad, better then $60 for Bonide. However how long does this stuff stay valid for? Does it expire or go bad? 1 treatment a year $50 will last me half a decade lol.

I was using almost an entire gallon in 1 treatment for this tree its a massive (possibly one of the oldest world wide) Camperdown Elm's its right on Wiki.

I did find the Merit on eBay, do you recommend Merit over 75-WSB packets? The Merit was cheap when I searched for it, Thanks!

 

[ATH]

Merit is a brand name. 2F and 75WSB are formilations. The WSB - whether you buy Merit (made by Bayer) or QualiPro (which is what treestuff has) the way you mix it is based on the formulation. The WSB are packets of powder. You throw the whole pack in water and it all disolves. The 2F formulation is a thick liquid that you can more easily measure out. For treating one tree you are better off if you can find a quart of the 2F...whichever brand.

 

[Raintree]

Is it possible that the Leafminer life cycle has been broken with past treatments and continuing annual applications is no longer needed?

 

[PinkFloydEffect]

The first time I applied (and only time) made a huge difference that year they were cut back by over 50% and last year (the year I did not apply any) they came back...not fully but a bit more then 50% so I am hoping a strong dose this year can get us down to maybe a 75% reduction its a nasty infestation.

I checked out the 2F in Merit & Generic, they have some "Garant 2F" generic 2F on eBay for $30 and the Merit brand is $50.

 

[Raintree]

Xytect will be cheaper than Merit.

 

[PinkFloydEffect]

8oz bottle of Xytect is $50 the same as 8oz of Merit....but you think I will need a quart for a treatment or will 8oz be enough?

 

[Raintree]

8oz bottle of Xytect is $50 the same as 8oz of Merit....but you think I will need a quart for a treatment or will 8oz be enough?

Please read the label, you'll need to know the DBH of the tree.

 

[PinkFloydEffect]

Circumference at breast height is 10-feet so the DBH is around 3-feet.

That means it falls within the 40" medium treatment rate for an 8oz bottle, sounds good right? I will just give it the entire bottle in 1 dose.

 

[ATH]

Use what the label says. All of the 2F labels I have seen say use 0.2 oz of product per inch of dbh...but make sure the bottle you buy says that too. That means 8oz will treat 40" worth of dbh. If your tree is 36" dbh (and your label says 0.2 os per inch of dbh), you should use 7.2 oz. It keeps, and one you have it, imidacloprid has a lot of other uses. If you have a grub spot in the yard, boxwood psyllid, Japanese beetles on your roses, etc... Use that other 0.8 oz for something else rather than just dumping it on the tree that already has enough.

 

[PinkFloydEffect]

Well I was referring to the "high-med-low" treatment rates, I do not know what "rate" is best for my tree.

 

[ATH]

I'd tend towards the low-to-mid rate. Low because this is not a hard pest to kill....and it is not killing the tree. "Med" because although the rate of application is linear, we know that when you look at mass of a large tree compared to a small tree, that relationship is not linear - so with a tree that big, you may want to go higher than the lowest rate.

 

[PinkFloydEffect]

Got it, I would rather use the largest dose I can (entire bottle if permitted). I think we did it around this time last year however this is the first week we have had with temperatures above freezing so far.

 

[PinkFloydEffect]

I wanted to apply this but I am confused...the bottle contents is 8oz. The directions say 0.1-0.2 fl oz (3-6ml) per inch of DBH, the tree has a circumference of 9 feet at breast height so that's about 2.8' DBH or 30"

I need to multiply 30" by 0.1 or 0.2 fl oz...thinking the best way to go about this is to add 15" to the 30" to make 45" and multiply 45 x 0.1 fl oz to get a medium treat rate (that would equal a dose halfway between 0.1 and 0.2 right?)

 

[Raintree]

Circumference is 9ft = 108", divide by 3.14 = a DBH of 34.4".
.2 fl oz x 34.4 = 6.9 oz of treatment at the .2 rate

 

[PinkFloydEffect]

Thanks bud! Your in MA too?

Looks like there will only be 1oz left over I wonder if it would hurt to just use the entire bottle? Its a rainy weekend I was thinking of applying half the dose this weekend and let it soak down and the other half maybe later in the week when its sunny and dry?