Sorry to here that. Seems like a pretty early in the season outbreak.

We have a lot of commercial citrus grown in the two counties. I think they are more concerned about it spreading and are being extra cautious. I just hope they don't spray us.

There is no "season" issue, tmc2009. What Kippy is telling us is that the ACP has now spread to the Santa Barbara county area. This puts folks in SB county now at risk for HLB if we should find it in the state. Sorry to hear that, Kippy. Just a matter of time for the ACP to spread all throughout the state of California. We are in a race against time for a cure/control for HLB. You should consider treating your trees now, to see if you can keep your trees from potentially becoming infected with HLB when we find out the HLB has entered California.

Patty S.

The Fed Ag trap lady stopped by to pick up this weeks trap. She said that three "bugs" where found in the general area (the mesa and Hope Ranch) Far too close for comfort, but just the bugs that can carry the disease (so far)

There is talk that they will spray, that will suck cause of the veggie garden and the bees we need to pollinate. But, guess we will just wait and see. But hope that they educate people so they do not bring more "bugs" or the disease with them from elsewhere.

Kippy, you don't need to spray. You can use systemic products that are a little less dangerous to our beneficials. Do a little research, and talk with your ag agents about how you can best protect your trees. I treat my my trees twice a year with Imidicloprid which protects my trees from both ACP and CLM. I would prefer not to have to do this, but then, I also have a very large investment in my over 70 citrus trees on my property, and this is the only really effective treatment for both pests at this moment for home growers.

Patty S.

Patty,

The Ag people are the ones talking about spraying, not sure if they plan on just visiting yards or aerial spraying.

I seriously doubt that the state of California has the $$ to conduct a residential spraying campaign, Kippy. Most likely only commercial orchards will be sprayed. But, I would still consider protecting your own citrus with Imidicloprid at least every 6 months. See this article below.

Patty S.

Here is a link that might be useful: Cost of Treating Citrus for ACP

Pattie,
Not to hijack the thread, but don't you have concerns about using Imidacloprid as its use has been generally suspended in Germany, France and Italy, with debate beginning in England as well. I was under the impression that there have now been several studies linking neonicotinoids, with Imidacloprid specificially named, to bee colony collapse. I know I stopped using it due to these concerns, plus it didn't do anything for leafminer. I currently use a spinosad, not that it has a perfect record, but it is better then all the questions surrounding neonicotinoids and application can be focused on new leafs. Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

Mike

No, I don't, Mike. There has not been substantiated controlled studies that support Imidicloprid and Colony Collapse Disorder. There is a lot of chatter, a lot of rhetoric and a lot of politically charged misinformation going around the Internet about this, but I have not been presented with definitive research that supports this. In fact, there has been well researched documentation (NOT sponsored by chemical companies) that actually disputes this. Imidicloprid DOES control CLM very well, as evidenced in my orchard, again, not sure where you're getting that information, as I have seen this clearly evidenced at my place, and we have extremely heavy CLM pest pressure here, being right up against a 170 acre unmanaged Valencia orange orchard. If I don't treat, I get 100% infection with CLM. If I do treat, I get about 98% protection. I would normally not treat, as CLM for the most part is a cosmetic issue, but we have such very heavy pest pressue with CLM, if I don't treat, it will stunt the growth of my younger trees (with every single leave affected). Systemic imidicloprid does not reach flowers well at all (which is why it's not recommended to control citrus flower thrips), and I have a rather large investment in my citrus collection, which include some very rare cultivars that I can't replace. I would like to keep my collection in tact long enough for HLB research to provide viable control solutions. I try to stay organic in my pest management controls, but there are some rare occasions where I feel I have no choice. There will be better neonicotinoids available soon, and if these prove to be less impactful to beneficials and humans, I will certainly switch. But for now, this is our best option. Lastly, my yard is absolutely full of honeybees. And many other types of bees. I see absolutely no reduction in my bee population. I have so many bees due to all the rosemary, lavender and California natives I have planted, my yard literally hums. My youngest daughter was afraid to go out in the yard for a while due to the number of bees we have here.

Patty S.

Mike, can you explain how you mix/apply the spinosad for outdoors (sunny area) trees?

Patty, not sure how they plan on spraying, but the local news did cover that they were making plans to spray backyards in areas in this county. If they are using imidicloprid, I would rather not double dose it and use something different on my own trees.

To mix Spinosad and Volk, simply add them both into your sprayer, at the correct amount per the amount of water in your sprayer. You can use Volk oil on a sunny day, as long as temps are not over 85 degrees. Understandable if you don't want to double dose your trees, Kippy. And, I would only spray Spinosad between the ag sprayings. Also, spray in the evening, after the bees have gone back to their hives, as Spinosad will kill your bees, too, even though it's organic. I am not sure how effective Spinosad is against the ACP. It is fairly effective with the Citrus Leafminer (CLM), but there are some areas here in California that are reporting some resistance by the CLM to Spinosad.

Patty S.

Patty

Is horticultural oil safer for the leaves than volk? I get so lost with all the chems/oils etc

Volck oil is a hort oil, Kippy :-)

Patty S.

