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Window of opportunity on elm leaf beetle eradication

Latrobe City is urging residents with elm trees on their own properties to bark-band their elm trees with Carbaryl during the next fortnight to reduce infestations of elm leaf beetles.

By Latrobe Shire Council - 14th January 2005 - Back to News

Latrobe City’s Arborist, Chris Dash, said Council had been assessing the seasonal activity during the past month or so, and the latest inspections showed that there was now a small window of opportunity for taking preventative action against the elm leaf beetle.

"The season when the control method is effective varies by a few weeks from year to year and only lasts about a fortnight," Mr Dash explained.

"The larvae of the beetle are just beginning to travel down the trunk to pupate in the soil to complete their life cycle, and it is at this stage when very inexpensive control measures can be applied, breaking the life-cycle, which assists in reducing the numbers of beetles and consequently the damage caused to the elms," Mr Dash said.

"To treat your own trees, mix 2% of Carbaryl with water and spray around the trunk in a one-metre band up from the ground, going around the trunk several times to ensure a good covering. Be sure not to miss any low branches under the area you have already treated where you feel beetle larvae could congregate," he said.

Carbaryl is a contact insecticide available from most nurseries and hardware stores, and is considered by the Department of Sustainability and Environment as the appropriate and safest measure to control this type of larvae infestation.

Latrobe City Mayor, Councillor Bruce Lougheed, said Council had now commenced its own bark-banding program to protect the City’s elm trees in streets and in parks.

"Latrobe City takes this opportunity each summer to provide as much protection as possible to elm trees on municipal land. By the community coming on board treating the trees on their own properties, we can limit much of the potential damage that can occur," Cr Lougheed said.

Source: www.gippsland.com

Published by: news@gippsland.com

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