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| cant get rid of gall wasps on sunshine tree. I was told from Hawaii university to use Merit. it works for a little bit then tree looks bad again. Any info on healthy care for my sunshine tree. i dont want to cut it down. |
Follow-Up Postings:
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- Posted by ken_adrian z5 (My Page) on Thu, May 24, 12 at 8:56
| why is a little cosmetic leaf damage .. require the need to multiple applications of pesticide .. or ultimately require the cutting down of the tree ... plagues come and go thru the years.. and i dont understand the need to destroy a tree ... because of one bad cycle??? and why would you expect.. after application of the merit.. that the leaves would somehow recover and look nice.. those leaves will be there.. in that state.. until they fall off ... and dont get me wrong.. its your tree.. and your garden.. and if you just cant live with it.. get rid of the tree ... and plant something else ... life's too short to mess with stuff that is irritating the bee-gee-bees out of you ... but make that decision.. and be done with it.. rather than expanding your use of pesticides ... ken pps: i dont have time to research it.. but i would not be surprised if on of the experts chimed in and told you.. that they are a 'beneficial' or at least neutral.. in your garden ... |
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- Posted by mnapeterson22 10 (My Page) on Thu, May 24, 12 at 9:26
| To ken, the tree is full grown and was beautiful. After one of the hurricanes we got this issue. Maybe im calling it wrong. Years ago I posted a problem with the tree and pictures. I got a response from a Hawaiian university dept. Saying this just got to the states and they were working on something for the states. At that time they recommended MERIT. I don't see any bug. Its not just the leaves the branches shrivel up and have holes running through the tree. Gall wasps is what the university said it was by the pictures of the leaves and tree. Yes life is too short, I hate using pesticides, but I have losing that tree. I was hoping by now we would have some better answers. Thank u for ur response. |
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- Posted by strobiculate none (My Page) on Thu, May 24, 12 at 10:04
| this is one time when your best answer is likely to find a local arborist who can advise you as to timing of applications and type. for homeowners, systemic insecticides are really the only feasible means of control becaise i can guarantee that you will never be looking for the pest when it is active, you will only find evidence long after its been active and when sprays for that year have little to no effectiveness except making you feel good. leaving the long term residual control of a systemic. best advise... local arborist who can answer questions who can answer questions regarding life cycle and when in the year this pest is active. perhaps they'll recommend a course of action not dissimilair from what you have implied you have done and perhpas they'll jave different ideas and perhpas they'll have some thing you can do. |
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- Posted by ken_adrian z5 (My Page) on Thu, May 24, 12 at 12:59
| so then it would come down.. to how much it will cost you.. PER YEAR.. to treat this tree.. rather than the one time cost of being done with it ... and i dont think anyone but you can figure that one out .... here in MI ... its ash and emerald ash borer ... and the bottom line came down to whether i was interested in hundreds of dollars per year for treatment.. or a one time couple hundred to cut it down ... i opted for removal ... ken |
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| Ken, I'm afraid this is another EAB-type scenario. The "sunshine tree" (Erythrina variegata) in Hawaii has been badly impacted by a recently-introduced gall wasp, the erythrina gall wasp (Quadrastichus erythrinae), which also infests the native wiliwili (Erythrina sandwicensis) and others. The same pest has recently reached south Florida and is affecting ornamental E. variegata there, although fortunately our native Erythrina herbacea is not badly affected. Merit (imidacloprid) is the best insecticide treatment available, and unfortunately it is a temporary measure. There may be some hope in the future; the Hawaii Dept. of Ag has already identified and released one biological control agent from the pest's native range (with some tentative success), and is evaluating another. |
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