Borers in peach trees

[Steve B]

I got borers in my peach trees. What insecticide to I treat this with?

Steve

[David Hare-Scott]

Try poking a bit of fine stiff wire down the hole and wiggling it about.

D

[David E. Ross]

Flat-head bark borers can kill major limbs or even the whole tree. Since they carve out broad areas under the bark, there is no narrow hole where a wire will suffice to kill them.

The classic treatment is a preventive spraying of lindane just after the flower petals fall. This is supposed to be sprayed on all mature branches, the trunk, and the soil within about 6 inches of the trunk. However, lindane is an organochlorine chemical; and its use for agriculture and home gardens is now prohibited in the U.S. and a number of other nations.

This coming spring, I plan to use an imidacloprid drench on my peach tree. This systemic is definitely NOT approved for use on edibles; however, the research that I have seen says that it is harmless to birds and mammals, including humans. It is very harmful to honeybees, which is why I will wait until after the peach flowers lose their petals. One treatment should last 12 months, but I expect the effects on bees will be minimal when the peach flowers again in a year.