The Sevin Concentrate should kill any stalk borer that comes into contact with it, that being said, its not a systemic product so its not one that will get taken up by the plant. Common stalk borer caterpillars can be difficult to manage because caterpillars that tunnel into stalks are very well protected. Cultural control for common stalk borer includes any weed management plan that limits or eliminates grasses near field margins. We do not have an effective control for borers that are inside of the stem. Per the Iowa State Extension research article on stalk borers: Plants can sometimes be saved by slicing open the stem and removing the borers by hand. Wilted plants should be considered as a source of additional borer problems and these should be removed and destroyed. The best suggestion is to keep weeds and tall grasses controlled and mowed around gardens and flowers, especially in the fall. This will help eliminate sites that are attractive to the adult moths and the young borers.
We are not sure which type of Sevin you are referring to. The Sevin Insecticide comes in a granular and liquid form. The clarification for both is listed below. Please let us know if you have any further questions.
Since the Sevin Insecticide Granules are activated by being watered in, we would recommend watering them as soon as you can. Failure to water in the granules can lead to treatment failure because the chemical cannot be released from the granule and will not be available to the pests.
The Sevin Concentrate is mixed at a rate of 1.5 oz - 3.0 oz per gallon of water and applied using a hand pump sprayer or a hose end sprayer. For this type of appication, the product need 24 hours without rain for enough time to dry.
Sevin Concentrate is not labeled to be used on trees with a height of 10 feet or more. Adonis 2F Insecticide/Termiticide which conains Imidacloprid would be a better product to use. You would use .1 to .2 oz per inch of trunk diameter. It can take up to 8 weeks for the product to completely translocate through the tree so timing is key. Application timing of systemics is very important and it varies from region to region. We recommend you contact your local cooperative extension office and speak to the master gardener on staff as he or she will be able to give you the most accurate information in regards to application timing.
For foliar sprays now Talstar P would be a good product to use.
Sevin Concentrate is not labeled for use on lawns. You can use Sevin Granules on lawns for ticks and fleas. For fleas, you would use 4-9 lbs per 1,000 square feet. Apply up to 3 times a year with at least 7 days between applications.
Keep in mind that Sevin is just a contact kill, so it will not have residual effect for fleas, ticks, or other listed pests. For a residual granule to use instead, you could use Talstar XTRA Granules every 30-60 days.
Please see our Flea Treatment Guide and Tick Treatment Guide for more tips on eradicating these pests.
You did not mention what Sevin product you are referring to but the Sevin Concentrate product must make direct contact on the fleas for product to be effective per the product label so you would be making applications anytime fleas are present outdoors.
If you are looking to treat inside and outside for fleas, you should definitely get our Indoor/Outdoor Flea Kit. It comes with an excellent product called Onslaught, which is great for both outdoors and indoors. It is also very safe around pets and has a long residual. Also in the kit is an IGR called Martins IGR. It is photo-stable up to 14 days which is about as long as you will find for an IGR that will be outside. Of course you should mix both together in the same tank and apply at the same time both outside and inside.
Sevin Concentrate can be applied to fruit trees, ornamentals, vegetable gardens, shrubs, flowers, outdoor insect perimeter control in residential areas. Mix 1.5 oz - 3.0 oz per gallon of water and applied using a hand pump sprayer or a hose end sprayer. It is not labeled for treating yellow jackets or wasp nests. Nests in ceiling areas are best treated by drilling into the infested void and injecting the nest with Tempo 1% Dust.
1) Locate the nest. If you are not sure exactly where the nest is located, use a listening device to hone in as close as possible to the exact location.
2) Drill small holes directly into the nest from inside of the structure. If it is not possible to drill from the inside, the drilling can be done outside. If you do this, be sure to leave any outside entrance holes open until the beginning of fall when hatching is sure to be completed. Then the entrance may be sealed to prevent further nest establishment.
3) Apply Tempo 1% Dust liberally using a Centrobulb Duster (for easier application)
4) Seal any inside holes.
5) Repeat in 3 to 4 months to control for newly hatched yellow jackets.
The ?Onslaught that comes in the Yellow Jacket kit will kill just about any type of wasp if they make contact with the product. The idea behind this kit is that you mix the Onslaught with a food item and wasps take the food item back to their nest and share it with the other wasps, killing the colony. If you have a type of wasp that does not take bait, then the kit would not be very effective. You can set out a few different food items to see if the wasps are attracted to them. If the wasps are attracted then you can use the kit successfully. If the wasps are not attracted to the food, then you should consider just spraying an insecticide such as Onslaught topically to areas where there has been wasp activity. Here are a few recommended baits: raw chicken pieces, raw fish, canned tuna, cat food, or fruit juice. Raw chicken pieces or tuna tend to work the best.
