Impact of Pesticides Borate and Imidacloprid on Insect Emergence from Logs Infested by the Emerald Ash Borer

Abstract

The Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) was discovered on North American soil in the summer of 2002 near Detroit, Michigan, U.S., and has since spread to six states/provinces. To alleviate these costs, a method of sanitization is urgently needed. This study evaluated four different chemical sanitation methods in laboratory and field conditions. Treatments included two borate treatments, spray and dip, with concentrations ranging from 5% to 16.5% boric acid equivalents by mass and Preventol®, a technical grade imidacloprid treatment with solution concentrations ranging from 0.005% to 0.02% applied as sprays. When logs were reared indoors subsequent to treatment, the technical grade imidacloprid and the borate dip treatments reduced the infection levels significantly. For the outdoor-reared logs, only the technical grade imidacloprid had a significant effect. All chemical treatments did better under indoor rearing than they did under outdoor rearing. This has heavy implications for the development of a sanitization treatment to be used in actual applications. Observations of EAB adults after emergence indicate that borate treatments may negatively affect EAB adult health and survivability after emergence.