QuestionIs there any way to get rid of borers in trees other than using chemicals. We have kept our garden and property organic here in So. Jersey for a long time and would like to keep it that way.
AnswerNon-chemical control for infested plants
Once trees and shrubs are infested, non chemical options for borer control are limited. One option is to remove and destroy heavily infested or injured plants. Also, inspect damage sites closely to determine if the larvae can be extracted from the plant with a pocket knife, wire or other suitable tool. It will depend on which insect is boring into the elm. Borers attack trees under stress so i would recommend that you fertilize the tree with 10-10-10 fertilizer at the rate of 1 lb per inch of trunk diameter scattered around the tree and watered in good. Sorry this is a chemical but organic fertilizers are difficult to gauge the amount of N-P-K elements to properly apply to the root system.
IF it were me I would spray the trunk with an insecticide called Merit or Onyx. These will kill the insect in the tree.
