I have sunburst locust trees which are infected by leaf hoppers. Can this be treated systemically?

Question

I have sunburst locust trees which are infected by leaf hoppers. Can this be treated systemically?

Answer 1

here is one place where cygon is recommended:

http://www.icangarden.com/forum.cfm?task...

in that thread the dude also says 'ask the organic folks what they recommend' and mostly what organic folks recommend for bugs is beneficial predators and for poison they might prolly say "neem".

cygon is systemic through foliar application or with root drenches. Root drenches would be counterindicated if the pesticide can reach a belowground water table or aboveground waterway. A root drench of neem would break down in 50 - 100 hours after exposure to air or water so is not a lasting danger (it doesn't seem to make animals sick anyway, just temporarily infertile).

"just"<<ha ha. poisons suck.  

Neem is only known to be taken up systemically by the roots of some plants and it's success might depend on which form is used; different solvents and such they use in addition to different strengths.

Neem OIL should not be used if it is to be a root drench since an oil would not travel well. Neem oil has different chemicals than neem extracts anyway.

cygon contains an active ingredient already known to be one that some pests are resistant to so repeat applications are liable to create resistant populations. rotation is advised. Those cautions do not yet apply to neem.

cygon also kills bees so should be used at dawn or dusk if sprayed where they may be. Also 'spray drift by wind' needs to be guarded against so nearby gardens or other surfaces are not contaminated. Neem breaks down in 50 - 100 hours of sun exposure (any knid of exposure i guess); it is also said by some to be ok for/survivable by non-plant sucking bugs but i kind of doubt they would survive if directly sprayed/definately wouldn't if neem oil was used. Earthworms do seem to like neem though.

cygon it's self is being phased out in Canada/there are several poisons in the cygon family. Use rules can vary by state in the US. i don't know which cygon is the one to use for ur locust to tell u the truth. Your extension office should be able to tell you those things.

US and Canadian extension sites:

http://www.northerngardening.com/extensi...

one text i read says the leafhopper is vulnerable while the tree leaves are still unfolding and growing. That might be their time because that is when they are feeding/they lay eggs shortly thereafter. both neem and cygon need to be injested to be effective. Some bugs do not really eat after they mature or lay eggs. The eggs they lay are in the twigs by the buds; they will hatch next spring.

the chemical in neem (azadirachtin) does good at disrupting the molting stages/advancement to maturity of bugs but it might have to be applied at certain times for that to occur?

^^that will be the trick, if u find a poison that will affect the eggs inside the twigs. idk if neem would. or if anything would. Your extension office might be able to help u there, i am sorry but i really do not know poisons. If they cannot help u to know a better poison then they at least should know what week(s) to spray/when the leafhopper lifecycle in your area is most vulnerable. it can be a rather restricted window of opportunity.

Neem OIL does not need to be injested; it acts as a regular oil by suffocating surface dwelling bugs. many horticultural oils are made from neem. Vegetable oil works as well as those usually; lots of recipes on the net, some adding in soaps or peppers or tomato leaves.

neem also comes as a form of soap in addition to the oil and 'regular' type. the neem soap might not work a whole lot better than regular soaps (soap in general is useful as a surfactant agent and to help a little with penetration of waxy bug skins).

some of these chems cannot only harm bugs but also the tree tissue. like here is a safety sheet on a member of the cygon family that says sunburst locust leaves should be tested for damage before application to the whole tree:

http://www.drugs.com/vet/ipco-cygon-480-...

here is a safety sheet on a different cygon family member and this sheet did not say anything about tree damage i think<<this sucks...the texts on pesticide use are not unified and it is a little scary:

http://cache.search.yahoo-ht2.akadns.net...

At least one city gov is recommending that leafhopper on locust just be waited out. they say the trees will defoliate and go dormant but should leaf out the next spring. I am not sure what would keep it from happening again the next year but sometimes bugs just have good years and do not materialize in the same numbers the next year. if they did pose a prob, at least u would be ready to catch them at their most vulnerable stage.

Like i mentioned earlier, a few beneficial predators are available for leafhoppers. of course they might not be able to be employed depending on what poison(s) get used but they are something to think about. Lady bugs, lacewings and maybe especially praying mantis will eat softbodied insects like the leafhopper.

praying mantid may need to be shopped around for because some distributors stop their mantid sending season in June.

maybe do a little research for release tips; depending on which one u might get because i do not know about lacewings but watch ur mantis egg case does not hatch in the HOUSE! <<that much i know.

ladybugs want a sprinkle of water on the plants before u release them or they will fly away looking for a drink. also they go towards light so they can be released at the bottom of the plants. also they can be refridgerated for staggered release dates. I have heard that the ladybug larvae are more voracious than the adults ..also that the lacewings are a little more effective than full grown ladybugs. i would vote for the mantid unless u have baby birds because mantid CAN take them AND mice down.

also i think there is a microbial predator u can get for leafhoppers but u would have to look into it/their effectiveness i mean and conditions of use.

to get more tree advice, u can try the arborday forum:

http://forums.arborday.org/forum/index.p...

or here:

http://www.treeworld.info/

and here is a general garden forum:

http://www.helpfulgardener.com/phpBB2/