The fall season isn’t too far away, but it seems warmer temperatures may be! Protect evergreens, shrubs, and trees from warm weather insects. The ArborWISE by Carolina Tree Care program tailors each foliar treatment to specifically meet the needs of your plants. Our late summer foliar treatment treats directly through the leaves.
Late fall is a good time to treat for known cases of piercing/spring sucking insects that feed directly in the phloem (soft scale, aphids whiteflies, etc), with a highly soil-bound systemic via soil injection (imidacloprid, acelepryn). With these two, the potential for off-target leeching is quite low, so they remain in place for uptake and longer-lasting control next spring.
Another type of chemical we can use is Acelepryn. Acelepryn would be preferred as it’s EPA reduced risk and pollinator safe. November through December application is typical as per the technical manager.
Late Summer Foliar Treatment Protects Against Scales! Here’s some information on the scale pest and our treatment protocol:
Scale Treatment: Foliar Spray - General (EPA)
- Typically, control begins in 1-2 days and residual efficacy lasts 4 weeks. Scales are small, highly-specialized insects.
- All scales feed by sucking tree juices (sap) through a set of highly-modified mouthparts called stylets. They often grow exponentially and during large infestations, excessive sap loss from this feeding robs the plant of the nutrients it needs to grow and compromises its defenses – sometimes with fatal consequences.
- Some scales also excrete a sugary substance called honeydew. It can coat bark, leaves, and objects beneath the plant, leaving a sticky mess. Excessive honeydew also promotes the growth of a black, unsightly fungus called sooty mold.
- We use an expensive insecticide with EPA reduced risk status. This means it preserves more beneficial insects and has lower environmental and human health risks vs. traditional foliar insecticides. It is also pollinator-friendly because many pollinating insects visit the plants scales feed on.
Check out the tree bugs page for more information. Let us care for the health of your trees and shrubs as we transition from summer to fall. Schedule your late summer foliar treatment today.
