Use of Soil and Trunk Injection of Systemic Insecticides to Control Lace Bug on Hawthorn

"Several systemic insecticides are labeled for control of sucking insect pests of trees, and numerous application methods are available for arborists. A field trial was conducted to test 2 formulations of imidacloprid (Pointer 4% and Merit 75 WP systemic insecticides), a formulation of abamectin (Greyhound 1.9%, B1), and 2 different delivery systems. The delivery systems evaluated were the Kioritz soil injector and ArborSystems Wedgle-tip tree injection system. The target pest in this field trial was hawthorn lace bug (Corythucha cydoniae) on hawthorn (Crataegus viridis) trees. The Kioritz is a handheld soil injector made for injecting fertilizer and systemic pesticides into the root zone of trees and shrubs with relatively small amounts of water. The Wedgle tip is an injection system that uses a blunt-edged tip inserted through a small hole through the bark, just to the edge of the sapwood. Wounding to the tree with the Wedgle tip is minimal. This study indicates that systemic insecticides applied through soil injection and trunk injection have potential for controlling sucking insects that feed on ornamental trees."