Warning - This product might be killing honeybees
I've decided that the phrase "life can be complicated" is bearing down on me and is no longer just a catch phrase. When you have to find a fifth grader to help you learn how to use your iPhone, things are getting complicated.
The same is true for some pesticides commonly used in the home landscape.
Back in the 1960s, most homeowners with a bug problem broke out the DDT and it killed any bug that it touched; pretty simple. It got complicated when Rachel Carson's book "Silent Spring" led to having DDT banned completely from use in the United States because it was harming a whole lot more than the pests.
Likewise, life is getting complicated when deciding to apply the most commonly used insecticide imidacloprid, called Merit on product labels. I've been recommending products containing Merit as the best and safest tool for killing white grubs in the lawn. It doesn't hurt earthworms or any other microbes in the soil; it just kills grubs.
Unfortunately, we are learning that Merit has some ugly side effects, namely causing what has been called colony collapse disorder, where thousands of honeybee colonies are disappearing for no obvious reason. Now we know that any plant that is treated with Merit and has blossoms that attract bees, those bees will receive a non-lethal shot of Merit. But it will cause them to lose their ability to find their way back to the hive. It also weakens the bee's immune system so the bee usually dies of some fungus or virus.
Merit is a very common insecticide in agriculture because it is systemic and very effective in controlling tough to kill insects such as aphids. Many apple orchards are routinely sprayed with Merit early in the season and then when the honey bees come it to pollinate those trees, they disappear. Not a very nice picture.
We yardeners can't deal with the bee problem in agriculture, but we definitely can take a look at how we are using Merit in our own yard. Some of the most effective and popular systemic insecticides for rose bushes have Merit as the main ingredient. Honeybees will always work over rose blossoms and so are exposed to a little bit of Merit -- enough to affect them badly.
A Merit-based insecticide is about the only effective tool to control black vine weevils, often a serious problem on azaleas and rhododendrons, the blossoms of which are magnets for honeybees.
Now to make things complicated, Merit is still an effective way to protect ash trees from the emerald ash borer. The ash blossoms are not attractive to honeybees.
There is still much to learn about Merit. Does it affect honeybees all year or just for a few months after application? Does it work on hemlocks to control the devastating hemlock adelgid just turning up in Michigan? I'll keep watching, but life sure can be complicated.
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| ©Bayer Corporation |
Bayer Advanced Garden Tree & Shrub Insect Control is a revolutionary new product that offers 12 months of systemic control of insects, and does not require spraying. The user simply mixes and pours it, like a drench, around the tree or shrub base.
It contains imidacloprid (called Merit), which provides broad-spectrum systemic control, and is effective at very low use rates for killing insects.
What insects does this product control?
| Insects Controlled | ||
|---|---|---|
| Aphids | Leafminers | Leaf-feeding Beetles |
| Adelgids | Birch Leafminer | Japanese Beetle |
| Scales | Royal palm bugs | Elm leaf beetles |
| Psyllids | Pine tip moth larvae | Viburnum leaf beetles |
| Lacebugs | Sawfly larvae | Black vine weevil larvae |
| Mealybugs | Flat headed borers | Roundheaded borers |
| Leafhoppers | Bronze Birch borers | Eucalyptus longhorned borers |
| Thrips | Alder borers | Whiteflies |
Recently added is the Emerald Ash Borer.
What insects this product does not control?
Some of the ornamental pests that it will not control include: mites, nematodes, gypsy moth, fall armyworm, eastern tent caterpillar.
Benefits Bayer Advanced Garden Tree & Shrub Insect Control
| Benefits of this Product | |
|---|---|
| FEATURE | BENEFITS |
| One Application per Year | 12 Month Insect Protection with One application |
| Soil Treatments | No SPRAYING, just mix and pour, as a drench. |
| Can be applied anytime of the year except when the ground is frozen, or water logged. | |
| Soil treatments eliminate spray drift | |
| Broad-Spectrum Insect Control | Controls all major listed insect pests of trees and shrubs |
| Systemic Action | Reduces impact on beneficial foliage inhabiting organisms, |
| Imparts systemic Protection throughout the plant. | |
| No phytotoxicity | Safe to Trees & Shrubs |
| New Chemistry | Provides an ingredient that insect pests are not tolerant to. |
| Low Use Rates | Less insecticide in the environment. |
| Good Ecological Profile | Low toxicity to mammals, birds, fish, and other non-target organisms. |
How do you apply product?
For trees, mix 1oz of Bayer Advanced Tree & Shrub Insect Control per 1 inch of distance around the tree and place this amount in 1 gallon of water. For shrubs, use 3 oz of the product per foot of height mixed in 1 gallon of water.
For example:
If a tree measure 20 inches around then put 20 oz of the product in 1 gallon of water and pour around the base of the tree.
If you have a 2-foot azalea, then place 6 oz of THIS PRODUCT in 1 gallon of water and pour around the base of the plant.
2.When is the best time of the year to apply the product?
You can apply anytime!
Late fall applications may be most appropriate for early spring pests such as birch leafminers, aphids, etc. For pests that occur later in the season, late fall or early spring applications are effective.
Do NOT apply this product when the ground is frozen or waterlogged. If the ground is frozen or waterlogged, the material can not soak into the ground and get to the roots.
Does the size of the tree make a difference?
Yes! The use rate is 1 ounce of the product per inch of distance around the tree trunk.
Can I apply this to my fruit trees?
No! The product in NOT registered or labeled for application to fruit trees.
I have a 40' Hemlock tree. When do I apply to control the hemlock woolly adelgid?
Soil treatments should be made when the soil is moist and not frozen or waterlogged.
Fall to early winter (late August to early December) and spring to early summer (mid-March to mid-June) are optimal periods for making soil applications for the hemlock woolly adelgid.
Can I use this on rose bushes?
Yes, use 3 oz of this product per foot of height, put into 1 gallon of water, and pour around the base of the plant.
Does weather conditions affect the products efficacy? Yes, it can. Uptake of this product is best when the plant is vigorously growing; thus, during periods when the soil is frozen or during drought conditions (or when transpiration is very low), uptake will most likely be reduced.
Can a drought have impact?
If a drought is occurring during a period in which an application is desired, it is recommended to water the plants to be treated well before making the soil application.
Can too much rain impact the product efficacy?
No! After the product is applied too much rain will not reduce efficacy, and the systemic action can’t be washed
22. Will this product have any impact on soil insects such as cutworms, earwigs, and termites when applied as directed? This product will suppress cutworm populations (provide approximately 60% control), it is not likely to have any effect on earwigs, Imidacloprid is an effective termiticide product and is sold under the trademark PremiseÒ on the professional side. As the product label is written, it is not registered for any of these pests.
For more information about this product go to www.bayeradvancedgarden.com