Insect Control
Insecticides are a growing environmental concern in current events, particularly when it comes to how they affect pollinator populations. "Bee kills" are a hot button issue and have increased in frequency over the past few years. Caused by off target exposure to neoniconotoid based pesticides, these events in which entire colonies of beneficial pollinators are wiped out can wreck havoc on our ecosystem and adversely affect our agricultural production. When insecticides are used irresposnibly, flowering plants may uptake the chemicals and deliver them to bees when the bees are collecting pollen, resulting in the off-target exposure. Furthermore, leaves and flowering sites of trees sprayed with insecticides have proven more likely to be fatal to local populations of bees. For this reason, we offer systemic insect control in trunk injection and bark sprays only. Basal drenches and foliar sprays have the potential for much more off-target exposure. Also, insecticide applications are expensive, so focusing the treatment into the most streamlined application methods available gives you the customer the most value for your dollar.
Emerald Ash Borer
One of the Midwest's biggest tree problems is Emerald Ash Borer, a wood boring beetle from Asia that feeds on the xylem of the tree in its larval stage. The larvae make S-shaped tunnels called "feeding galleries" intersecting the tree's vascular system, effectively cutting off the supply of water and nutrients to the canopy, resulting in tree death. We can keep your Ash trees healthy if EAB is reported in your area. Preventative treatments using emamectin benzoate based Tree-Age are the most effective, so it is recommended to treat before noticing any visible dieback in the canopy as there is a significant delay between disruption to the vascular tissues and expression of symptoms in the canopy. Delaying Emerald Ash Borer treatment could result in canopy dieback or tree loss.Injections can be made in the spring during the growing season, about 30 days prior to expected adult emergence. Uptake of formulation is fastest when trees are actively transpiring, after they have developed a full canopy. Emerald Ash Borer treatment in the spring will prevent the adult beetles from feeding and laying eggs in the tree. For most homeowners, we recommend spring treatments also because the tree will have the entire growing season to callus over the drill sites used to inject Tree-Age, but injections in the summer and fall will kill the larval stage of EAB feeding under the bark in the circumstance that EAB is already showing symptoms in the tree. We make summer treatment applications in the morning when temperatures are moderate. If soil is dry, water trees prior to having your trees treated to ensure proper uptake.
