Myrtle Rust (Uredo rangelii) on Agonis flexuosa, cv. Afterdark (willow myrtle) Photo: Dr Angus Carnegie

Host species

In Australia, myrtle rust has recently been detected on Agonis (willow myrtle), Syncarpia (turpentine) and Callistemon(bottlebrush) species.

Internationally, there are unconfirmed reports of infection on some Eucalyptus species. It has also been confirmed on Myrtus, Syzygium and Heteropyxis species overseas.
To date, it has not been confirmed on Australian eucalypts.

Spread

Rusts are highly transportable. The most common dispersal mechanism is via wind, but they may also be dispersed by bees who work the spores on leaves.
The spores can also be spread via contaminated clothing, infected plant material and insect movement.

Identification

Myrtle rust produces lesions on young, actively growing leaves and shoots, as well as on fruits and sepals. Leaves may become buckled or twisted as a result of infection.
On turpentine and bottlebrush, rust lesions are purple in colour, with masses of bright yellow or orange-yellow spores. Occasionally, they may have dark brown spores.
Severe rust disease in young trees may kill shoot tips, causing loss of leaders and a bushy habit.

Reporting

Any rust noticed on Myrtaceae species should be reported. Please call the Exotic Plant Pest Hotline on
Freecall 1800 084 881.
Do not collect samples of suspected myrtle rust, as this could spread the disease.

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What Benefits does Smart-Shot™ bring to the industry?

Smart Shot is easy to use and with the draw-off loader there is no need to come into contact with any chemical. It has low pressure (<3.5psi) as opposed to other injection systems that can cause wood tissue wounding at the injection site. It also has a very small injection hole and no rubber or plastic plugs need to be inserted or left in the tree. “The main benefits of smart shot is that it is low cost, immediately refillable and reusable, safe, efficient and easy to use” says Glenn.

How Significant is Smart-Shot™ Refillable Tree Injector?

There has already been considerable interest in the product. As Glenn says “if the number of enquiries and emails are any indication we may see the Smart Shot Refillable Tree Injector being the industry standard for this type of work in the future”.

Smart-Shot™ is a trademark of Tree Logic Pty Ltd

Order online now at Tree Logic

This experience has been invaluable in showing our research team the advantages and disadvantages of individual systems. To this end, Tree Logic has spent the last few years working on a prototype injector that fulfils all requirements while being a high enough quality to stand the rigours of constant commercial use. The result of this testing and research is new Smart-Shot™ Refillable Tree Injector.

Available now in the Tree Logic online store




The Tree Logic Smart-Shot™ Injector System will consist of a purpose-designed injector unit with pre-measured dosage amounts to allow for easy calculation of individual tree dosage, two different length injector probes and a customised draw-off to ensure no-mess filling of the injector. This draw-off has been customised to fit the cap size of the newly registered Bayer SilvaShield® Tree Injectable container.

The Tree Logic Smart-Shot™ Injector System sets a new standard for environmentally safe chemical use for tree injection and we believe that it will be the benchmark standard for tree injection for years to come.
Initially available in a 3ml–6ml injector with a 5ml-10ml injector to be released soon. There will be two injector probe lengths and a range of replacement springs and O-rings.

Benefits:

• Low cost
• Refillable for use again and again
• Safe filling with a purpose designed ‘draw-off’
• Can be used with a range of chemicals
• Robust commercial quality
• Simple & easy to use

FAQ’s

Q.    How does the the Smart-Shot™ Refillable Tree Injector work?
The Smart-Shot™ Refillable Tree Injector allows a precise dosage to be filled in the injector and then delivered under very low pressure into the tree’s vascular system. This is done by drilling a hole through the tree’s outer bark then inserting the charged injector into the correct area and releasing the dose. Refilling is done through the Draw-Off Injector loader, which ensures safe and accurate reloading of the injector.

Q.    What is the difference between the Smart-Shot™ Refillable Tree Injector and other tree injection systems?

• Low cost.
• Low pressure (<3.5psi) as opposed to other injection systems that can cause wood tissue wounding at the injection site (eg: Sidewinder, Arborjet ‘Viper’, etc.).
• No rubber or plastic plugs need to be inserted or left in the tree.
• Very small injection hole (4mm).
• Immediately refillable and reusable.
• Spill-proof draw-off for safe, efficient loading in of the injectors.
• Easy for non-arborists to use.

