Why is my tree dying

[greatwhite]

When I worked as a tree sprayer we occasionally had customers ask if we could use insecticidal soap. I told them sure and the price is 3X the regular amount and I won't come back for a follow up visit.

The crap does not work very well.

Essentially what your trying to do is disrupt the permeability and structure of insects' cell membranes and it doesn't have a very good success rate.

[greatwhite]

Actually you can still buy this in Ontario, I guess because technically it's not for lawns.

https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/s...-1590819p.html


Mixed at double the rate to equal what I would use commercially.

[greatwhite]

Although it does not say it on the box it can also be used for Chinch bugs and grubs

[MikePal]

Actually you can still buy this in Ontario, I guess because technically it's not for lawns.

https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/s...-1590819p.html

It's used in smokers for Mosquito fogging...perfectly legal and is used by the city in parks etc and homeowners along hedge rows etc.

[sawbill]

When we get tent caterpillars I'll just mix up a 2 gallon hand sprayer with any dish soap I can steal from under the kitchen sink and go at'er. Just enough soap to color the water and with tent caterpillars, they drop immediately. They tend to yard up in the evenings in the crotch of branches of so you can kill them by the hundrends in one good soaking. Gypsy moth is a bit different as it seems you have to go out and hunt the little buggers down but it takes a good soak every morning and every evening to get ahead of them. I really wouldn't waste my money on chemicals to get rid of them.

[Species8472]

Have used vinegar/salt for years. It works. Not as well, but nowhere near as toxic

Vinegar is actually more toxic when ingested directly than glyphosate (active chemical in roundup). LD 50 for vinegar is 3.3 gram per kilogram of body mass. LD 50 for glyphosate is 5.6 grams per kilogram of body mass.

LD 50 being the dose that will kill 50% of a population after 96 hours. Safer to drink roundup than vinegar - at least in the short term.

[smitty55]

Well go figure. My Oak and Basswood that were all completely defoliated all have new leaf growth happening, soon enough you won't even be able to tell they lost all their leaves. Even better, my Golden Delicious that was hit the hardest of my apple trees also has plenty of new leaves on it. Don't see anything on the Maples yet but they were hit after. So it seems there won't be any permanent damage to the deciduous trees. Conifers however are likely a different story. Frank, in your case with that Blue Spruce I would try pruning say 6" off the ends of those affected branches. It certainly won't hurt them and hopefully it would encourage new growth. Good luck

Releaf.jpg

[fratri]

Well go figure. My Oak and Basswood that were all completely defoliated all have new leaf growth happening, soon enough you won't even be able to tell they lost all their leaves. Even better, my Golden Delicious that was hit the hardest of my apple trees also has plenty of new leaves on it. Don't see anything on the Maples yet but they were hit after. So it seems there won't be any permanent damage to the deciduous trees. Conifers however are likely a different story. Frank, in your case with that Blue Spruce I would try pruning say 6" off the ends of those affected branches. It certainly won't hurt them and hopefully it would encourage new growth. Good luck

Releaf.jpg

I think I will do that, my tree certainly looks better than before I started spraying with dawn dish soap. It looks like I killed lots of them if not all of them.
I will trim back and see what happens. Thanks for all the advice.

[js4fn]

Best time to trim a evergreen is late winter early spring
I loose 6-7 evergreens each year to buck scraps. Some just minor rubs Xmas tree size. Most when velvet is getting removed

[fratri]

New growth on this tree...... Looks like it is going to make it.....