Systemic insect control potted palms

[sashaeffer]

Thinking ahead towards colder weather when potted palms will need to come inside for 5/6 months and the usual battle with spider mites and wanted some real world advice systemic pest control.

Small palms in pots are easy to drag into the shower and spray down but not practical for the large ones so would prefer to use a systemic insecticide on the soil that would get watered in and taken up by the roots to the entire plant. Products at local nursery and advice they gave seemed confusing.

Anyone here use a systemic for their potted palms that had positive results keeping Spider Mites, Mealy Bug, fungus gnats etc away?

[Ben in Norcal]

I have wondered about this too. Slightly concerned that most of the systemic granule products seem to say "for outdoor use only."

[Darold Petty]

Fungus gnats are the result of the pot medium remaining too wet.

I prefer acephate for systemic pest control. Please note that it is extremely toxic, and has been removed from retail sales in California. Use precautions, when applying it, including a respirator. Imidicloprid has replaced acephate as the retail systemic here.

I prefer acephate because it is absorbed through the foliage, while imidicloprid must be take up by the roots via irrigation. Acephate will thus make the plant toxic more quickly. This is not a problem if your plants are clean now. If so, then use imidicloprid, much safer.

If you use acephate three times (day 1, day 8, day 15) your plants will be toxic and bug-free for 6 or 8 months.

Be careful to avoid contact or inhalation with either of these chemicals !

[sashaeffer]

Wow, nasty stuff!

I did get a product that lady at nursery said would work as a systemic that is a foliar spray.

I've heard/read that Neem oil can be a systemic as well but I wondered about that because Neem smothers a pest not kill it with a poison.

[Josh-O]

Hi Scott,

I use Merritt systemic. It works wonders. I'll give you some when you come pick up your palms.

[LJG]

Hi Scott,

I use Merritt systemic. It works wonders. I'll give you some when you come pick up your palms.

The active ingredient in Merit is Imidacloprid - but at a much higher dose.

Scott, Darold is right, acephate works great but it is banned for a reason. I wouldn't use it. Imidacloprid can be used as a foliar. However when looking at comparative toxicity, it is much less effective as a foliar verses drench. If you are OK with Imidacloprid, I highly recommend CoreTect Tree & Shrub Tablets. The stuff are the best at what they do. I have been using them for a few years now. They are effective for up to year. Cant help you with why Imidacloprid is not recommended indoors as I have never researched that as I have had no need to treat indoors.

One thing to remember is Imidacloprid is a pesticide, not miticide. It won't kill mites. Also, good luck finding a systemic miticide. Mites don't feed in the vascular system of a plant, so systemic don't work on them. You just have to use contact killers. Try Avid if you want to go nuclear. Avid is translaminar, so has local systemic properties (not a true systemic) on new leaves. It works great and when rotated with an ovicide, you should be mite free. Just wear a mask and spray outside.

[Gonzer]

For potted plants CoreTect is the a great product replacing Merit 2.5G granular. Marble-size pieces with just a bit of fertilizer added that insert into the soil.

[sashaeffer]

Hi Scott,

I use Merritt systemic. It works wonders. I'll give you some when you come pick up your palms.

Thanks Josh. Do you have to be licensed to buy that?

[sashaeffer]

Hi Scott,

I use Merritt systemic. It works wonders. I'll give you some when you come pick up your palms.

The active ingredient in Merit is Imidacloprid - but at a much higher dose.

Scott, Darold is right, acephate works great but it is banned for a reason. I wouldn't use it. Imidacloprid can be used as a foliar. However when looking at comparative toxicity, it is much less effective as a foliar verses drench. If you are OK with Imidacloprid, I highly recommend CoreTect Tree & Shrub Tablets. The stuff are the best at what they do. I have been using them for a few years now. They are effective for up to year. Cant help you with why Imidacloprid is not recommended indoors as I have never researched that as I have had no need to treat indoors.

One thing to remember is Imidacloprid is a pesticide, not miticide. It won't kill mites. Also, good luck finding a systemic miticide. Mites don't feed in the vascular system of a plant, so systemic don't work on them. You just have to use contact killers. Try Avid if you want to go nuclear. Avid is translaminar, so has local systemic properties (not a true systemic) on new leaves. It works great and when rotated with an ovicide, you should be mite free. Just wear a mask and spray outside.

Thanks Len, makes sense.

[Darold Petty]

Thanks Len and Gonzer; That's very helpful info.

[PalmatierMeg]

Southern Ag has Merit 75% powder in 2 oz. bottles - 1/4 tsp per 2.5 gallons and 1 bottle makes 100 gal. I use several bottles per year as soil drenches to treat my garden and container garden. I buy mine from a lady in Punta Gorda FL who is also on eBay. I pay ~$40 per bottle and pick it up to save shipping. It is so much cheaper than buying the Bayer liquid, which is only about 12% imadacloprid. A bottle should last you a good while.

As for mites, spray palms with a soap solution or neem oil. That should suffocate them.

[cristi]

There is a product in Europe named Vertimec, the active substance is abamectin. It is a systemic miticide very useful against all types of spider mites (we have many species here, yellow, red, two spotted..). Try to find a similar product in US. This is not very toxic, it is actualy a natural fermentation product of a bacteria. I grow palms only indoor all year long. It can help you to keep in control spider mites colonies, but not to kill them all. It worked for me.