Q.    Why are there two different length nozzles available?
The thickness of outer bark can vary between different tree species and even between different age trees of the same species. The two nozzle lengths will allow almost every species and age tree to be injected with the Smart-Shot™ Refillable Tree Injector.

Q.    Why are there two different sizes available?
The 3-5ml Smart-Shot™ Refillable Tree Injector was designed for use with Bayer’s Silva-Shield Tree Injectable product and the label dosage rate specifies dosages in the range of 3-5ml. The Smart-Shot™ Refillable Tree Injector is perfect for use with this product. The 6-10ml Smart-Shot™ Refillable Tree Injector was designed for other chemicals which may have slightly larger dosage volumes.

Q.    How many Smart-Shot™ Refillable Tree Injectors do I need to inject one tree?
You can complete the correct dosage injection for one tree (or many trees) using only one injector, however it will be quicker and more economic to use several injectors at the one time to perform the treatment. We recommend at least four (4) injectors on trees with trunk diameters up to 500mm and six (6) on trees with trunk diameters over 500mm. When using multiple injectors, the injectors are inserted one after the other and by the time the last injector is inserted it will be time to check the first injector to determine if the tree has taken up the dosage. Multiple injection sites should be spaced evenly around the tree to provide uniform uptake.

Q.    What other tools do I need to undertake tree injection treatments?
You will need either a hand or cordless drill, several sharp high-helix 7/32” drill bits, a container to store and transport the injectors and a diameter measuring tape to calculate dosage. Personal protective equipment such as chemical-resistant gloves, eye protection and long-sleeved shirts is recommended. Please refer to the particular chemical manufacturer’s instructions for other requirements.

Q.    How do I load the Smart-Shot™ Refillable Tree Injector?
Tree Logic strongly recommends the use of the purpose-designed Draw-Off Injector Loader for use with the Smart-Shot™ Refillable Tree Injector.
To load the injector with the Smart-Shot draw-off simply place the injector nozzle into the top of the Draw-off and seat firmly. Pump the plunger several times to expel any trapped air and to load the injector with the chemical. Ensure that the injector is locked into the correct dosage notch prior to removal from the draw-off injector loader. The Smart-Shot™ Refillable Tree Injectors can be used without the Draw-Off Injector Loader by placing the nozzle of the Injector into the chemical container and below the level of the liquid and drawing the chemical into injector by pulling the plunger to the required dosage and then locking the plunger into the required dosage notch.

Q.    How do I clean the Smart-Shot™ Refillable Tree Injector?
Tree Logic recommends that the Injectors be cleaned regularly by rinsing and washing the injector with clean water. Apply a smear of silicon grease/spray to the plunger seal after cleaning for best results.

Q.    How long does it take to treat a tree using the Smart-Shot™ Refillable Tree Injector?
The injection process can take between 5 – 30 minutes depending upon a range of variables, including tree species, tree age, tree health and climatic conditions (temperature, wind, etc.). Avoid injecting on cold, rainy or overcast days and early mornings as this will significantly slow the injection uptake process.

Q.    Can I leave the Smart-Shot™ Refillable Tree Injector in the tree overnight or while I do something else?
CAUTION; Do not leave the injector/s or tree unattended during treatment. Pesticide applications must always be monitored and attended.

Q.    How difficult is it to use the Smart-Shot™ Refillable Tree Injector?
The injectors themselves are simple and easy to use. It is the actual drilling the tree that requires some basic understanding of tree physiology to ensure correct placement and fitting. The injection hole should be drilled on a slight downward angle with a sharp high-helix drill bit (7/32”) using very light pressure through the outer and inner bark to the sapwood (moist vascular tissue). Do not drill too deep; this will slow the injection uptake process. Injection sites should be low down on the trunk and the root buttress and not above the first limb.

Q.   Where are they available from?
Smart-Shot™ Refillable Tree Injectors are only available from Tree Logic Pty. Ltd.  through our ONLINE SHOP or directly from the Tree Logic shop in Ringwood, Victoria.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD SMART-SHOT™ INSTRUCTIONS

The long-awaited release of the newly registered Bayer SilvaShield® Injectable Tree Insecticide has arrived.

