Relative Toxicities of Insecticides and Miticides Used in Plums to Natural Enemies and Honey Bees

Common name (trade name)	Mode of action 1	Selectivity 2 (affected groups)	Predatory mites 3	General predators 4	Parasites 4	Honey bees 5	Duration of impact to natural enemies 6
azadirachtin (Neemix)	un	broad (insects, mites)	M	L/M	L/M	II	short
Bacillus thuringiensis ssp. kurstaki	11A	narrow (caterpillars)	L	L	L	III	none
bifenazate (Acramite)	un	narrow (spider mites)	L	L	L	II	short
carbaryl (Sevin) 80S	1A	broad (insects, mites)	L/H	H	H	I	long
carbaryl (Sevin) XLR Plus	1A	broad (insects, mites)	L	H	L	I	long
diazinon–foliar	1B	broad (insects, mites)	L	H	H	I	moderate to long
diflubenzuron (Dimilin)	15	—	L	H	L	II	—
endosulfan (Thiodan)	2A	broad (insects, mites)	L	M	M	II	short
esfenvalerate (Asana)	3A	broad (insect, mites)	H	M	H	I	moderate
fenbutatin oxide (Vendex)	12B	narrow (pest mites)	L	L	L	III	short
hexythiazox (Savey)	10A	narrow (mites)	L	L	L	II	short
imidacloprid (Provado)	4A	narrow (sucking insects)	—	—	H	I	short to moderate
lambda-cyhalothrin (Warrior)	3A	broad (plant bugs, beetles, caterpillars)	H	H	H	I	moderate
methidathion (Supracide)	1B	broad (insects, mites)	H	H	H	I	moderate to long
methoxyfenozide (Intrepid)	18	narrow (caterpillars)	L	L	L	II	none
neem oil (Trilogy)	un	broad (soft-bodied insects)	L	L	L	II	short
petroleum oil	un	broad (exposed insects, mites)	L	L	L	II	short to none
phosmet (Imidan)	1B	broad (insects, mites)	H	H	H	I	moderate to long
pyriproxyfen (Esteem, Seize)	7C	narrow (scale, beetles)	L	H7	L	II	long
spinosad (Entrust, Success)	5	caterpillars, thrips, whiteflies, aphids, scales, leafminers	L	M8	L/M	II	short
sulfur	un	narrow (mites and citrus thrips)	L/H	L	H	III	short
thiamethoxam (Actara)	4A	narrow (sucking insects)	—9	—	M	I	moderate

H = high      M = moderate      L = low      — = no information      un = unknown or uncertain mode of action
1	Rotate insecticides 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. Mode-of-action group numbers for insecticides and miticides (un=unknown or uncertain mode of action) are assigned by IRAC (Insecticide Resistance Action Committee).
2	Selectivity: Broad means it affects most groups of insects and mites; narrow means it affects only a few specific groups.
3	Generally, toxicities are 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/native strain.
4	Toxicities are averages of reported effects and should be used only as a general guide. Actual toxicity of a specific chemical depends on the species of predator or parasite, environmental conditions, and application rate.
5	Ratings are as follows: I—Do not apply or allow to drift to plants that are flowering; II—Do not apply or allow to drift to plants that are flowering, except when the application is made between sunset and midnight if allowed by the pesticide label and regulations; III—No bee precaution, except when required by the pesticide label or regulations. For more information about pesticide synergistic effects, see Bee Precaution Pesticide Ratings.
6	Duration: Short means hours to days; moderate means days to 2 weeks; and long means many weeks or months.
7	Kills lady beetles.
8	Toxic against some natural enemies (predatory thrips, syrphid fly and lacewing larvae, beetles) when sprayed and up to 5-7 days after, especially for syrphid fly larvae.
9	May cause increase in spider mite populations.

Acknowledgements: This table was compiled based on research data and experience of University of California scientists who work on a variety of crops and contribute to the Pest Management Guideline database, and from Flint, M.L. and S.H. Dreistadt. 1998. Natural Enemies Handbook: An Illustrated Guide to Biological Pest Control, ANR Publication 3386.