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Dormant Oil Spray Proactively “Debugs” Your Landscape: Here’s How

Resources: Seasonal Tree Care

fall leaf on tree bark

Have you ever asked yourself, “What happens to bugs in the winter?”

Has your landscape experienced pest infestations and left you wondering “What can I do to prevent this from happening again?”

As other recommended fall treatments (such as biostimulants or mulching) do, fall dormant oil spray proactively protects your landscape. In particular, the spray protects against overwintering insects.

Of course, now you may be wondering, “What are overwintering insects and what is dormant oil spray?” Continue reading to find out what they are and what the treatment can do for your landscape.


Overwintering Insects: Where do bugs go in the winter?

Depending on the species, insects will hibernate, migrate, or overwinter. Those which survive through the winter are said to “overwinter” through the cold season.

Common overwintering insects in our area include:

• Mites

• Eastern tent caterpillars

• Scale

• Aphids

spray dormant oil horticultural spray to protect against spruce spider mite infestation
Spruce spider mite infestation
Ward Strong, BC Ministry of Forests, Bugwood.org
spray dormant oil horticultural spray to protect against eastern tent caterpillar infestation
Eastern tent caterpillar infestation
William Fountain, University of Kentucky, Bugwood.org
spray dormant oil horticultural spray to protect against scale infestation
Scale infestation
spray dormant oil horticultural spray to protect against aphids infestation
Aphids infestation

Here’s the problem: overwintering insects can leave an unpleasant surprise in the spring. When overwintering insects appear in the spring, homeowners typically realize the pests have wreaked havoc on their landscape. Even worse, once the problem attacks, it can’t be reversed.

Proactive care is the best care. For protection against overwintering insects, the most effective control is dormant oil spray.


What is dormant oil spray and what does it do?

Looking for an environmentally sound treatment to combat overwintering insects? This method gets our seal of approval.

What is dormant oil spray?

The horticultural spray is an all-natural, organic, and environmentally safe horticultural spray. Unlike other methods, the spray is safe for people, animals, and nature – including beneficial insects!

What does dormant oil spray do?

The organic horticultural spray prevents insect issues and smothers pests that are currently on foliage, tree bark, and bushes. As damage is irreversible, the organic spray is the best control and preventative treatment against infestation.

Which species are dormant oil spray recommended for?

We recommend the horticultural treatment to plants that have a history of or are prone to certain pest infestations; specifically, mites, eastern tent caterpillars, scales, and aphids.

Susceptible plants include:

  • Ornamental trees
  • Large evergreen leaf plants
  • Nellie Stevens Hollies
  • Cherry Laurels
  • Magnolias
  • Camellias
  • Euonymus
  • Crape Myrtles
sooty mold on foliage
Sooty mold found by one of our Certified Arborists – be proactive! Once it’s there, it’s not coming off.

Most importantly, if you notice black sooty mold on your plants, apply the horticultural oil. This symptom indicates insects are feeding on your plants; applying the treatment will help control the population before it gets worse.

INTERESTED IN DORMANT OIL SPRAY?

MEET WITH A CERTIFIED ARBORIST

OR CALL 703.573.3029


When is the best time to use a dormant oil spray?

Fall season is the best time to get the oil spray applied to your landscape. Typically, the organic treatment is done once or twice in the dormant season.

By starting the treatment in the fall, your landscape will be flourishing in the spring – and your plants will thank you for it (consider it a nice Thanksgiving gift for your greenery!).

To ensure your landscape receives the most environmentally friendly, safe, and efficient treatment, reserve an appointment with one of our Certified Arborists online or call us at 703.573.3029.

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Grey Burkhart
Grey Burkhart
March 29, 2022.
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Very professional review of our requirements and an accurate estimate. Showed up on time and were finished quickly. Cleaned up all of the debris and sawdust. Great job all around.
Dennis Bruns
Dennis Bruns
March 8, 2022.
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We have used RTEC Treecare for several years. They do excellent work. Their staff is extremely knowledgeable and take great care in explaining the various options available for your particular situation. I highly recommend them.
Annette Iannucci
Annette Iannucci
February 23, 2022.
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We have been using RTEC for years and were very pleased with the recent tree maintenance work they did for us. As always, we got good advice from their arborist Ben,. The crew that did the work is highly skilled, and they did a great job trimming our trees. They worked safely and efficiently, in addition to leaving the yard clean after they finished the work.
Susan Crawford
Susan Crawford
January 26, 2022.
Verified
RTEC was at my house today to removed a large Magnolia that was badly damaged by the recent snow. They did a fantastic job at a very reasonable price. They arrived right on time, worked efficiently and quickly and cleaned up so well it was hard to tell anything have been disturbed. Over the past several years, I have used RTEC for all the services I checked above, and have always been very pleased with their service and professionalism. I also appreciate that they are not eager to take down trees that don't need to come down. In this case, the damage was too extensive for the tree to recover.
Kenton Morgan
Kenton Morgan
January 20, 2022.
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Once again, RTEC has done a great job. The team showed up right on time and performed all the work that we agreed to. They kept us informed as to progress, coordinated with us concerning our maple, and made recommendations concerning ongoing support for our trees. At the end of the day, they thoroughly cleaned up the debris and left our yard in pristine condition. WELL DONE.
Jean Kluttz
Jean Kluttz
January 3, 2022.
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Not our first time but this time was tricky removal of a large dead tree leaning on a healthy tree. Quick response for estimate, good timing to removal, all clear and healthy tree still fine.
Jerry Haggin
Jerry Haggin
December 16, 2021.
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Very good work while ensuring that I was aware of status of my work order and planned completion.
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Mike Iger
December 16, 2021.
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David Roberts
David Roberts
December 15, 2021.
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We’ve used RTEC for many years for tree maintenance and can’t say enough good things about their service. We use them for tree trimming and for regular treatments to maintain our trees’ health and deal with pests and prevent disease. Their arborist Ben has been especially helpful with advice. RTEC also been especially helpful in emergency situations, once coming to cable a massive, heritage oak in our yard right before a hurricane was about to hit. Highly recommend.
Travis Larson
Travis Larson
December 10, 2021.
Verified
RTEC did an excellent job onsite of removing dead branches from our 80+ year old trees, and trimming other growth too close to our home.
Google rating score: 4.8 of 5, based on 185 reviews.

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