Current practice has many applicators using non-registered products such as Confidor® to undertake trunk injections.  Confidor was formulated as a soil drench and while some control may be achieved, there are chemicals in Confidor that actually inhibit uptake through the tree’s vascular system and reduce the effectiveness of any control.

Better Results
Bayer’s SilvaShield is a specifically formulated trunk injectable that has been in testing for some time. If you are an owner of trees that are likely to receive trunk injection as a control option this season, you should specify that SilvaShield is to be used to maximize your tree management spending.

Tree Logic offer a range of trunk injection equipment to allow applicators to make the best use of SilvaShield with the Arborjet (US) product range now available in our online store.

Refillable Injectors Coming Soon
Tree Logic has also been working on developing a small low-cost refillable trunk injector that will be perfect for the application of SilvaShield.  These small refillable injectors are in the testing stage now and are likely to be available in the next few weeks, Stay Tuned!!

This new product will be the only bulk liquid trunk injectable insecticide available for use in Australia and will mean that applicators will be able to access a registered product to offer their clients for a range of tree injection uses.

In the past the trunk injection industry has seen many applicators using non-registered products such as Confidor® to undertake trunk injections. Confidor was formulated as a soil drench and while some control may be achieved, there are chemicals in Confidor that actually inhibit uptake through the tree’s vascular system and reduce the effectiveness of any control.

This will change with Bayer’s SilvaShield as it is a specifically formulated trunk injectable that has been in testing for some time.

If you are a owner of trees that are likely to receive trunk injection as a control option this season, you should specify that SilvaShield is to be used to maximise your tree management spending.

Tree Logic offer a range of trunk injection equipment to allow applicators to make the best use of SilvaShield with the Arborjet (US) product range now available in our online store.

Tree Logic has also been working on developing a small refillable trunk injector that will be perfect for the application of SilvaShield. These small refillable injectors are in the testing stage now and are likely to be available in the next few months, Stay Tuned!!

Hi
My name is Peter I have a problem with my maple tree in the back yard.
Can you help me with a grub that seems to be eating the crotches and trunk of this Acer rubrums.
It is a young tree.
If I send some photos can you please give me a consultation? Possibly a way to save the tree from getting worse as we love the tree I am happy to pay you for your time
Regards
Peter

Hello Peter,
Indeed your Red Maple has a problem, and to be honest one that can not be solved by any arboricultural treatment I am aware of.
Judging from the photo accompanying your email, the pest has been present for some time and extent of damage is too much. It would appear that ~50% of the circumference of the stem has been affected.
Control of borer in trees is very difficult.  Most borers attack trees weakened by drought, mechanical injury, recent transplants, poor soils or root systems. The most important prevention of borers is keeping trees healthy through proper management (primarily watering, which again can be difficult under current drought conditions).  The most common way to control borers, in addition to proper tree maintenance, is chemical control.  However, borers live inside trees, and treating them with insecticides is difficult if not impossible, and it comes down to timing of treatment.  The best time to control borers is when adult are laying eggs on or under bark, which is difficult to monitor in a domestic situation.  Pheromone traps, available for some borer species, help determine if adults are present. Trunk sprays can be effective when borers are in the early larvae stage before they enter the tree.  I reiterate that the extent of damage with your tree suggests that the tree is past chemical treatment.  I have heard people using a fine wire to poke into the tunnels created by the borers in the hope of skewing one.
I would suggest you remove the tree (as distasteful as it sounds) and replace it with a new one.  Properly plant species that are well adapted to your location and provide them with proper care.  Avoid pruning from spring through summer when adults are active. Protect trees from injury. Remove and dispose of dying limbs and dead trees. Do not pile fresh-cut wood near trees.
I hope this helps.
Sincerely,
Stephen Frank

Click to download a pritable pdf
More information can be obtained from CSIRO Entomology.
www.ento.csiro.au

Many Australians share their homes and landscapes with possums because like people, possums are well suited to living in the suburbs. However, at times this contact can be noisy and messy – particularly if the possum takes up residence in the roof of your house or over-grazes a prized plant in the garden.
The most familiar and abundant of the many Australian possum species are the Brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) and the Common Ringtail possum (Pseudocheirus peregrinus). Depending on where you live, possums along with most native animals, are protected species. Consequently we have to learn to live with possums and manage their behaviour in order to minimise the negative aspects possums can on our properties.
Possums eat the leaves, flowers and fruits of a wide variety of native and exotic trees and shrubs. The Common Brushtail Possum may also eat grass, fungi, bird’s eggs and baby birds. Possums should not be fed human food as it can be dangerous to possums and cause serious dietary imbalance.