Edited July 7, 2015 by cristi

[LJG]

There is a product in Europe named Vertimec, the active substance is abamectin. It is a systemic miticide very useful against all types of spider mites (we have many species here, yellow, red, two spotted..). Try to find a similar product in US. This is not very toxic, it is actualy a natural fermentation product of a bacteria. I grow palms only indoor all year long. It can help you to keep in control spider mites colonies, but not to kill them all. It worked for me.

Abamectin is the active ingredient in Avid here in the U.S. While it is not a systemic, it is translaminar. So it is absorbed through the leaf and stored. It carries an EPA Catagory 2 rating, so it is actually pretty toxic when compared to most things sold as pesticides for homeowners. At the very least you need to be wearing gloves and a mask when spraying it.

[DoomsDave]

Acephate was great stuff. Hated to see it go, though my nose appreciates it. It smells vile. But it works.

My experience has been that mites are harder to control. The former killer of choice was kelthane, but i haven't seen that for years.

Haven't had a problem with mites for a long while, with no indoor plants. Printing out this thread for future reference . . .

[sashaeffer]

I do appreciate all the replies and tips.

I do wish we had a forum for indoor/potted palms. Seems like with more nurseries shipping palms now the palm hobby is growing to more northern states here in the US and more in Europe as well.

[Keith N Tampa (ex SoJax)]

Consider predators for the mites. They work pretty well and won't hurt humans. One that comes to mind is persimilis. Google spider mite predators and I think you will find lots of ideas. Syngenta (the registrant for Avid), also sells biologicals.

Imidacloprid will work well on the other plant feeders. Treat the plant outdoors before moving things inside. It'll work better that way anyway because plant respiration is higher outdoors and that'll draw the active ingredient into the tissue better. Imidacloprid is the slowest neonicitinoid. As Len said, isn't going to work on mites.

[Pando]

Thanks for the great info...

I have two large 8-9ft multi-trunked roebeleniis that I just discovered red date scale on the new fronds. I'll start with Imidacloprid, but I'm concerned that it might not be fast enough. Would spraying Malathion into the new fronds and crown work well to kick start the recovery and then let Imidacloprid to do its thing over time?

[LJG]

Thanks for the great info...

I have two large 8-9ft multi-trunked roebeleniis that I just discovered red date scale on the new fronds. I'll start with Imidacloprid, but I'm concerned that it might not be fast enough. Would spraying Malathion into the new fronds and crown work well to kick start the recovery and then let Imidacloprid to do its thing over time?

Yes. I like Malathion as it is not very toxic compared to others on the market. Plus it breaks down faster. The new Bayer Tree and Shrub contains a contact killer in it now. Not sure the active ingredient, but it replaces the need for Malathion first. Just pour the Bayer over the leaves and drench too.

[Pedro 65]

Thanks for the great info...

I have two large 8-9ft multi-trunked roebeleniis that I just discovered red date scale on the new fronds. I'll start with Imidacloprid, but I'm concerned that it might not be fast enough. Would spraying Malathion into the new fronds and crown work well to kick start the recovery and then let Imidacloprid to do its thing over time?

Maybe the "Red Dates" are edible ? don't try em now that you've sprayed

Pete

[Pando]

Yes. I like Malathion as it is not very toxic compared to others on the market. Plus it breaks down faster. The new Bayer Tree and Shrub contains a contact killer in it now. Not sure the active ingredient, but it replaces the need for Malathion first. Just pour the Bayer over the leaves and drench too.

Thanks Len! I'll do that; looks like the active ingredients are Imidacloprid and Clothianidin

http://www.bayeradvanced.com/find-a-product/tree-shrub-care/12-month-tree-shrub-protect-feed-ii

Edited July 8, 2015 by Pando

[LJG]

Yes. I like Malathion as it is not very toxic compared to others on the market. Plus it breaks down faster. The new Bayer Tree and Shrub contains a contact killer in it now. Not sure the active ingredient, but it replaces the need for Malathion first. Just pour the Bayer over the leaves and drench too.

Thanks Len! I'll do that; looks like the active ingredients are Imidacloprid and Clothianidin

http://www.bayeradvanced.com/find-a-product/tree-shrub-care/12-month-tree-shrub-protect-feed-ii

Yeah, clothianidin was the other active ingredient. I just Googled it and it too is a NeoNic. I thought it was a contact killer. Either way I can say with certainty that when I use Bayer and pour it over the infestation, the next day the bugs are dead.

[nomolos]

Fungus gnat larva can be stopped by putting a layer of propagating sand on the top of the pot, so when you look at the soil around the base of the potted palm you don't see soil only sand.

[sashaeffer]

On ‎7‎/‎7‎/‎2015‎ ‎4‎:‎22‎:‎00‎, DoomsDave said:

Acephate was great stuff. Hated to see it go, though my nose appreciates it. It smells vile. But it works.

 

My experience has been that mites are harder to control. The former killer of choice was kelthane, but i haven't seen that for years.

 

Haven't had a problem with mites for a long while, with no indoor plants. Printing out this thread for future reference . . .

Was?  I bought some just this summer from local nursery.

[DoomsDave]

6 hours ago, sashaeffer said:

Was?  I bought some just this summer from local nursery.

Good!

They banned it here in California. They've tried to ban everything, even whoopee, seems like.