November 19, 2020
Orpet and Nottingham article in ‘Fruit Matter’s Newsletter’ about potential for Surround applied in the fall for pear psylla management.
Kaolin clay (Surround WP) is a white sprayable powder that discourages pear psylla from laying eggs on pear trees by creating a physical barrier over the tree’s surface. If sprayed early in the season, the white coating could also deter psylla from colonizing orchards, possibly due to repellency of reflected UV light to insects. Kaolin is more persistent on trees than most insecticides, especially when used with a spreader-sticker (check labels for compatibility and mixing instructions), and it has low risk of harming natural enemies because it is non-toxic.
