Spring is in the air, flowers are blooming, leaves are popping, and bees are getting busy. Bees are what we’re going to focus on this month. Here at T4 Tree Services we are constantly researching and taking classes about the best practices to control pests in trees while not harming beneficial pests, primarily honey bees.
When it comes to applying chemicals to trees, we first analyze to see if we can use systemic pesticides. Most systemics are applied in the ground or directly into the trunk. They have a residual of 3 – 36 months in the tree, get full coverage, only target harmful pests, and we’re not spraying chemicals everywhere.
Unfortunately, systemic pesticides don’t control all pests, and we need to spray. When we do have to spray, our number one focus is to protect honey bees. The way we do this is we don’t spray trees when the flowers are blooming, we won’t spray when the wind is blowing and we try to spray in the mornings when bees are less active.
Right now is a time when you could be seeing a lot of pests in your trees or die back in the limbs from pest damage. If you do notice any of these things, give us a call, and 1 of our 6 Certified Arborists will come out and identify the problem. Then if treatment is recommended, we will be sure to apply it in the safest way to help the tree and protect the bees.