Here is a link that might be useful: Colorado State University Extension: Horticultural Oils

I should have rephrased that, Volk is not organic, are there Organic Hort oils (or lighter oils) that you like for tender growth?

I was way too busy to spray when I should have, our orchard is west facing on a hillside so it is pretty easy to get a lot closer to the 85 mark that the weather guy likes to forecast. I have been stressing about using the volk for fear of burning leaves (that happened to me with roses the previous season when a cold day forecast ended up being warmer)

Neem, canola, cottonseed. All will damage growth if temps exceed 85 degrees. Not sure where you are, but here in San Diego county coastal area, we will have temps up to about 75 this week. No oil is less damaging if temps exceed 85 degrees.

Patty S.

Kippy as far as applying Spinosad to my trees, follow the mixing as found on the label. If you plan to use it a lot find a wholesale place and get the concentrated quart (I think it’s like 3 mL a gallon with that), it’s around a hundred dollars here otherwise the regular for home use are pints priced around twenty dollars (I think they are 3 or 4 tablespoons per gallon). You can always buy the pint first and see how it works for you. Patty’s advice is correct, you should spray at dusk, particularly when the trees are in bloom, after the bees are back home. I have sprayed in the middle of the day before (on non-blooming trees) with no issues. I live in South Florida so the oils aren’t really an option for a large part of the year as its well over 90 degrees during the day and my trees are all full sun.

I, like Patty, have disease pressures, mainly from neighbors thinking this is 1960 and they can plant citrus trees and just let them be, needless to say that isn’t how it works anymore. Citrus is by far the hardest thing to grow in-ground in South Florida. There was once a time most homes in South Florida had a citrus tree, well those days are long gone now. None of my other fruit trees require the vigilance and attention that citrus does, but I love my citrus trees and won’t give them up. I tell you that because I over spray my trees when they are young, once every 6 weeks or so in winter and usually twice a month during the summer when CLM and other insect pressure is the highest. If I don’t CLM will destroy every new leaf on a tree and eventually kill my trees before they can be established. I try to limit the volume and dangers of my sprayings by focusing on new flushes and with trees that young I strip off blossoms. Once my trees are established I cut down to once a month and no sprayings for the winter season. Again Patty is correct CLM is generally more a cosmetic issue, but leaves with CLM “tracks” are more vulnerable to other diseases particularly canker. I lower my sprayings once the trees are established, I do not need every leaf to be perfect, but I do want to protect my trees. I had zero luck with Imidicloprid on stopping CLM, particularly on my sour citrus, I don’t know why, but if it works for Patty maybe it will work for you. The only other practice I do to try and help with possible HLB is I spray a nutritional spray once a month as a preemptive measure and to boost my trees. None of my trees have HLB to my knowledge, but that is the current strategy commercial growers are using to negate the effects of HLB (I don't think it is known for certain how long a tree can be infected before symptoms are present but last I read it was thought to be between 6 months and 2 years depending on the tree's health and size).

With all of that being said I would definitely listen to Patty and her suggestions she knows her citrus and I like hearing her thoughts on different things. I have no issues telling you what I do with my in-ground citrus and things that I have seen or had happen to me. Remember one key thing though, South Florida and Southern California are two vastly different climates and conditions and she is in your neck of the woods. I agree with Patty in that you should start with a plan now, ACP will spread through your state and HLB is more than likely to follow. ACP’s were found in FL in 1998, in 2005 HLB was detected, and currently it’s something like 40% or more commercial plantings are infected. ACP’s also are going to love that Southern California weather as they prefer 68-86 degrees and can live up to 50 days and lay up to 750 eggs in those conditions. If the temperature is over 90 degrees lifespan declines to 30 days and egg production falls to 70. I’m not trying to scare you I’m just encouraging you to move forward with some sort of plan, the state spraying will only slow them down not stop them. On a positive note there are tens of millions of dollars being spent to find a treatment for HLB. Currently, at least in Florida for commercial growers, the only approved ACP controls on bearing trees are broad spectrum insecticides (Imidicloprid is only approved on non-bearing trees) so there are concerns of causing insect resistance issues down the road. There have already been interesting develops with breeding and possible vaccine injections, and also let’s not forget HLB has been present in China for over one hundred years. It is certainly possible that citrus in the USA goes the way of the American Chestnut, but I still hold out hope. I think I rambled enough.

Good luck,
Mike

Side question for Patty: What brand or trade name Imidacloprid do you use? I'm trying to remember which one I used. I'm thinking I used a retail one rather then a wholesale/commerical concentrate as I usually experiment before I buy anything in bulk. Maybe that was a part of my issue.

In a different area but also near by, they are going to:

"Tempo SC Ultra, a contact insecticide, will be applied to the leaves of citrus trees, and a dilute formulation of Merit 2F, an imidacloprid insecticide, will be applied to soil."

We are closer to the two other locations the bugs were found in that where this mentioned.

I have heard both that CA botanists think that HLB can not live in the drier CA conditions and that all CA Citrus will have to be grown in green houses to avoid HLB. Guess that means....who knows what might happen.