Frequently Asked Questions:

1. If my neighbour’s tree is untreated how will it affect my treated tree?

Your neighbour's trees will be damaged but the trees that are closest to your tree will suffer least, your tree will still have some shot hole caused by adult beetles but NO larval damage. View a Comparison

Beetles need to ingest a small amount of leaf material for the chemical to kill them; you will see dead and dying beetle on paved areas indicating that things are proceeding as planned. At the beginning of the season clients are often concerned when they see Shot hole and Beetles activity in their tree; these images are relatively self explanatory. After ingestion the insect stops feeding, very little leaf material is required as it’s fatal at levels in the microgram range. Beetles will raise the rear of their abdomen high, this is a typical symptom. Separating wing cases and tremors are terminal symptoms prior too nervous system shutdown, Note Shot Hole near beetle. Any beetles that fall will die; as the chemical takes effect they often drag their hind legs and are lethargic and lack coordination. Dying beetles are easily seen on paved surfaces; laying sheets or parking vehicles under the canopy will reveal the same. In the warmer months tree injected elms will start to bring Adults down in as little as eight minutes post treatment, but larvae can take between thirty and forty five minutes depending on the temperature. Insecticides such as Imidacloprid and related analogues are the only reliable chemistries that work fast and persist for long periods within the tree. Soil injected irrigated trees using the same chemistry take a minimum of twenty six days to achieve the same outcome, larger trees at one hundred centimeters can take up seventy days. Translocation and kill times tend to be more uniform with tree injection, no irrigation is required. All our trialled one hundred centimeter plus trees had beetles falling within eight minutes during summer. If larvae are present the treatment has not been successful and the tree needs re treatment. Contact the company who performed the work. Two Year Guarantee applies for Micro Injected trees treated by Elmsavers. One Season Guarantee for canopy sprays treated by Elmsavers.

3. Should I soil inject my tree during a drought year with water restrictions?

We would advise that all trees have a better outcome when micro injected as against soil injection.

Imidacloprid solubility is 610 mg to the litre which means that it won’t dissolve readily in water; a 100 centimeter tree requires 92 litres of water to solubilise the active ingredient, low moisture levels in the soil and its sub profile result in the precipitation of the active ingredient.

Soil injection requires high levels of moisture at the root zone for the active ingredient to dissolve; translocation too the leaf mass is ONLY possible when these conditions are met.

Soil injection is environmentally irresponsible as it wastes water and poses a significant threat to aquatic organisms; it kills earthworms at levels as low as 4ppm it also is highly detrimental to micro flora and mycorrhiza essential for tree nutrient uptake. (Refer to Downloadable Documents) or Click on link for direct access Soil injection versus trunk injection which is the best Option

By Micro injecting your tree you are avoiding the need to irrigate and rely on adequate rainfall, the chemical will translocate within the tree regardless.

4. When Should I soil inject my Tree?

If you choose to soil inject your tree it can be undertaken in early March if the soil moisture conditions are right; this may give protection for the following TWO YEARS.

In the past our extensive field trials have proved that early season applications have reduced adult damage when activity commences in late October.

Treatments can start in June but larger trees need early treatment, smaller ones can be taken right up to the cut off date.

Soil injections cease in the Second week of October.

5. How often do I soil inject my tree?

If your tree has been soil injected you need to treat it again prior to the third season, generally you can expect two years full protection from a soil injection treatment. We guarantee our treatment for Two Years; trees that are untreated beyond this point may suffer severe damage in the third season.

6. Are all trees soil injectable and what are my alternatives?

The answer is NO; trees with restricted root access are unsuitable also paved areas, driveways or waterways etc.

Chemical applications near creeks and rivers can leach into the Aquatic environment or Ground water with serious outcomes, as they are highly toxic to invertebrates.

Refer too Confidor 200SC Information Sheet page 5 of 6 regarding invertebrate toxicity.

Alternatives
Canopy Spraying can successfully treat most of these trees except for trees near waterways, refer to micro injection treatments

Spraying needs to be done every year, and Single treatment is all that is required for complete protection for the whole season.

Micro injection is the best long-term protection available, it efficiently uses the tree vascular system (xylem) to transport systemic chemistries, refer to Treatment Options.

All micro injection points should be sealed; our system uses patented plugs designed for this purpose.

Avoidance and Advice
We would strongly advise against Non Professionals attempting to inject trees with insecticides that contain harsh phytotoxic chemistries.

Claims that not plugging is not detrimental to the tree are untrue, leaving a cavity after injecting gives fungal pathogens an entry point.

Harsh and Phytotoxic insecticides damage Xylem/Cambial tissue; this causes internal decay and smelly pus like discharge.

Phytotoxic Insecticides formulated with solvents such as N-methyl-2-Pyrrolidione & Xylene should NEVER be used as they are designed for high volume spray tank mixes.

Micro injection is a highly specialised field and it requires an acute understanding of organic chemistry and plant diseases.

Chemistry applications that target specific disorders either insect or disease needs to be fully understood.

WE DO NOT HAVE DUTCH ELM DISEASE IN AUSTRALIA but if there was an outbreak it would be wise to inoculate high value Amenity trees as a precaution.

The Disease Ceratosystis Ulmi aka Ophiostroma Ulmi is a fungus that damages the tree vascular system; the disease is spread by the elm Bark Beetle (scolytus multistriatus) or vector.

Elmsavers has conducted field trials over the summer period of 2002 & 2003 to evaluate various fungicides effective against Dutch Elm disease.

The main purpose of our trials was to test for phototoxicity & compatibility with our injecting devices.

Trunk injected applications of the Fungicides Thiabendazole “Arbortect” Tebuconazole, Propiconazole “Alamo”, Carbendazim & Debacarb are the only methods used in response to arresting & Controlling Dutch elm disease.

We have taken a Proactive approach to this threat; our program is NOW in place, in the event of an Outbreak we can respond immediately. Emergency hygiene protocols & registration of chemistries coordinated by the authorities would come into effect.

Treatments of this nature have been in place for MANY YEARS OVERSEAS, trees that would have died are now thriving.

Our system of treatment is fast and efficient, we can treat a large number of trees if necessary, and it is superior to methods used in the USA in delivery time of the active ingredient. The New Zealand experience has shown that elimination of the pathogen is unlikely. Authorities in the past claimed eradication only to find fresh outbreaks occurring.