What does autumn tree insect control have to do with next spring?
A lot!
Preventive care is key, both for your body and your trees. It’s a lot faster, easier and more affordable to tackle tree insect control early rather than let the pests take over and then start trying to get rid of them.
Autumn is the time to take action, so start including some insect control strategies along with harvesting, pruning and prepping your trees for winter.
Systemic insecticides give your trees the protection they need to ward off insects for up to one year. Talk to your tree services professional to get the best insecticide for your trees and plants, including organic options.
Some of the most common pests — like caterpillars, borers, aphids and leaf miners — don’t stand a chance against an autumn-placed systemic insecticide, and applying it now can stop problems from cropping up next year.
Tree Insect Control with Systemic Insecticides
Systemic insecticides are applied to the soil, not the tree, and the roots really lap it up, strengthening your tree from the inside out. The treatment gets delivered to each twig and leaf.
This bottom-up approach also lets you quickly and safely safeguard even the tallest of trees. A spray for foliage can also work, but you’ll be paying a premium to have a licensed, bonded pro reach the tallest branches. You can spread systemic insecticides yourself, or hire a tree services pro for a fraction of the price for spraying.
Insects that eat treated trees (including the leaves or wood) become infected and die. It’s common to see insects on the tree, and in some cases there might even be light damage. Systemic insecticides don’t stop insects from being on the tree or being attracted to it. Instead, it simply kills them after they feed excessively, which dramatically reduces damage.
A Safe Approach
Giving your tree systemic insecticide is kind of like taking a vitamin. It protects the immune system well before danger appears, whether it’s a pest or a germ.
Plus, this type of insecticide isn’t releasing any type of harmful chemical into the air or onto the external parts of the tree. For those with compromised immune systems, people who have children or pets, or simply anyone who doesn’t want to ingest insecticides, it’s a fantastic option that really works.
Most insecticides will be fully distributed within two weeks of application and will last internally for a year. Even eggs that hatch in the spring will have a short feeding window before the poison does its trick.
Systemic insecticides are available in liquid or dry granule form, and are best applied when trees are actively growing, so act fast! Call Reliable Tree Care for more tips on tree insect control, and prepare your trees for next spring.