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When to spray dormant oil for winter moths?

18 years ago

I live on Cape Cod, which is becoming infested with winter moths. I read that spraying dormant/BT oil on tree trunks is a good way to control the problem.

My question is: when do I spray? The trees are budding now(early stage) but they normally don't open around here until May. Is it too early to spray now?

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Comments (2)

rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
18 years ago
Don't you mean too late? I think that your trees should have been sprayed quite a bit earlier than now. However, since this is a regional problem, call your local extension office for some guidance. The winter moth has a life cycle that you need to learn about so that you may better protect your trees in the future.
botanybob
18 years ago
Dormant oil and BT both may be useful, but affect different stages of the insect and need to be applied at different times of year. The dormant oil, as the name suggests, should be sprayed when the tree is out of leaf. It can smother insect eggs. The oil will burn green foliage and can damage emerging buds. BT needs to be ingested by the feeding caterpillars. This would be applied to the foliage when caterpillars are present.
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