"Since it had been in the ground for 3 years I thought it could take a Bayer tree-drench..."

That doesn't sound like a good reason at all. Bayer may be reasonably safe compared to some of the awful stuff out there, but that doesn't mean you should use it if you don't even have a need for it. I'm not one of those "organic-only" people, but this seems overboard to me!

"Any thoughts?"

Call Bayer at 1-877-229-3724, and ask them what's up. I'm not sure that the Bayer caused your problem, especially if you mixed it and applied it per the instructions, but maybe they could shed some light on any possible issues.

"I've...applied root stimulation on several occasions."

Why? You're really into the chemical side of landscaping, aren't you? Trees have been around for millions of years and done just fine without anyone adding "root stimulation". Trees generally do better when left alone with minimal interference from humans. Watering them during droughts and removing dead branches is great, but loading them up with chemicals on a regular basis, probably isn't.

What brandon said.

Dan

Thanks...I think. BTW brandon7, you sound very much like one of those "organic-only" people, but that's just me. It may have sounded like I "load" them up regularly with chemicals, but that couldn't be further from the truth. Wouldn't it have sounded better if you had just posted to the thread and kept the snide references out?

Well, in defense of brandon, bees are in crisis most likely because of pesticides/herbicides. Use of powerful chemicals when it isn't necessary is a serious problem. Education is an important part of these forums.

Jim,

If you you thought I sounded concerned, you wouldn't be able to handle one of those "organic-only" people. I use man-made chemicals quite a bit in my landscape (I have a fairly large property, and I even have a bottle of Bayer Advanced on hand), but, when I do use them, it's because I need to, not because I "thought it could take (it)". Maybe you are just coming across wrong, but it sounds like you just apply all kinds of stuff for no real reason at frequent whims. If you think your chemical application might have killed one of your trees, isn't it at least time to take off the gas mask and think about what you're doing? Trees and other plants just don't normally need a lot of chemical intervention from us and may even suffer from indiscriminate applications.

If part of the reason for these forums is education (which it is), then I agree with the OP that the rhetoric could be toned down a little. Quickest way to get someone to turn you off and not listen to you and your cause? Piss them off with the the tone you answer their questions in.

Back to the subject, I doubt the Bayer would kill the tree if it is applied per directions. That stuff you buy at the box stores is so weakened, and you only applied 3 oz. However you never mentioned how big the tree is.

In defense of the OP, Japanese beetles are a terror in certain areas. They are so much here in my local area that I removed 2 crabapples a few years ago because I was tired of the swarms in the yard and the leafless tree for half the summer. So I can understand someone wanting to treat early in anticipation of the beetles. Now as far as stuff like root stimulator, we all know most of that stuff is snake oil. There ain't enough chemical in that to kill a fly, it's just made to make money off gardeners that don't know any better. A side note, all of you giving the OP a hard time...I'm sure you have a chemical free, organic lawn, right? It's amazing how many people I come across that will raise cane over 3 oz of insecticide, then apply 200 lbs of chemicals to keep weeds out of their lawn.

To the OP, we all try to convince people to use chemicals only when absolutely necessary. I would have done the same thing you did. Now if it don't work, and you get beetles anyways, don't keep applying chemicals. Once they get started, there isn't any chemical available in a store that will control them. Pick them off by hand or just let them do their thing.
I use chemicals only when absolutely necessary, in fact I am using them now trying to control leaf miners. And I agree, a lot of people are overusing chemicals, but part of the reason is non-education. They see 100 different brands of insecticide at Lowes, and they are marketed in such a way to make every homeowner think they need them. So we need to continue to educate the public, and maybe go after the chemical makers that are making money off gardeners that don't know any better.

By the way, i would love to have a chemical free, organic body...but I got to keep putting these medicines in it to keep it going properly.

A better way to handle japanese beetles is to treat for grubs in the lawn, I think. Also consider minimizing your lawn area so they have fewer places in your yard to live over the winter. Of course, that doesn't stop them from living in your neighbor's lawn, but perhaps you can convince your neighbor to treat their lawn as well. I also walk around during beetle season with a bucket of soapy water and kill as many adults as I can find. Perhaps a literal drop in the bucket, but it makes me feel like I'm doing something.

By the way, count me as one of the people that does not apply any chemicals to my lawn - no fertilizer, no weed treatments, no nothing. I find pulling the occasional weed by hand (especially before the weed goes to seed) to be good exercise and have a small enough lawn to make it possible. Just what works for me.

Thanks everyone. I appreciate your input especially jm30 for putting things into perspective.

jm30,

I don't understand a lot of your post. What specific rhetoric should be toned down? I didn't see anyone "giving the OP a hard time" or anyone that took an 'anti-chemical' approach. Who were you referring to when you asked, "I'm sure you have a chemical free, organic lawn, right"? (Come to think of it, that does sound like "rhetoric that could be toned down a little".)

You seemed to be think that some or all of us had used the wrong "tone". But, I'm a little confused, because you seemed to say about the same things as the rest of us but with an extra comment describing the OP as a gardener "that don't know any better". I certainly wouldn't have phrased it that way! Maybe something I wrote could be taken the wrong way also, but nothing I wrote was meant to belittle or cut down the OP. Some statements were worded for emphasis.

One of the underlying facts in this discussion is that using chemicals in an inappropriate manor often backfires. Killing off beneficial insects by indiscriminately applying insecticides in anticipation of a problem that doesn't yet exist, is counter productive at best. I can't think of any chemical that should be applied to any part of the landscape just because it could be done. It's a basic fact that most 'synthetic' chemicals will have some negative effect. One should weight the benefits against any possible negatives before applying the products to ensure that they work for you instead of against you.

I would have done the same thing you did.

Which was akin to placing a bet for $10.00 on a winner between two sports teams. You know its baseball, but you don't know which two teams, which team you're betting on, their records, their injury report, their trend, day game, starting pitchers, nothing else...

IOW: you are throwing your money away.

Dan

Brandon7,
Yes, I think we all basically agree on the same things. The OP thanked me for my comments, so I feel like I presented some info in such a way that he/she has found valuable and will make informed decisions regarding the use of chemicals. And yes, I made some comments regarding products that are marketed and sold that are very unnecessary, yet they sell like crazy. The pesticide section at the box stores seems to grow every spring. My comments were not meant to belittle anyone, it was actually meant to jab at the pesticide companies a little for their constant influx of new pesticides that are often times worthless.

Also, maybe you guys don't live in an area with an extremely high Japanese beetle population and haven't experienced them at their worst. Probably within the next 2 weeks is when they will start here. It's like clockwork every year. One day I can leave for work, and everything is fine. Come home at 5 and there will be swarms of thousands in the neighborhood, and have completely defoliated most small trees in one day. No exaggeration. Aside from the appearance issues, many tree species experience dieback after losing 99% of their means of photosynthesis. So if you know what's going to happen every year, it's not necessarily throwing your money away or not "knowing what team you're betting on". It's making an attempt to protect the tree. Japanese beetles, at least in my location, is not a "if" question, the question is what particular day will they decide to begin their wrath. Yes, the more "big picture" way of combating them is to deal with the grubs in the soil. But I don't think the OP was out of line at all to give it a shot.

In fact, I wish I had known that leaf miners were going to destroy my magnolia this year, and I would have pretreated in the spring. This is in another post, but I would love to hear some advice on dealing with miners, I think the particular one is a yellow poplar weevil. 2 straight years now, so I would like to begin making ammendments so maybe it can have a healthy year next year.