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Simple question: What is the best systemic insecticide available to Joe Consumer (not licensed applicators). I want to find what I can buy at a retail store. Also, can I apply it at this time of the season (in conjunction with my weekly contact insecticides).

7/31/2003 12:23:35 AM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

Eagle is the short answer. It's broad spectrum control & easy on plants. But you won't find it at Home Depot, Lowes, or K-Mart. It's not restricted use either. And yes, you can tank mix it with lots of other things quite safely (but always read the entire label, etc etc etc).

Downside? Packaging of most professional use products is awkward for home gardeners at best. Eagle can be had in a plastic resealable bag that contains four 3 oz water soluble bags. Each water soluble bag makes 100 gallons of spray. Pretty awkward sounding to me! That's why I have a chemists scale & other strange equipment in my garage.

Where to buy? You need to find a place that supplies professionals if you want this stuff. We ship all over the world & the home office is just a phone call away. You could call 1-800-321-5325 & ask for item # 020308 which is the 12 oz (smallest size sold) package that makes 400 gallons of spray for about $75.00.
You could also walk into one of our 240 stores if there's one nearby. Check the store locator from our pitiful website:

www.lesco.com

But your original question still isnt really answered. So I kept looking & see what I found?

http://www.kellysolutions.com/in/showproductsbypest.asp?Pest_ID=FMAEDBS01

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7/31/2003 10:51:00 PM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

I did do a search of Home Depot & Lowes looking for what you asked for. Pitiful results. An absolute joke. None the less, the following are all real systemic fungicdes though some of the chemistry is more suitable for a museum. Though first place deserves special recognition for a job well done.
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#1 goes to Spectracide who offers 2 products that only contain the active ingredient "Myclobutanil" which is the same as Eagle (& Nova). Kudos to Spectracide for bringing some real deal modern chemistry to the consumer! Watch these guys though. The use the "Immunox" name in several "bundled packages" that also contain such things as contact insecticdes &/or miticides. Fine if that's what you're after. But in this case we aren't. So read the label carefully before buying.

Immunox Systemic Fungicide &
Spectracide Turf & Ornamental Fungicide
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#2 goes to Ortho (even though the rest of their line up is antiquated beyond belief) for their use of propiconazole (same as Banner or Spectator) in one of their Turf & Ornamental products. There may be more from Ortho, but this is the only one I found.

Ortho Lawn Disease Control Ready Spray

No mention of fruits or vegetables on the label so some quick math will be in order to figure out the rate though.
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#3 goes to Bonide for their old school offering of an old trusted Benzomidal class of fungicide (Benomyl was a benzomidal fungicide). They choose to offer Thiophanate-methyl in a consumer package. This stuff works too.

Bonide "Bonomyl" (cute) Turf & Ornamental Fungicide
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7/31/2003 11:15:41 PM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

That's it for now. Pay heed, these products are often not labeled for use on fruits & vegetables. Pumpkins are likely to not appear on any of these labels. I have no formal data-base to call upon for these labels either. (Aside from the cute link I put up in the prior post) We can alway figure out the correct rate once folks decide they want to try some of these. But the manufacturer & I are both of the hook. Cause I'll say right here & now that any use of a pesticide that is inconsistant with it's labeling is a violation of federal law & I would never recommend that.

Steve

7/31/2003 11:15:52 PM

Lake Elmo, Minnesota

Tremor, great information and I will hang onto it. However, my question was regarding insecticide systemics. I'm sure I would have asked in the future regarding systemic fungicides available to Joe Consumer. What can you tell me on systemic insecticides on the retail level and can they be applied mid-season??

8/1/2003 1:46:53 PM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

Well would you look at that. What a dumby I am sometimes. Must have been all the fungicide emails this week.

Systemic insecticides are easier since there are only 2 that are sold to consumers.

"Imidacloprid" sold as Merit, Bayer Season Long, Admire, Provado, & Marathon. Can be soil applied for very long residual or foliar alone or in tank mixes.

"Acephate" sold as Orthene, Acephate, & a whole raft of consumer products. Also tank mixable. Smells funny though. LescoFate is a new version that is Citrus Scented to take the edge off the odor. Seems to help a bit.

All the rest are now either being phased out of production or restricted use.

Sorry about the misread.

Steve

8/1/2003 9:08:30 PM

Ga.

Acephate,,have a can of this,,have used it..Didnt seem to be effective againest whiteflies..Toxic to fire ants..Will it kill cuke beetles and sq. bugs???Never saw any dead ones lying around after use..Just asking Steve....

8/2/2003 7:50:54 AM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

No. Just because it's systemic doesn't make it good. Acephate has it's uses & I've heard said it may control young borers in the vine. But not in this patch it won't. Lambda-cyhalothrin & Imidaclopride here. Talstar now that it's hot enough for Mites. Furadan if all heck breaks loose. But this thread was for non-restricted, consumer offered systemics.

In some case contacts offer much more. Whiteflies require a strategy that addresses all 3 life stages at the same time because once detected, all three are present. Therefore no 1 product will work. I posted a solid control program here over the winter. Oil or Soap (watch temperature) & Bifenthrin alternating products every three days in regular rotation until scouting indicates results. Safe & effective.

Steve

8/2/2003 9:39:55 PM

Lake Elmo, Minnesota

Steve: Once again, you deliver. Thanks. The print-out is now the first sheet in my Insecticide catergory of my three-ring binder. Grow 'em big.

Andy

8/4/2003 12:51:48 PM