ARBORjet Micro Injection System: Best Indoor/Outdoor Pest Solutions is the Bay Areas first and original provider of the ARBORjet Micro Injection system. The ARBORjet system allows for the most advanced and environmentally sound care for your trees in the treatment and prevention of diseases and insect pests that weaken and kill trees. The ARBORjet System allows for the controlled applications of insecticides and fungicides directly into the tree vascular system to control and prevent various insect and disease problems, without the side effects of conventional sprays. Micro Injections can also be used to supplement essential nutrients that are needed to maintain optimum tree health. The folowing link is to an introduction video about of the ARBORjet Micro Injection System; http://www.arborjet.com/videos/ajvideo-hs.htm Sudden Oak Death, or SOD Ideally, trees should be treated before they show symptoms so they can be strengthened to resist initial attack by the fungus.  After symptoms appear the tree will ultimately be lost, Treatment after infestion may prolong the life of the tree.    Treatment should be done in October or November, with a followup six months later. Then annually thereafter. applied when a tree is dormant as the tree will then not effectively move the chemical through its tissues.  Coast Live Oaks are dormant in summer, generally July to October.  Black Oaks are deciduous and are dormant in winter when they lose their leaves. In May, 2008, The owner of Best Indoor/Outdoor Pest Solutions completed a course in the prevention of Sudden Oak Death which was offered at the U.C. Berkeley campus. The following link will take you to the California Oak Mortality Task Force web site where important information is offered about Sudden Oak Death and preventative treatment;  http://www.suddenoakdeath.org/ Dutch Elm Disease Dutch Elm disease fungus can infect a tree in two ways. The most common method of transmission is on the bodies of elm bark beetles.  One type of preventative program is the control of the elm bark beetles by spraying with an insecticide, though this is not fool proof. A thoroughly applied spray will hopefully kill or prevent beetle feeding, and thus prevent infection by the fungus that kills the elm tree. A preventative spray approach to control the beetles includes treatment in late fall after the leaves have fallen. This helps control the last brood of adults that would be entering  the trees  to  lay eggs  for over-wintering. Also,  a  treatment in  early spring before bud swell, (late March to early April if possible) will help kill emerging over-wintering adult brood members that would likely feed on susceptible trees. One should consider following this treatment with another spray (mid-May to early June). All bark surfaces must be completely covered with spray (especially smaller branches and twigs in the crown) to prevent bark beetle feeding or breeding. To effectively reduce bark beetle numbers,  insecticide sprays should utilized when needed. Also see; Arborjet Micro Injection System for more information. Fruit Eliminator Spray Acorns, crabapples, sweet gum also called liquidambar, pine cones, maple, olives and many other fruiting or ornamental trees are considered a nuisance by homeowners because of the unsightly and messy fruit and seed pods they produce. Obviously the best defense against unwanted tree debris from dropping all over your lawn, driveway, patio, deck or sidewalk is not to plant trees that produce fruit and seed pods at all. However, many of us inherit trees that may be stately trees most of the year until their evil twin arrives to drop debris all over your otherwise well kept property. The resulting mess can damage the paint on your car, stain concrete and can cause a twisted ankle or can become a trip hazard. Best Indoor/Outdoor Pest Solutions provides a spray service to prevent your trees from producing nuisance fruit and seed pods. Imagine, the beauty of your yard and trees without the unsightly black olive stains on your concrete Imagine the time saved in cleanup by eliminating those annoying little round and spiky seed pods on the walkway! We will spray your trees to reduce or eliminate undesirable fruit development and the results will be less time cleaning up the mess and more time to spend with your family. It is important that your trees are sprayed at a very specific time of year, when they are in mid to full-bloom, prior to fruit set. The window of opportunity is narrow, just a few weeks, and made too early or too late will not be effective. University tests, conducted by the manufacturer of the growth regulator that we use, have received 95-100 percent control of undesirable fruit on many tree species. However, timing is extremely critical! Call us today before your trees blooms to learn more about how to make your yard maintenance chores easier. Dormant Sprays Dormant oils are applied to trees and shrubs including roses during the winter months. This non-toxic spray works to control scale insects, mites and smother egg masses of other insects. These pests survive through winter on the twigs and trunks of trees and shrubs. This dormant spray is applied only once during the year at a specific time and is regarded as the most important of the general spray. Foliar Insecticide Sprays Foliar sprays are applied during the spring and summer months to control a wide variety of damaging insects. Due to the life cycle of these insects, one or more applications must be applied at specific times to protect the foliage during the varying increases in insect activity. Fungicide Sprays A series of sprays may need be applied in spring as a protective coating to control leaf fungus and rust disease of crabapple and hawthorn trees as well as the needlecast problems on pine and spruce trees. In Contra Costa County, the sycamore tree is the most obvious victim of fungal infections. The number of sprays needed is influenced by the amount of rainfall, the temperature and increased humidity during the spring months as the leaves emerge and develop. Fertilization: Healthy trees are more capable of preventing serious insect and disease problems. We strongly recommend this slow release liquid formulation which not only provides essential elements needed for your plants health, but also creates and conditions the soil. One application will benefit your plants for up to 2 years.