Efficacy of Steinernema carpocapsae plus fire gel applied as a single spray for control of the lesser peachtree borer, Synanthedon pictipes

The efficacy of aboveground applications of entomopathogenic nematodes (Heterorhabditis spp. and Steinernema spp.) can be severely limited by the nematode’s susceptibility to UV radiation and desiccation. The lesser peachtree borer, Synanthedon pictipes, is a major pest of stone fruit; larvae attack trees aboveground by tunneling into the trunk and scaffold limbs. In previous research, Steinernema carpocapsae, caused high levels of S. pictipes...