Agriculture

Peachtree Borer

  • Synanthedon exitiosa
Updated: 04/2009

Description of the Pest

Gum exuding from around the base of the trunk is evidence of peachtree borer. Larvae of the peachtree borer, found mainly in coastal areas and in the northern San Joaquin Valley, are white with brown heads. Adults are clear-winged moths with blue-black bodies having yellow or orange bands across the abdomen. The adult peachtree borer may be found from June to September, with larvae present in the tree the rest of the year. There is only one generation each year.

Damage

This wood-boring insect can successfully attack healthy trees. The larval stage bores into the crown and trunk of the tree and mines the cambial layer. If this occurs for several years, the tree may eventually become girdled and die.

Management

Apply insecticides when adults emerge to help control peachtree borer adults. Pheromone traps are available to monitor adult emergence.

Pesticides and Natural Enemy Releases

Not all registered pesticides are listed. The following are ranked by their IPM value, with the most effective and least harmful to natural enemies, honey bees, and the environment listed at the top of the table. When choosing a pesticide, consider information related to water and air quality, resistance management, and the pesticide's properties and application timing. Use PestManage to compare summarized management options for different pests in the same crop. Always carefully read the label of the product being used and take all necessary precautions when handling pesticides.

Rank Active ingredient Example trade name Group Group Order MoA 1 Amount per acre REI (hours) ‡ PHI (days) ‡ Comments Selectivity 2 Bees 3 Predatory mites 4 Predators 5 Parasitoids 5 Residue duration 6 Leaching(fish) 7 Adsorbed runoff(fish) 8 Solution runoff(fish) 9 Leaching(human) 10 Solution runoff(human) 11 Last updated 12
A
Asana XL Application Timing Varies (See UC IPM Pest Management Guidelines and Label) 8

3A

4.8–14.5 fl oz 12 14 Apply as a directed trunk and scaffold l... broad I high moderate high moderate high intermediate extra high low intermediate 04/2009

Legend

—
No information.
I
Do not apply or allow to drift to plants that are flowering including weeds. Do not allow pesticide to contaminate water accessible to bees including puddles.
II
Do not apply or allow to drift to plants that are flowering including weeds, except when the application is made between sunset and midnight if allowed by the pesticide label and regulations. Do not allow pesticide to contaminate water accessible to bees including puddles.
III
No bee precaution, except when required by the pesticide label or regulations.
  • ‡ a b Restricted entry interval (REI) is the number of hours (unless otherwise noted) from treatment until the treated area can be safely entered without personal protective equipment. Preharvest interval (PHI) is the number of days from treatment to harvest. In some cases, the REI exceeds the PHI. The longer of the two intervals is the minimum time that must elapse before harvest.
  • 1 ↩ Group numbers for insecticides and miticides are assigned by the Insecticide Resistance Action Committee (IRAC). Insecticides with unknown modes of action are assigned mode-of-action group numbers (MoAs) that begin with UN. Rotate pesticides with a different mode-of-action group number, and do not use products with the same mode-of-action group number more than twice per season to help prevent the development of resistance. For example, the organophosphates have a group number of 1B; insecticides with a 1B group number should be alternated with insecticides that have a group number other than 1B.
  • 2 ↩ Range of insect and mite groups affected by a pesticide. Broad means the pesticide affects most groups of insects and mites; narrow means the pesticide affects only a few specific groups.
  • 3 ↩ Risk of harm to honey bees. For more information, see Bee Precaution Pesticide Ratings.
  • 4 ↩ Risk of harm to predatory mites. Toxicities are generally to western predatory mite, Galendromus occidentalis. Where differences have been measured in toxicity of the pesticide-resistant strain versus the native strain, these are listed as pesticide-resistant strain or native strain.
  • 5 a b Risk of harm to parasitoids and general predators. Toxicities are averages of reported effects and should be used only as a general guide. Actual toxicity of a specific insecticide depends on factors including the application rate, environmental conditions, and the life stage and species of a parasitoid or predator.
  • 6 ↩ Length of time residue affects natural enemies. Short means hours to days; moderate means days to 2 weeks; and long means many weeks or months.
  • 7 ↩ Risk of harm to fish from leaching, based on USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Windows Pesticide Screening Tool (WIN-PST).
  • 8 ↩ Risk of harm to fish from adsorbed runoff, based on USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Windows Pesticide Screening Tool (WIN-PST).
  • 9 ↩ Risk of harm to fish from solution runoff, based on USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Windows Pesticide Screening Tool (WIN-PST).
  • 10 ↩ Risk of harm to humans from leaching, based on USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Windows Pesticide Screening Tool (WIN-PST).
  • 11 ↩ Risk of harm to humans from solution runoff, based on USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Windows Pesticide Screening Tool (WIN-PST).
  • 12 ↩ Date information was last updated in the UC IPM Pest Management Guidelines.
UC Peer Reviewed Logo

UC IPM Pest Management Guidelines: Plum
UC ANR Publication 3462

W.J. Bentley (emeritus), UC IPM and Kearney Agricultural Research and Extension Center, Parlier

K.R. Day (emeritus), UC Cooperative Extension Tulare County

Acknowledgement for Contributions to Invertebrates

R.E. Rice, Kearney Agricultural Research and Extension Center, Parlier