My trees are much larger than the recommended dose amounts listed on the Bayer label, so I used one complete bottle for every 2 trees except the Pecan trees; I used one whole bottle for one tree. I am noticing more and more whiteflies each week. How long before this treatment starts to work? Will I have to treat everything in my yard? Am I using the correct treatment?

===>>> please hire a professional ....

i dont understand.. how you changed the labeled instructions ... and it scares me ...

please hire a professional

ken

first...breath.

Next, learn. Take some time, start talking to people around you. Are aphids and whitefly in larger numbers than normal this year? Or is your yard some insect horror park seen no where else in the county?

Then, learn some more. What's the most effective control for (name of pest). How is it applied? Is this indeed something you can apply safely, properly?

But let's start with some basics. Soft bodied insects, such as aphid and white fly. Easy to kill, not so easy to control. They hide easily and repopulate quickly. Bt works well on white fly, acephate (orthene) works well as a general knock down.

Bag worm. One of the tougher ones. Spinosad is effective, but there's a narrow window of application for maximum effectiveness.

I think that those might be woolly hackberry aphids (Shivaphis celti). Systemics such as imidacloprid (the active ingredient in the Bayer product) are commonly used and effective for both whiteflies and the woolly hackberry aphid. (There's reason to be concerned that they're being overused, but that's another issue.) However, it's not a quick "knock-down" product - on larger trees, it can take a month or more to start to see a visible reduction. Strobiculate - I've never heard that Bt is effective on whiteflies?

In the future, I'd avoid the "Feed" products, which include fertilizer. Fertilizing is generally unnecessary, and encourages sucking insects.

Keep in mind that these pests will probably not kill the trees. Hackberry in particular is prone to foliar pests and pathogens and often looks bad late in the season, but it generally seems to tolerate the damage and come back for more.

Saccharum, that's the problem with the Bayer systemic. It's imidacloprid PLUS fertilizer. I have been using it for a couple of years to fight borers (successfully) on a smoketree and two very young honeylocusts -- but I use it in the springtime. If I discovered what I see in that photo of the hackberry, I wouldn't dream of attempting to treat a tree that size by myself.

Saccharum, that's the problem with the Bayer systemic. It's imidacloprid PLUS fertilizer. I have been using it for a couple of years to fight borers (successfully) on a smoketree and two very young honeylocusts -- but I use it in the springtime. If I discovered what I see in that photo of the hackberry, I wouldn't dream of attempting to treat a tree that size by myself.

They do make a version of "Bayer Advanced Tree and Shrub" without the fertilizer. Also, I'd note that there are other generic imidacloprid products which are much cheaper than Bayer or Merit (on a cost-per-treatment basis).

My trees are much larger than the recommended dose amounts listed on the Bayer label, so I used one complete bottle for every 2 trees

==>> is this pre-diluted product...

or are you dumping half a bottle of CONCENTRATE on two trees ...

i just dont understand ...

and having used the concentrate.. the LABELED INSTRUCTIONS are a function of trunk diameter etc .... so i am wondering about what i am thinking.. compared to your use.. but too lazy to research your product .... maybe i am wrong ...

but i dont understand how you claim that the instructions on the label are insufficient for your use...

it is.. against the law.. to use a product contrary to the label .. [not that i am going to rat you out or anything like that]

i just dont understand how my friends here.. are encouraging you further in your use of chemicals ...

forgive me if i am missing the obvious here...

where is rhiz.. she will set me straight ... one of us anyway ...

i wish you luck with your trees .... but you have used more chemicals on your trees.. than i have in 30 years of growing trees ... there simply should not be a need for this level/ type of application .... and if my well was near your property.. i would be concerned

ken

ps: i never really cared in the city.. with city water and all ....

The uncertainty about dosage made me cringe too, Ken, but it seemed like a can of worms I didn't feel like opening up. The Bayer label for their liquid "Protect and Feed II" concentrate indicates 1 oz per inch of circumference. So, one could easily use a full 32-ounce bottle on a tree that's 12 inches DBH and still be within label. If they're using a gallon bottle, well, I hope that tree is at least 40 inches diameter.

I rarely recommend insecticides on trees, but if someone has a heavy whitefly or aphid infestation and really wants to treat it with something (sometimes these infestations of exotics can be pretty extreme), imidacloprid will usually work - and I'd consider it a less-scary option than using regular foliar sprays with a broad-spectrum insecticide.

I, too, worry when someone is guessing about the dosage of a pesticide. It's dangerous for the applicator as well as for the environment. The responsible use of imidicloprid pesticides requires knowledge of the most effective timing as well as making certain that the dose will be correct.

Another factor that worries me is that some insects are developing resistance to this class of pestides (neonicotinoids) . But the biggest headache is that these chemicals have proved to cause a population explosion of pests after the effects begin to wear away. This ends up causing increased problems....and more pesticides.

I strongly advise that our original poster wait for several weeks to see if there are any positive results. By that time, the trees will be preparing for autumn. I also suggest that he/she call the toll free number found on every label to ask for advice. Know the identification of the pests and the measured circumference of each tree. Be honest with your particular dose. I'll bet that you get lots of help.

I agree that the 'lint' insects are not whitefly but hackberry wooly aphids. You might not be observing or recognizing other pests, as well. Don't you think that it might be time for you to call on a professional? An ISA (International Society of Arboriculture) Certified arborist is required....not any 'tree guy '.

One of the most effective control measures is horticultural oil applied in the winter. This treatment smothers the eggs of many pests, breaking the cycle. I doubt that any professional will spray acephate everywhere and Bt is useless on whitefly (or wooly aphids, for that matter).

Thanks for all the replies. A few of them very helpful. They have indeed turned out to be the woolly aphid that you mentioned. My trees are larger than 30 inches in diameter and the instructions said to apply the entire bottle to the tree if it was 30 inches and more. My pecans are pushing the 150 inch mark. The label was not clear about really large or really old trees. My concern was about putting too much of the Bayer in a single area so I used it in different areas in my yard. I do not want to spray any chemicals into the trees because I too am reluctant about too much chemical. My ladybug larvae population is exploding so I will probably let them take over and do their job from here. The Bayer is a once a year application anyway so I can't treat them again until next year. I definitely prefer the ladybugs over any chemical any day. The infestation seems to be neighborhood-wide. The city has been spraying for mosquitoes for the past two years and I am curious if this is also killing off helpful insects that are natural enemies to the aphids and bag worms,

Why don't you just grow trees you don't have to treat with pesticides? That's what I do and I don't feel limited much in choosing trees and shrubs.
Hackberry? I'd cut it down rather than treat it. Pretty common in some places.
Mike

Your question about mosquito abatement chemicals is a good one....I wish that more people wondered about it. The adulticides are any of a list of different synthetic pyrethroids, malathion, and other chemicals. These are the chemicals that can cause problems for other critters but the most at risk are hugely beneficial ......the tiny parasitoids.

These very small insects help control aphids, scale insects, caterpillers, whitefly and more, and often do it without any silly humans ever knowing what they're up to. They are very susceptible to being killed by the mosquito chemicals.

The mosquito larvicides are sprayed or placed into ponds, drainage ditches, and other locations that might harbor mosquito larvae. These products only harm aquatic larvae that ingest the biological control agent.