White stuff on pine

Matte91

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Hello.

Can someone tell me what the white stuff on the pine candles is?

It doesn't look good and it looks like there only are needles on the tips from last years growth.

Thank you in advance!
 

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sorce

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May need clearer pics.

Squish any?

Sorce
 

BrianBay9

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It appears I also have Pine Bark Adelgid on a couple of JBP. Glad to get a diagnosis. That's why I love this forum.

But now to the treatment. I have a back yard full of birds and some of them spend a good bit of time patrolling my trees, picking bugs out of the branches and soil. So I'm a bit hesitant to treat the above mentioned problem with systemic or spray insecticides. I'd much rather see good biological controls take over. So my questions are these:

With Pine Bark Adelgid looking like a dusting of snow on my JBP candles, is this an emergency issue, or do I have time to play with less lethal options?

If I have some time, what options would you recommend? A detergent spray? Neem oil? Maybe acetic acid (vinegar)?

Thanks for any advice.
 

BrianBay9

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OK, found some answers to my own questions. Apparently this bug doesn't do major damage to most trees. Recommended treatment:

Chemical control of the aphids is available if needed. The time to spray is either early spring (before bud break) with dormant oil spray, or in mid-April to May with oil, insecticidal soap, or labeled ornamental tree insecticide. Spray the bark of the trunk and major branches according to label directions as high as you can safely reach. Masses of tiny nymphs on the ground around the base of the tree can also be sprayed if present (in mid-May if it happens at all). Several applications may be needed. The cottony covering on the insects will remain on the tree even if the insect is dead. For that reason it is hard to determine if spraying has been effective. https://hortnews.extension.iastate.edu/pine-bark-adelgid

The part that will be tough to deal with - "The cottony covering on the insects will remain on the tree even if the insect is dead. For that reason it is hard to determine if spraying has been effective. "
 

Leo in N E Illinois

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@Matte91 - the infestation seems pretty severe, I would consider this an emergency action required situation. I would "go nuclear" rather than waste time with less effective insecticidal soaps and such. There is a difference between a tree confined in a pot and a tree in the ground. Lime sulfur is a fungicide, not an insecticide, it will not help at all.

Use a full strength pesticide that lists adelgids as a target insect. My go to would probably be imidacloprid in the formulation by Bonide. But there are other chemicals that work.

I just noticed you are in Denmark. Look for a pesticide with Spinosad, see if the label lists adelgids. It might be a good option for you.

The link below is for being able to read the labels. As far as I know, they do not ship to Denmark, so may not be of any help at all to you, but they do ship all over north america, so it will help USA and Canada members.

 

Matte91

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@Matte91 - the infestation seems pretty severe, I would consider this an emergency action required situation. I would "go nuclear" rather than waste time with less effective insecticidal soaps and such. There is a difference between a tree confined in a pot and a tree in the ground. Lime sulfur is a fungicide, not an insecticide, it will not help at all.

Use a full strength pesticide that lists adelgids as a target insect. My go to would probably be imidacloprid in the formulation by Bonide. But there are other chemicals that work.

I just noticed you are in Denmark. Look for a pesticide with Spinosad, see if the label lists adelgids. It might be a good option for you.

The link below is for being able to read the labels. As far as I know, they do not ship to Denmark, so may not be of any help at all to you, but they do ship all over north america, so it will help USA and Canada members.

Thank you for your help.

I think you are right that the infection is pretty severe and also that I have to "go nuclear". But I read that lime sulphur work as a winter wash for both fungi and insects?
I know it won't work for this problem. But can I still use it as winter wash for both fungi and insects?

Thanks to european union we don't have any insecticide with imidacloprid or Spinosad. They are forbidden here.
I'm not sure if I can buy anything here that is "nuclear" enough. But what do you think about this:
 

Housguy

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Hello.

Can someone tell me what the white stuff on the pine candles is?

It doesn't look good and it looks like there only are needles on the tips from last years growth.

Thank you in advance!
I just saw this on my JBP this weekend and sprayed the trees with Neem oil, it was pretty bad and killing the tree it looked like. I hope that stopped them in there tracks, won't know till Saturday, I see those trees once a week.
 

Matte91

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I just saw this on my JBP this weekend and sprayed the trees with Neem oil, it was pretty bad and killing the tree it looked like. I hope that stopped them in there tracks, won't know till Saturday, I see those trees once a week.
Keep us updated👍
 

Leo in N E Illinois

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Spinosad is "Organic" in the USA, it is a fermentation product from some bacteria of one type or another. It is quite new on the market in the USA. It is probably legal in the EU. You will have to dig into what is legal to use in your country. There are products that work, some may be from Bacillus thuringiensis or other beneficial bacteria. Do come checking, you might have the same product under a completely different name.

It is spring, if you have any new, tender growth, Lime Sulfur can be a very bad choice. It is sprayed on dormant trees only because it damages tender young growth.
 

Matte91

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Spinosad is "Organic" in the USA, it is a fermentation product from some bacteria of one type or another. It is quite new on the market in the USA. It is probably legal in the EU. You will have to dig into what is legal to use in your country. There are products that work, some may be from Bacillus thuringiensis or other beneficial bacteria. Do come checking, you might have the same product under a completely different name.

It is spring, if you have any new, tender growth, Lime Sulfur can be a very bad choice. It is sprayed on dormant trees only because it damages tender young growth.
I found a product that contains Spinosad. It's a product used for killing ants. It's not organic. Do you think that would work?
Or should I try with Cannacare, the same company that's selling rhizotonic?


Or the Spinosad product. Watch the video in the link if you like:

Thank you.
 

Potawatomi13

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Personally have used insecticidal soap with good success. Took 2, maybe 3 applications;).
 

Leo in N E Illinois

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If the label does not list the chemical as being effective against adelgids, it probably is not effective against adelgids. You have adelgids. Get something listed as effective against adelgids. You need to act soon, while you are looking for an effective product certainly try the insecticidal soap today, don't wait another day. Every week or so the population of pests is doubling. Do something now, even if it is as mild as an insecticidal soap. Insecticidal soap will not kill them all, but at least it will knock down the density of the infestation. Repeat application of insecticidal soap, about once every 5 days will eventually wipe out the adelgids. It may take 4 or 5 applications, but it will eventually work.

As I said before I do not know the products available in your country. Maybe some other EU members can help you. The pesticide must list the target insect, or there is no guarantee it will work.

For example on our blueberry farm, we use one pesticide for cranberry fruit worm, as it is a lepidopteran (butterfly & moth) we have to use a different product for blueberry maggot, as it is a dipteran - in the housefly family. Especially with organic products, they tend to be very narrowly targeted, and one product simply does not kill them all.
 

BrianBay9

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As it turns out, I already have this systemic and it says it's active against adelgids. Not organic, but hoping it works.

1586356163452.png
 

Matte91

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I found some insecticidal soap that should kill adelgids. Let's see how it works. Still can't find any products including spinosad.

Thank you for your help. I return when I know how it works.
 

Shibui

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The white fluff is persistent even when the insects are dead so it may look like they are still there for several months.
Check regularly to see if there are live ones. Even if you mange to kill all the adults in your first treatment eggs will continue to hatch for some time.
Repeat treatment will be necessary, especially when using low toxic treatments.

The Bioadvanced 'protect and feed' contains Imacloprid so it is a systemic and should clean up all adults and most subsequent hatchings.
 
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