How far can a possum jump?

The bushy-tailed Brushtails are agile climbers and are able to leap significant distances as they traverse the urban forest. The distance they can jump is dependent on their take-off platform, whether they can get a run-up to it and also how far vertically they need to jump. The more vertical the distance they have to cover, the shorter the distance they can leap (Cavanagh, 2007).
An agile (young) possum can leap from a fixed, solid base, up to 2.5m horizontally or downwards, around 1.2m at an angle of nearly 50º to the horizontal (close to optimum of 45º) and with a run-up, 1.7 m upwards at an angle of around 18º. Vertical jumping appears to be less than 1m (Cavanagh, 2007).

Control measures

In the event that a tree is showing signs of excessive damage from possum grazing, the tree should be inspected and a suitable course of action determined to reduce further grazing. Listed below are appropriate actions to limit possum access to trees.

• Surveys could be conducted to determine the size of the possum population, the number of dens, whether the possums are local or live in properties surrounding the property, and access to artificial food sources, such as unsecured rubbish bins, food scraps or deliberate feeding.
• Installation of possum guards or bands around the trunks or major branches of the tree. These guards are typically constructed from sheet metal or clear polycarbonate and should be a minimum of 60cm wide. New products like Tree Logic Skin have been designed to provide more aesthetically pleasing possum guards. Where possible the guard will be placed above the first fork of the tree to provide refuge for possums if pursued by other animals, provided that it is not possible for the possum to access the remainder of the tree.
• Possum guards may also be placed on surrounding trees to restrict access to a combined tree canopy.
• The effected tree and surrounding trees may be pruned to reduce the crown away from structures or other trees, to prevent the development of ‘possum highways’. A clear distance of 2m should be created between the tree/s and surrounding structures.
• The ability to limit den sites in buildings and trees should be investigated. Tree hollows should not be filled as this can cause more damage to the tree.
• Strategies could be investigated for limiting possum movement along utility lines.
  Seasonal use of repellents to protect specific vegetation. Possum repellents may work through two chemical senses: smell and taste. Many substances have been used in the hope that they will stop possums eating garden plants. However, the Department of Sustainability and Environment (2007) is not aware of any definitively successful, universal repellent that will consistently deter possums from eating plants. The results of a Deakin University study (Cooney, 1998) suggested that five of the tested compounds may show some degree of repellence. These were:White King®, Keep Off®, Camphor, Naphthalene and Scat®. The other products tested in the olfactory trials were: D-Ter®, Stay Off®, Blood and Bone, Garlic and Quassia chips. Some systemic insecticides used on trees to control sap sucking and leaf grazing insects may also deter possum grazing.

Trapping and relocation may not be viable options. Studies undertaken by Deakin University (Pietsch, 1994) strongly indicate that relocation is not a humane way of dealing with the problem. If a possum is trapped and removed from the ceiling cavity it must be released back onto your property, as it will not survive if removed from the area. In some areas, wildlife rehabilitation groups will help you with this. Block all access points into the roof cavity and install nest boxes in trees to provide alternative nest sites for possums.
Check with authorities in each State or territory for possum protection and control measures:
New South Wales – National Parks:

Northern Territory – Natural Resources, Environment and The Arts

Queensland – Environmental Protection Agency/Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service

Victoria – Department of Sustainability and Environment

South Australia – Department of Environment and Heritage

Tasmania – Parks and Wildlife Service

Western Australia – Department of Environment and Conservation, Nature Base

References
Cavanagh, T. pers comm. 2007
Cooney, J. 1998. An evaluation of commonly used deterrents for urban Common Brushtail Possums Trichosurus vulpecula (Kerr, 1792). BSc (Hons) Thesis, School of Ecology and Environment, Deakin University.
Pietsch, R.S. 1994. The fate of urban Common Brushtail Possums translocated to sclerophyll forest. in Serena, M. (ed.) Reintroduction biology of Australian and New Zealand Fauna. Surrey Beatty & Sons, Chipping Norton.
Possums, 2007 Department of Sustainability and Environment, viewed 13/11/2007

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