xt7bcc0trz3v https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt7bcc0trz3v/data/mets.xml   Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station. 1952 journals 002 English Lexington : Agricultural Experiment Station, University of Kentucky Contact the Special Collections Research Center for information regarding rights and use of this collection. Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station Progress report (Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station) n.2 text Progress report (Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station) n.2 1952 2014 true xt7bcc0trz3v section xt7bcc0trz3v ’i·
I; CONTROL OF MITES
—' ON
1 WOODY ORNAMENTALS
; J. G. Rodriguez
"i
Progress Report No. Z
d
Department of Entomology and Botany
Agricultural Experiment Station
' University of Kentucky
a Lexington
April, 1952 l

  -
CONTROL OF MITES ON WOODY ORNAMENTALS 1
B_y J. G. Rodriguez ,
Department of Entomology and Botany I
Progress Report No. Z ’~
·+
The spruce spider mite, Paratetranychus ununguis (Jac.) J
is now the most troublesome and prevalent pest on woody _
ornamentals in Kentucky, according to nursery inspections ’
over the last several years. 1 Arbor-vitae, spruce, juniper,
and hemlock are generally attacked by this so—called "red ,
spider. " There seems to be no doubt that the spruce spider ’ A
mite has become the most important pest on conifers and it
is generally believed that this fact can be attributed to the "
widespread use of DDT. (Matthysse and Naegale 1950, Schread •.
1951).
Control of the spruce spider mite has been somewhat diffi-
cult because of its insidious method of attack. Unless plants .,-
are frequently examined, infestations may remain unnoticed ` U
until considerable injury has occurred. Infestations are in- _
fluenced by temperature, rainfall, and the general vigor of ‘
the host plant. The mite thrives best on mild temperatures, · .
and populations increase rapidly to damaging proportions I
during April and May; there occurs a leveling-off of popula- i
tion during the hot summer period, followed by another pop- `
ulation build—up in the fall., Mites are washed off plants or .
trees by heavy rains, and often infestations do not become
noticeable until a dry period occurs. Also, in such periods,
plant injury is enhanced because plants generally lose vigor ,
from lack of moisture. *
A report by Neiswander and Rodriguez (1947) of work done
in Ohio nurseries listed five materials as giving excellent
control of this mite when used as summer sprays. Two of 4
these materials were experirnental and were never produced ·
commercially, and two other materials used are ng Ignggr
available.
ln 1949 the author together with R. B. Ne iswander tested
a number of acaric ides; 20 treatments were used in one test ·
and 15 in another. In these experirnents, the material now °
1/ Annual Reports, 61, 62, 63, 64, I{_y_ Ag]-_ Expt St&_

 ; -3-
‘known as Ovotran gave excellent control. Further, this ma-
vte rial demonstrated unusually long residual control, remain-
;. ing effective longer than other materials tested. Dimite,
pAramite, and NNOR. ( a commercial rotenone preparation)
improved more effective than EPN, parathion, or TEPP.
`('Experimental Procedure l
t; ln early June of 1951, a potentially large infestation of
l zspruce spider mite was found on juniper in a nursery in Lex-
`i¤gt0H» 1 and preparations were made to conduct control tests.
» {Several beating rains discouraged a population increase, how-
`>ever, and it was July Z before the first series of acaricides
· was applied.
This first test was conducted on a planting of spiny Green
sjuniper 2 to 3 feet tall. Plots of five trees, replicated four
gtimes, were treated with a number of acaricides; a knapsack
sprayer was used in making the applications and the trees
'rwere thoroughly wetted with the materials. The treatments
` were evaluated for both initial kill and residual kill by de-
jtermining the number of living and dead mites on sprigs ap-
iproximately 4 inches long, sampled from each tree (Table 1).
The second and third tests were conducted in order to ob-
. tain commercial control of infestations occuring on larger
blocks of various junipers, using high pressure (400 pounds)
vaapplication of sprays, and in order to obtain more information
‘on the relative merit of the materials that had performed best
in the small-plot test. Trees 2. to 3 feet in height were again
used in the tests. Ovotran and Dimite were applied on July
31 to split blocks of several hundred trees of purple spreading,
‘spiny Greek, and Pfitzer junipers (Table 2). Ovotran and
;Sulphenone were applied to about l00—tree blocks of spi.nyGreek
Vsjuniper (Table 3).
· The treatments in these tests were evaluated by sampling
 of sprigs (50 sprigs about 4 inches long) within each block or
Qgpiety and then counting the living mites found on the sprigs.
-1//` The cooperation of Hillenmeyer Nurseries in conducting
_ this work is gratefully acknowledged.

