Integrated Tree Pest Management is the practice of monitoring insect and disease activity, and once a threshold level has been reached, implementing a combination of methods and maintenance tools to restore tree and plant health on your property.
Horticultural Oils
Horticultural oils are lightweight oils, either petroleum or vegetable based. Today’s highly refined oils are valuable tools in managing insect and mite pests on common household plantings, such as roses, flowering shrubs, fruit trees, berries, ornamentals and houseplants. Many horticultural oils can also treat diseases such as powdery mildew.
At Emerald, we care about the safety of your family and landscapes. Our oils leave non-toxic residue, so they are safe around children, pets and wildlife. For clients who enjoy harvesting their own honey through bee keeping, horticultural oils won’t harm honey bees unless they are applied directly to flowers during the time of day that bees are foraging.
Insecticidal Soaps
Along with Horticultural oils, insecticidal soap are safe, effective and serve as a low toxicity alternative to pesticides when treating undesirable insects in your garden. These soaps leave no hard residue, are natural products that are non-toxic to animals and birds, and can be used on vegetables up to the time of harvesting. Additionally, beneficial insects, such as pollinators, are not harmed by soap sprays. These products also serve as a leaf wash to remove sooty mold, honeydew and other debris from trees, shrubs and other plantings safely.
Beneficial Nematodes
Beneficial nematodes are becoming a popular treatment for tree pest control. Nematodes are microscopic ‘worms’ that attack certain pests such as grubs in our gardens and landscapes. These organisms feed on over 200 pests from up to 100 insect families.
Nematodes feed on pests that harm plantings, or they feed on immature grubs prior to maturation. An expert can easily apply beneficial nematodes to your property, as they know the proper timing and conditions needed for this treatment to be most effective.
They are easily applied, but the right timing and conditions are needed for them to be effective.
