Safari Insecticide receives Section 3 registration for control of emerald ash borer

Valent Professional Products announced that Safari Insecticide has received a Section 3 registration from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for control of emerald ash borer (EAB). Tree care specialists can now use Safari to control EAB, an insect that has damaged or killed tens of millions of ash trees in the Midwestern and Eastern United States. This new label allows application of Safari as a basal trunk spray, a soil injection or a soil drench for control of EAB. It is approved for use in all states except California and New York.


“Safari has a proven ability to quickly control EAB, a non-native pest that has destroyed ash trees in at least 10 states over the past seven years,” said Dr. Joe Chamberlin, regional field development manager for Valent. “With the Section 3 registration, tree care specialists and municipalities will have access to a fast-acting solution for EAB and a unique application method for controlling this devastating pest.”


Data from university trials show that efficacious concentrations of the active ingredient in Safari (dinotefuran) are present in ash tree foliage as little as 21 days after a soil application or basal trunk spray, meaning Safari can quickly control EAB throughout the tree.


“Many homeowners do not realize they have EAB until ash trees are exhibiting symptoms of decline,” Chamberlin said. “In these cases, products that provide fast control can be critical to preventing further tree decline or even death.”


Dinotefuran is more soluble in water and binds less tightly to organic matter than similar products, Chamberlin said. This means Safari is easily absorbed into the tree’s vascular system (xylem) and then quickly transported to where EAB feed.


In addition to fast control, Safari’s easy-to-apply, non-invasive basal trunk spray offers application flexibility not available with other products labeled for EAB. With this method, residues penetrate the bark into the xylem and are then upwardly transported to where EAB larvae or adults feed.


Safari’s labeled rate range is also a great benefit for control of EAB on large ash trees.


“This higher labeled rate range helps with control of EAB on the larger ash trees that are frequently found lining city streets and which are most important to homeowners,” Chamberlin said.


This combination of speed, multiple application methods and labeled use rate makes Safari an excellent choice for municipalities, tree care specialists and lawn care companies.


“Safari is a unique product that has already provided tree care professionals with a fast-acting tool that controls other important pests such as armored scale and hemlock woolly adelgid,” Chamberlin said. “We are pleased that Safari is also now available for EAB.”


It is estimated more than 40 million ash trees in the U.S. have already died from EAB infestations in Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin. In addition, EAB has just been found in Minnesota and Kentucky, and threatens millions of ash trees in other states.


“EAB is probably the highest-profile tree pest in urban America,” Chamberlin said. “Because time is of the essence in the race to save a tree that is such an important part of many urban landscapes, Safari is a product that should be considered for control of EAB.”