Help with recommending Hickory Treatment

[WillyStDruid]

Need some input on coming up with possilbe plan to save about 8-9 10"+ dbh Shagbark hickories. Symptoms and signs are bark beetles. There's exit holes, wood pecker activity, dropping leaves and crown die back. Two of the trees have chlorotic leaves. The remaining trees are pretty much healthy and just have a few dead branches in the tops.

Most advice I've found recommends cutting down and disposing of infested trees in the fall/winter and treating the remaining trees with an insecticide in early July.

Can anyone tell me what specific pesticide to use?

Does anyone know if an application of the systemic Merit (Imidacloprid) would be effective? The label claims bark beetle suppression?

Am I missing any other options like injections etc?

Any help or insight would be greatly appreciated. This client has the bad luck of having nearly all the trees on her property being the same species.

TIA,

Willy

 

[Urban Forester]

I would google two-line chestnut borer and compare exit holes. Ips/Dendroctonus beetles can get into about anything, but they prefer conifers. If your planning on using Merit you're good to go on either. HOWEVER merit needs a good lead time for tanslocation, so pest ID is very important. So that you know exactly when to put it in the ground for good control. The trunk injection systems will work, but a properly time soil application should give you good control also w/o the equipment investment.

 

[WillyStDruid]

Thanks for the info Urban. I'll try to get some decent pics of the exit holes and post them on here. The exit holes of the two lined look D shaped and eerily similar to EAB exit holes. I think the exit holes I saw on the trees were smaller and nearly circles. I was planning on getting measurements to estimate enough Merit product to treat the trees if I could not find more viable options.

I pretty much buy the over the counter Bayer Merit product that is sold at Menard's or Farm N Fleet. I've been doing this to treat for Bronze Birch Borers, Japanese Beetles, and as a EAB preventative to high value ash trees. I work in both Dane and Rock County, WI. Although EAB isn't officially in these counties, we host the main arteries of two interstates connecting everyone to the campgrounds and tourist hot spots to the North.

 

[mckeetree]

Thanks for the info Urban. I'll try to get some decent pics of the exit holes and post them on here. The exit holes of the two lined look D shaped and eerily similar to EAB exit holes. I think the exit holes I saw on the trees were smaller and nearly circles. I was planning on getting measurements to estimate enough Merit product to treat the trees if I could not find more viable options.

I pretty much buy the over the counter Bayer Merit product that is sold at Menard's or Farm N Fleet. I've been doing this to treat for Bronze Birch Borers, Japanese Beetles, and as a EAB preventative to high value ash trees. I work in both Dane and Rock County, WI. Although EAB isn't officially in these counties, we host the main arteries of two interstates connecting everyone to the campgrounds and tourist hot spots to the North.

Over the counter worthless. Did I say worthless. 1.47%. Real stuff is 75%.

 

[WillyStDruid]

Over the counter worthless. Did I say worthless. 1.47%. Real stuff is 75%.

Ok, I appreciate that feedback as well. Anyone else care to back up this sentiment? So where do you buy this 75% stuff? What's it called? Is it applied as a basal drench, injection, etc? Is this the Treeage product? I'm currently somewhat limited in what I can obtain and apply. I'm quickly going through the red tape to obtain a pesticide license.

I have on occasion referred out pesticide treatments to other tree care companies that have licensed pesticide applicators. However, I would rather provide that service and not risk losing related tree work like trimming/removals.

 

[Urban Forester]

Merit is "off patent" so it's now made under ALOT of other names. 75 WSP is a much better product. I would look to John Deere Landscapes (Lesco) for some of what you need. It's also made by Quali-Pro.