 -4- g •
, In order to obtain additional informatiori on the residual. "
effectiveness of Ovotran and Dimite. 20 sprigs 4 to 5 inches; »
long were collected at random on March 27, 1952 from the ,1
plots sprayed on July 31, 1951. These sprigs were examined
for overwintering eggs. Only one egg was found on the 20 "
sprigs collected from the Ovotran-treated block; 37 eggs were 1
found on the sprigs sampled from the Dimite -treated block., ,
and 43 eggs were found on the untreated sarnpling. I •
Results and Conclusions I
Ovotran and Dimite were outstanding in controlling spruce-- V, 4
spider mite infestations in tests conducted in 1949 and 1951.
Ovotran demonstrated long residual control of this mite. ’
Various types of junipers were found free of mites thirty—five —•
days after application of 1 pound of Ovotran, 50-percent wet-
table powder, per 100 gallons of water, and only 1 overwin-
tering egg was found in 20 sprigs collected the following spring
(March 27, 1952), compared to 43 eggs on the untreated check ·•
sample. , .
There was no apparent advantage in using Ovotran in com- ., 1
bination with other more volatile acaricides Such as parathicn .
or TEPP. Dimite, used at l pint of the 25-percent emu1si— 1
fiable concentrate per 100 gallons of water, was also affective *
in control but lacked the residual effectiveness demonstrated •
by Ovotran. _
No injury resulted from any of the spray treatments; ap-
plications were made at temperatures of 82 to 86 degrees F.
1 -I
It is suggested that control treatments be applied during ,
April or May before mite build—up occurs.
Literature Cited
Matthysse, John`G. and Naegele, John A.
1950. 26th Proceedings, Nat'lShade Tree Conference, l
pp. 78-90 *
Neiswander, R. B., and Rodriguez, J. G.
1947. Control ofthe spruce mite. Jour. Econ. Ent. 40
(3); 419-21 l
Schread, John C. °
Spruce mite control. Conn. Agr. Expt. Sta. Circ. 180, *
1/ These figures include newly hatched larvae; 59 percent
of eggs had hatched.

 ¤—Table 1, — Spruce Spider Mite Mortality and Residual Effect of
1.; Treatments Applied to Spiny Greek Juniper on July 2, 1951
'yT  
{Material per Averageper centmortallty Average mites
_l00 gallons per sprig
" l At 5 days At 16 days lat 34 days
‘ 1. Sulphenone, I 40%
1 = WP, 2 pounds 99 _ 89 1. 5
l ,2. Aramite, Z 15% .
` WP, 2 pounds 86 I 89 5. 5
. `3. EPM, 3;;%, wp, ·
5 1 pound · 75 62 30. 0
4. Parathion, 4 15% `
WP, 1 pound 91 65 11, 2
.:5. Ovotran, 5 50%
E WP, 1 pound 99 100 0. 3
y 6. Parathion, 15%., WP,
v 8: Ovotran, 50%, WP,
0 1 8: 1 pound 99 100 0
*7. Dimitm 6 25% Emu.,
= 1 pint 100 $4 1.9
8. TEPP,720% Emul. , `
, 1/2 pint 93 63 5.8
119. TEPP, 20%, Emul., ,
_ 8: Ovotran, 50% WP.- ,
· 1/2 pint & 1 pound 99 100 1
10. Check (No treatment) 6 6 5. 1
1 p-chlorophenyl phenyl sulfone; Stauffer Chemical Co.
12 chloroethyl butylphenoxy methyl ethyl sulfite; U. S. Rubber
_ Co. -
3 ethyl p-nitrophenyl thionobenzenephosphonate; E. I. duPont
` de Nemours & Co.
4 O, O—diethy1 O· p—nit1·ophenyl thiophosphate; American.
- Cyanamid Co.
' ¤—chloropheny1 p—chlorobenzene sulfonate; Dow ChemicalCo.
fp-chlorophenyl) methyl carbino; She1·win—W11liams Co.
4 tt-. .raethyl pyrophosphate

  -
..5.. ·
-!
Table 2. - Residual Effect on Spruce Spider Mite on Juniper fb
Following Treatrnent on July 31, 19511 ’»
  Ki
  A
Material per Average mite population per sprig ·
100 gallons
Days after treatrnent 1
G 1E O ·
Ovotran, 50%, WP, 1 pound 0 0 0 ’ _
Dimite, 25%, Emul., 1 pint 0 .02 ,03 4.
Check (No treatment) 7, 4 10. 0 24.0
 
Table 3. - Residual Effect on Spruce Spider Mite on Spiny V
Greek Juniper Following Treatment on August 9, 1951 '
 ________ ~
O
Material per Average mite population per sprig
100 gallons -1 N-
Days after treatment _
6 Z5 35 ~
Ovotran, 50%, WP, 1 pound . 08 $08 O, 9
Sulphenone, 40%, WP, Zpounds 1.9 7,6 14,0
Check (No treatment) 14.0 4, 7 10.0
O
A/[Varieties: Spiny Greek, Purple Spreading: Pfitzer