This product is a soil drench liquid, not a spray, based on the insecticide imidacloprid. It takes some time to be absorbed through the tree's roots, but is effective. The trouble with this particular product is that it also contains a fertilizer. Both Bonide and Fertilome have similar drenches without the fertilizer content so you would be better off with one of them given your concern with fertilizer's effect on the Japanese maple.

This is what I bought in 2014. You can use it as a drench or in a spray solution.

Bonide 609

Dax

you dont have any lure traps in your yard????

if so.. ask yourself.. why you are luring them there

ken

Thanks everybody..

Ken, I'm not sure what your question is? Do I have traps in my yard? No? Thanks for the input.

Bayer also makes a similar product without the fertilizer. Bayer Advanced Tree and Shrub Insect Control. I might go with the Bayer product before the others as it includes the insecticide at a higher concentration. But really any soil drench (not a spray!) that is registered for Japanese beetles will be effective, just not immediately :-)

Since your Fireglow is not big, you might try picking off the beetles as an interim measure.........

Definitely use it as a drench. I only did my best to state that "Bonide" also have directions on their label for foliar applications. For me, that was necessary for an application of controlling pine adelgid for spot spraying on grafted plants in containers. I couldn't find a single other product that was labeled for pine adelgid control.

Like you with your maple, I'll be using a drench on a peach with peach borer. I have a dozen or so holes on one of my trees that is younger and not producing yet. Otherwise I really wouldn't want to eat the stuff ;-)

Dax

Ended up getting the Bonide 609. Went to a few places and couldn't seem to locate the bayer for trees/shrubs that didn't include fertilizer. Applied it as drench to the Fireglow and Orangeola bc they seem to be the ones getting hit the most. Seiryu getting a few here and there, and the Iniba Shidare and Green Mist have none. Go figure..

Do you think they prefer the maples with larger leaves? I have two or three threadleaf JP and they didn't get hit nearly as hard by the winter moths as the bigger leafed ones, such as Full Moon.

I think the jb haven't arrived here yet, but I appreciate the reminder to be on the lookout.

jalcon, please put your zone in. It is helpful to others who will want to answer your questions.

Thanks!

Zone 6B

Directions for adding zone to profile so it appears automatically next to your name in posts:

Go to Your Houzz in upper right of every page, click Edit Profile, and on the left side click advanced settings. Well down the advanced settings page is a blank labeled Climate Zone for Garden Forums along with a link to find your zone.

If you add info on your state or the nearest large city you will get even better information since zone only relates to average coldest winter temperatures.

Then return to the top of the page and click Done Editing.

thanks, NHB. I knew you'd pick up the slack. I'll try to remember so I can be more thorough than just telling someone to do it.