Arborists reminded of OPM hazard

[David Humphries]

1 minute ago, tree-fancier123 said:

excellent - maybe a shame to use chemicals, but they do look nasty bugs, better to intervene

 

maybe on a smaller scale - climbers with PA1/PA6 knapsack application

400% increase on tree numbers with nests even with spraying over the last three years.

 

Knapsacks ain't gonna cut it here!

 

Biggest issue we potentially have being under a Plant Health Care notice is how we manage vulnerable other Lepidoptera species.

[Mick Dempsey]

I’m sure that in the process of working out a plan you researched what, if anything, other counties do.

 

For instance Paris and Berlin have big parks, do they take any action?

[tree-fancier123]

8 minutes ago, David Humphries said:

Knapsacks ain't gonna cut it here

if  people have a big infested oak in their garden, no access, couldn't they pay someone to go up with a knapsack and zap them? maybe one of these machines for inaccessible areas

Edited April 28, 2018 by tree-fancier123

[David Humphries]

20 minutes ago, Mick Dempsey said:

I’m sure that in the process of working out a plan you researched what, if anything, other counties do.

 

For instance Paris and Berlin have big parks, do they take any action?

Yes, there has been lots of attendance at training, seminars, planning, guidance and interaction groups with local tree officer associations, FC pathologists and tree managers/arbs that deal/dealt with it in the earlier outbreaks across northern Europe.

 

Our hands are tied at the moment by legislation, but hopeful we will be given freer reign over how we manage it in the coming years, targeting high risk areas/situations and trees rather than a blanket approach.

 

Not sure what the big European municipal authorities are doing with their OPM management currently.

 

 

[David Humphries]

16 minutes ago, tree-fancier123 said:

if  people have a big infested oak in their garden, no access, couldn't they pay someone to go up with a knapsack and zap them? maybe one of these machines for inaccessible areas

Not sure what you know about OPM management? But it's more a case of the pesticide getting total leaf coverage rather than zapping the actual caterpillars. 

Probably only get good canopy coverage on small to medium sized canopy trees with a back pack rig like that.

 

Suspect it wouldn't be very efficient on large canopy trees.

 

[tree-fancier123]

9 minutes ago, David Humphries said:

Probably only get good canopy coverage on small to medium sized canopy trees with a back pack rig like that.

 

Suspect it wouldn't be very efficient on large canopy trees.

 

yes - unless someone on the ground is refilling for them and they climb the tree as if it was being reduced - can't see many homeowners spending £200 plus to get  a tree sprayed

[Steve Bullman]

1 hour ago, David Humphries said:

This years spraying across the site starts in a week or so   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That spray looks like it’s going to go everywhere on anything but the calmest of days, and even then some.  What controls are put in place?

[Darrin Turnbull]

I think here in Berlin and Brandenburg they used Dipel ES.

Bacillus thuringiensis

I could be wrong.

[David Humphries]

1 hour ago, Steve Bullman said:

That spray looks like it’s going to go everywhere on anything but the calmest of days, and even then some.  What controls are put in place?

Steve, this rig is only used on calm dry days (which can be a logistical issue) and is spraying a bacterial insecticide Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) which is not chemical. It targets the bacteria in the guts of Lepitoptera (caterpillar) species. Its not an issue in terms of Human hazard.

In terms of control, 'we' manage the public around the contractors (like we would do with any contractors with big plant/vehicles) and sometimes spray in to the late evening if the spray area has a heavy footfall. Also start early morning and keep some sites locked.

 

The misting sprayer with this rig is surprisingly well directed over the target canopy.

 

 

[ABtrees]

20 minutes ago, David Humphries said:

Steve, this rig is only used on calm dry days (which can be a logistical issue) and is spraying a bacterial insecticide Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) which is not chemical. It targets the bacteria in the guts of Lepitoptera (caterpillar) species. Its not an issue in terms of Human hazard.

In terms of control, 'we' manage the public around the contractors (like we would do with any contractors with big plant/vehicles) and sometimes spray in to the late evening if the spray area has a heavy footfall. Also start early morning and keep some sites locked.

 

The misting sprayer with this rig is surprisingly well directed over the target canopy.

 

 

Hi David

 

I'm guessing that would take out all caterpillars rather than selectively just the OPM ?  No chance of seeing any Purple Hairstreak for the next few years then ?