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Get
a Jump on Spring Pest Problems with Dormant Oils Tired of looking at the white flecks of scales on your wintercreeper euony-mus? Now is the time to start thinking about applying dormant oil sprays. This is a great way to get the jump on your summer pest problems and reduce the need for using other pesticides. These applications are called “dormant oil sprays” because they are applied when the tree is dormant. This oil is able to kill the overwintering forms of many pests, including spider mites, aphids, scales, and leaf hoppers on contact. Dormant oils kill the insects by smother-ing and suffocating them. These sprays help to reduce the number of insects that survive the winter. Furthermore, they have little, if any, impact on natural enemies. Before discussing when and where oils can be used, it is important to know that there are two types. While both oils are suitable for dormant use, only one of these oils can be used in the summer. On the summer oil label you will see that the distillation point is 414 degrees Fahrenheit or less. These summer oils will not injure plants even after leaves are on the plants. The other oils with a higher distillation point will injure plants if applied at high doses when the leaves are present. This article is about using oil in the dormant season. To avoid injuring your plants, you must apply your oil at the proper time and rate. First of all, oil must be applied after plants have become dormant. If oil is allowed to rest on leaves for an extended period of time, it will cause them to fall off. Likewise, twigs on a tree can suffocate if the pores in a plant bark are covered with oil while the roots are growing. While many plants are dormant in winter after leaves have fallen and before buds swell, some plants may still be actively growing. Second, temperatures must be above 40 and below 85 degrees Fahrenheit . The recommended rate of application is three to four percent. This rate is roughly four to five ounces, or seven to ten tablespoons per gallon of water, or thre to four gallons per 100 gallons. It is important to know that some trees are sensitive to the oils, even when applied at the proper time. Dormant applications of oils can be helpful against the wintering stages of the following pests:
Although oils are generally safe on your plant, some plants are sensitive. Rates must be reduced to three percent or less (six to seven tablespoons per gallon of water) for sensitive species. (See the list of sensitive plants in the right column.)
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Story Resources 
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Garden Flowers
Fruits & Vegetables
Lawn Care
Landscape Plants
Insects, Pests, & Diseases
Indoor Plants
The information contained in this web site
is specific to the state of Indiana and may not apply in other states.
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