pressure washer for insect control

I have a tall (20-25 feet) cedar hedge that is infested with spider mites. Given the height of the trees, I cannot easily spray them with insecticide. As an alternative, I was thinking of blasting away the mites with a power washer. If done on a regular basis, the mites may be reduced in number sufficiently for the trees to survive their attacks. I was thinking of purchasing a 1700psi electric washer for this purpose. Makes sense ?

A.Z.

Reply to
A.Z
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Frankly my hose end sprayer (about $5.00) will spray higher than my power washer. I have not measured it, but that hose end sprayer might make

20+ feet.
Reply to
Joseph Meehan

A garden hose makes more sense. If you spray the hedge every day, in

10 days or so you'll see very few (if any) spider mites.
Reply to
Phisherman

:) I have a tall (20-25 feet) cedar hedge that is infested with spider :) mites. Given the height of the trees, I cannot easily spray them with :) insecticide. As an alternative, I was thinking of blasting away the :) mites with a power washer. If done on a regular basis, the mites may :) be reduced in number sufficiently for the trees to survive their :) attacks. I was thinking of purchasing a 1700psi electric washer for :) this purpose. Makes sense ?

Or use a systemic insecticide that is taken up by the tree so when the insects feed they do themselves in.

Lar

Lar. (to e-mail, get rid of the BUGS!!

It is said that the early bird gets the worm, but it is the second mouse that gets the cheese.

Reply to
Lar

You might kill the hedges with pressure. It fires water into areas that don't get water which can lead to rot.

Try it with a hose. Look for non-poison repellants also. (there might be other plants, put nearby, that repel the mites. I've planted garlic along with other vegetables that kept some bug attacks down. you're repellant will vary.)

Reply to
chuck yerkes

According to A.Z :

No, it'd damage the hedge. Spider mites are sometimes very difficult to get rid of even in house plants.

Try a little more finesse.

Rather than going to the toxic chemicals right away, use a hose-end sprayer and heavily spray the hedge with water mixed with a tablespoon of liquid dish soap per quart (liter). Use Safer's soap (or equivalent soap-based insecticide) if that doesn't do it.

On house plants, the recommendation is to spray/wipe them with rubbing alcohol. But that'd be more than a bit dangerous and expensive on a big hedge.

Reply to
Chris Lewis

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