Great. I just got back from
war. It's been a three day assault, with a break day in between (Fri.). The first day as you know, was the manual removal, with Bt injections in the cleared holes. The second day was a follow up of the first. Removal of missed, and new borers along with a spray bottle misting of the leaves and stems with Bt. Friday was a cease fire. Back at it again Saturday, I started with manual removal. I noticed today though, there was a fraction of the borers left compared to the first two days. Some of them were in the same hole, they gave away their position with the formation of new "saw dust". It made for much easier removal with the stems already being sliced. There were only about 6 new borer holes in the plants out of 50, 3 were in the same plant. I removed and injected with Bt.
Today is when the game evolved. I purchased one of those 4 gallon back mounted pressurized sprayers and got to work. I did an initial spray down of the plants with Bt, then went on to spraying the surrounding plants. After about 30 minutes and the Bt was mostly dried on the leaves, I proceeded to spray the plants, and soaked the surrounding plants with Permethrin.
Except for a few instances when a branch was too far gone, the plants haven't responded negatively in regards to slicing the stem. Buds are juicy and really filling out. I'm not sure if it was because of the heat, but I when I was fingering through the buds looking for holes, my fingers got sticky QUICK. I'll be returning Monday, today was all business so I didn't get to snap pictures, but I'll get some Monday.
Thanks for taking the time.
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EDIT:
My Enemy
European Corn Borer Control
Description: A major pest of corn, the European corn borer (Ostrinia nubilalis) will also feed on over 300 different garden plants, including peppers, snap beans, potatoes, tomatoes, apples and gladiolus. Damage to corn is caused by the young larvae, which chew leaves and tassels. Later they tunnel all parts of the stalks and ears, resulting in reduced plant vigor, broken stalks, poor ear development, and dropped ears. Other crops are damaged primarily by the tunneling of the stalks, pods, or stems by the larvae.
Fully grown corn borer larvae (3/4 - 1 inch long) are extremely destructive, flesh-colored caterpillars with a reddish or dark brown head and several distinct spots on the top of each abdominal ring or segment. The adult borer is a night-flying, yellowish-brown colored moth (1 inch wingspan) with dark wavy bands across its wings.
Note: The European corn borer most likely arrived in the United States during the early 1900's in imported broom corn which was used to make brooms.
Life Cycle: Fully grown larvae pass the winter concealed in corn stubble or other plant parts on which they have been feeding. Pupation takes place in late spring, with the adult moths appearing in May and June. When mature, the females begin laying clumps of white eggs on the undersides of the lower leaves of host plants. (Adult females may lay up to 500 eggs over their short lifetime.) Under ideal conditions, these first generation eggs hatch within 3-7 days. Tiny caterpillars begin feeding on host plants and complete their development in 3-4 weeks. Pupation occurs deep inside the corn stalks and second generation moths emerge and begin laying eggs in early summer. Produces 1-3 generations per year depending upon the climate.
Note: Second generation borers are considered to be the most damaging to corn.
Control: Shred and plow under cornstalks in or near fields where borers overwinter. This should be done in fall or early spring, before the adults emerge. Use pheromone traps to determine main flight period for moths, then release trichogramma wasps to destroy eggs. Beneficial insects, such as ladybugs and lacewing, will consume a large number of borer eggs. Spray Dipel Dust (Bt-kurstaki) or Monterey Garden Insect Spray (spinosad) to kill young caterpillars. Repeat applications every 4-5 days until tassels turn brown. Use botanical insecticides only as a last resort.
Note: Ladybugs will consume almost 60 borer eggs a day. Stink bugs, damsel bugs, spiders and hover fly larvae feed on young caterpillars.
Tip: Control nearby weeds to minimize the number of borers in your garden. Moths are attracted to these areas where they rest and mate, resulting in proportionately more egg laying.
Source:
http://www.planetnatural.com/site/xd...r-control.html
Predator Insects - Prevention
* Lacewing Eggs
* Trichogramma Wasps
* Lady Bugs
If they manage to make it in, at first signs use:
*
Rotenone-Pyrethrin Spray & Bt
Here's some stuff I read a little into. It's pheromone trapping. Trap some of the moths, or at least know when it's that time of the season to get ready. What about a bug zapper, do moths fall for that?
http://www.ent.iastate.edu/pest/corn...sect/pheromone
The most effective control strategies include inserting a stiff wire into each hole and killing the larvae. Bacillus thuringiensis (BT) can be shot into holes at 10 day intervals until no more frass appears. Try napthalene moth crystals to contain a serious infestation. Pheromone traps may be an effective control if you have only a few trees, but they won't attract the egg-laying females. Trap these by wrapping heavy paper around the trunk, from 2 inches below ground to at least 6 inches above, and then coat the wrap with a sticky material such as Tangle Trap. Destroy the wrap weekly, replacing it until no more larvae are trapped.
Look for sawdust like trails around the stalks and a gradual wilting of plants. The best control strategy for corn borers is prevention. In the fall, burn or otherwise destroy all garden debris that may be harboring caterpillars. Rotate crops. Try planting resistant varieties of corn and/or interplanting with peanut or soybean. Encourage the presence of predators such as barn swallows, blackbirds, downy woodpeckers, flycatchers, grackles, phoebes, and sparrows. Moles and toads also eat corn borers, as do a number of commercially available insects including beneficial nematodes, green lacewings, lady bugs and braconid wasps. Exclude borers from ears of corn by covering them with old pantyhose. BT (Bacillus thuringiensis), particularly the granular form, is an effective control if applied immediately after the first eggs are laid and then every 7 to 10 days until the egg-laying period has run its course. Useful botanical poisons include rotenone spray or dust and ryania.
To remove corn borers by hand, slit affected plant stalks just below the telltale holes and castings and pluck out the worm with tweezers.
Bonide: Eight Insect Control. It's active ingredient is permethrin. The problem is, the borers are already inside the stem, I don't see how this is going to help? I need something that absorbs into the plant cells to kill these bastards, right? Any help or experience would be awesome.
