Have you ever purchased and applied an insecticide only to be frustrated with the results? It happens, and the majority of the time we find that the insecticide was applied incorrectly. Today’s blog gives you 7 best practices to follow when applying insecticides.
1. Apply in the morning when temperatures are cooler. Many insecticides can cause damage to your plants if you spray them during the heat of the day. Applying insecticides in morning hours are best, evening hours are next best.
2. Read label and follow application instructions. This simple tip gets overlooked the most. Many gardeners ignore the label and then get frustrated when the product doesn’t seem to work. You might miss the instructions for follow applications, or that you need to apply again if it rains. Sometimes the label states that you can only apply a certain amount of times per year, or specifically lists plants not to use it on. Read and get knowledge.
3. Spray the entire plant, especially under the leaves. Getting a true, full coverage is key to getting the best result from your insecticide of choice. Repeat the mantra, “No pest left behind!” Try aiming your sprayer in an upward direction to get the underside of the leaves where many pests and their offspring tend to hide.
4. Label and use specific spray bottles for specific products. For example, don’t use a sprayer that previously had weed killer in it to currently spray for insects. There could be left over residue from previous products that could cause damage to your plants.
5. Always remember that insecticides are not selective. The same spray you may choose to rid yourself of cabbage loopers will also knock out a Monarch caterpillar. So while the spray can’t be selective, you can! Choose the least toxic option that will give you the pest control you need and protect plants you don’t want affected.
6. Beware of insecticide drift. This goes hand in hand with the tip above. Insecticides can drift in the wind and get deposited on plants that you have set aside for your pollinators/beneficial insects. Opt to spray plants on calm mornings.
7. Respect shelf life. Store insecticides in a cool area out of direct sunlight and use by expiration date for maximum effectiveness.
Come see us at Rainbow Gardens for any of your insecticide needs. We’ll help you get the right product for the problem you’re having.
~The Happy Gardener
Comment * i’m having a very serious damage insect affecting my oil palm garden, pls how can this put to end?
Kelvin,
Hi there, can you offer a little more info so we can see about helping? What does the damage look like? Have you seen the insects? Can you describe them?
Fall army worm. Which is the best insecticides
Bacillus thuringiensis, Spinosad and Sevin are all good. I prefer the Bt as it specifically only targets the worms and not other insects.
Hello, what is the best time of the day to spray insecticides for thrips in tree fruit orchard?
We would always first suggest not attempting to spray when fruit trees are in bloom. That would be very harmful to the pollinators. Next, after the flowers have finished blooming and fall, we’d advise spraying when the sun is beginning to set, as there is less pollinator activity in dusk and evenings.
We are trying to rid mosquitoes in Noseeum bugs. I am very allergic to any kind of insects and bugs that bite. What is the pest product to use and how to apply it. We really don’t want to kill butterflies and good bugs. We live in Nebraska in the city.
Unfortunately even the least toxic sprays can have a detrimental effect on butterflies and beneficial insects. Where would you be wanting to spray? You might look more into what you could put on your skin that might deter the pests from biting you. Mild sprays can be made with essential oils, but I don’t now if they are irritating to your skin.
Hi
Can I mix 2ml per litre and pour the same around the coconut and arecanut trees. Caterpillar has eaten the entire leaves. Due to height and foliage, it is difficult to spray. Pl advise . Also mention quantity
I am not sure what insecticidal product you are inquiring about? For the most part, caterpillars need to come in contact with the product for it to be effective. If the caterpillar has hatched on the leaf, it would not come in contact with anything sprayed around the base of a tree, unless it is a systemic product, and it’s not advised to use that on edible trees.
How to apply the a bait in granular form for my lawn
Hello,
Without knowing what bait you have or what pest you are applying it for, I can’t give you instructions. Your product should come with a label with application instructions and more information. I wouldn’t advise using any product that doesn’t come with a label.
After use insecticides I can allow my pets in the balcony garden
It would depend on what insecticide you are using. ALWAYS read the label for pet safety instructions.
We had a chigger problem in a particular flower bed last year, and I intend on spraying this year to help with the situation. I want to minimize my impact to other insects, including insects that might yet emerge after the winter. Any recommendations on time of day and soil temperatures/time of year to spray?
We have found Cedarcide, or Beneficial Nematodes to work well. For Beneficial Nematodes to be effective, soil temps must be between 42 – 90 degrees, making spring ideal to use them as they are also most active April and May. Cedarcide comes in both sprays and granules. I am linking to the product site so you can see how it works.
Can I apply insecticide during flowering in crops which are pollinated by need and other pollinators
Hi there,
I would strongly advise against doing that. Our polllinators are very susceptible to getting harmed by insecticide. If you do spray, you should choose the lowest toxic product and apply in evening when bee activity is minimum. You can also spray off residue in the morning following an evening application for extra protection. But if you need the pollinators, you need to do whatever you can to keep them coming back and gardens full of insecticide do not do that.
How often must I use oleum?
Hi Amanda,
Oleum is not a product we carry and I am not too familiar with it, but I found a link that might help you out. Take a look and see if this short article might answer your questions. Breaking the Pest Cycle with Oleum. Thank you for your question as it has me curious, and I want to do some more research.