Emerald Ash Borer and Safari Insecticide

[RacerX]

I received an e-mail regarding the use of this protect to help protect ash tree from EAB infestation. Has anyone used this product with measurable success?

http://www.valent.com/professional/products/safari/upload/FINAL-Safari-LCO-EAB-Insert-2-18-11.pdf

 

[ATH]

It has its place in the toolbox...but I think a limited place. It is taken into the tree faster than imidacloprid (even if imidacloprid is injected) and MUCH easier/quicker to apply than Tree-Age. Safari is significantly more expensive (assuming Tree Age is applied every other year).

However, I haven't seen anything to convince me it is more effective than either of the others.

I use generally offer imidacloprid and Tree-Age depending on how much the client wants to invest.

Imidacloprid is soil injected now. Tree-Age once the leaves are out. Safari is a good option after it is too late to get imidacloprid into the trees. If you can plan far enough in advance, I'd go with imidacloprid......but that is just me.

 

[sgreanbeans]

How effective is that stuff, any of them, I don't do any chemicals, don't want to either (Iowa has alot of laws, due to the crops), but feel I may not have a choice.
Last info I read was saying 80% effective. To me that isnt very good. If you have a tree with 100 bugs, you still have 20 after its done, which to me, isnt good enough, those 20 will turn back into 100, or will it? I have little knowledge about chemicals.:msp_sad:

 

[ATH]

First: I think you are reading the 80% wrong. What that number typically means is that (in the studies) 80% of the treated trees are still alive. Still not great results, but better than saying that 20% of the bugs remain in every tree you treat (by the way...100 bugs would be WAY on the low end).

Secondly: I don't think 80% success is enough for me to offer a guarantee to my clients, so I am very upfront with them that I do not because I don't think the research justifies it. On the other hand, if I didn't think it would work, I wouldn't offer anything. I am a little picky about the trees I will treat - if they are in bad shape to start with I tell the clients there is no need to waste their money treating the trees.

Finally: Treatment is perpetual. You cannot expect to treat once and be done. Make sure clients understand that if they quit, they will likely loose their trees. If you are going to get into it, you probably want to start identifying trees now as it is best to have the treatment in the tree when the bug shows up. I have found that EAB pays for the regulatory stuff...and I charge less than several others around (but treat at least as aggressively as anybody else does).