Spray for Borers?

[Treeman14]

Now that Lindane and Dursban are almost gone, what can be sprayed on tree trunks to prevent or kill borers? I don't do pesticide applications, but I get asked this question once or twice a week.

 

[Stumper]

I get asked this a lot also. Paradichlorobenzine (moth crystals/urinal cakes) is supposed to be effective buried at the base of the trunk in the fall( breaks the cycle of those types that overwinter in the soil. I've used mothcrytals to keeb borers off a stack of freshcut bowstaves. Look forward to hearing from some pesticide experts.

 

[John Paul McMillin]

I cant beleive no one uses Astro. for all borers mix it at 1 quart per 100 gallons or 2 teaspoon per gallon and for pine bark beetles mix it at 5 quarts per 100 gallons of water or 3 tablespoons per gallon. It is regestered now for fruit tree use also. JPM

 

[John Paul McMillin]

With borer control though, timing is critical, identify the type of borer or beetle and find out by reading or the extension service , or by using pheremone traps when the adult is active. What you are trying to do is kill the adult before they lay eggs into the tree. If your timing is right , you spray the trunk and major limbs depending on which borer you are controling and when the adult lands on the tree it is killed and so are the young larvae. Most adult borers are only out for a short time so find out what you have and then find out when to spray for them. JPM

 

[John Paul McMillin]

just remembered that Merit is also effective against certain borers . it is applied as a soil drench and is a systemic. it works with the bronze birch borer only as far as i know. JPM

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

Labled for pine borers, but uptake is problematic. HAs a very long halflife.

 

[Treeman14]

Is Astro available to homeowners, or is it strictly for commercial use?

 

[John Paul McMillin]

Ill check on if Astro is available to homeowners im not sure at this time. I dont think it is restricted use pesticed , but ill check.

 

[John Paul McMillin]

You should be able to buy Astro anywhere, but if you cant find it , it is distributed by FMC Corperation, Agricultural Products Group, Philadelphia, PA 19103................. The active ingredient in Astro is Permethrin For all borers and bark beetles it is labeled to mix at 1 to 2 quarts per 100 gallons of water , apply to lower branches and trunk to the point of runoff just prior to adult emergence.

 

[erob914]

What percent mix is astro? I have permitherin in a 10 percent mix. What would be the teaspoon/ gal mix for that for redheaded ash borers and for pine bark beetles. I have both.
Is early spring the only time of year when redheaded ash borers come out. I sprayed them then with the last of my durspan when I saw them on my tree this spring. I think some of the off spring made it into the tree because I still saw a few of the telltale toothpicks sticking out of the trunk. the ones I could see I ran a paper clip to the botom of them. I am sure there are more I did not see.

 

[John Paul McMillin]

Astro is 36.8% permethrin. For all borers it is mixed at 1 quart per 100 gal of water or 2 tea per gal of water . for pine bark beetles it is mixed at 5 quarts per 100 or 3 TBL per gal.