Avaunt now acceptable for home use?

I have extreme insomnia during the spring months so I don’t quite trust myself, but going over the label it seems Avaunt no longer includes the statement “for agricultural use only”. This is a relatively safe insecticide, kind to beneficials (unlike the pyrethroid class) and probably has a very long shelf-life.

It is one of the best alternatives to using Imidan against plum curculio and other spring fruit pests. Unfortunately it is weak against plant bugs and psyla, but then, so is Imidan.

I just got a bottle capable of making about 500 gallons of spray for $140 plus shipping from Keystone pesticides. Shipment took 3 days through their cheapest method they offer (usps).

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@alan

Alan, would Avaunt replace Triacizide or is it to be used in addition to it?

Mike

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@alan
Based on your recommendations, I am considering rotating Avaunt into my orchard spray program. Alternate sprays I would continue with Imidan. Current label online:

• Use only in commercial and farm plantings.
• Not for use in home plantings

At my local farm supply store Avaunt is priced at $6.85/oz for a 18 oz container. Not cheap. If I assume 100 gallons/acre (label recommends 50-150 gallons/acre, and the recommended dose is 5-6 oz/acre), I’ll be mixing 2.5-3 oz in my 50 gallon sprayer for one spray job. How much are you using?

2 oz. per 50, but I’m using a spray gun via a Rears estate unit- so it runs at less the 200 pounds pressure when fully open. It’s hard to get specific per gallon instructions so I generally just figure 200 gallons covers an acre, because when Cornell provides per acre and per gallon it roughly falls about in that ratio. It’s always worked for me.

I think that is the old label, I just reread the new one to make sure, and those sentences appear to be missing now.

What’s “farm use” any way? I call my 6 acres a farm? I have 60 fruit trees? Pretty vague label, sounds like you call yourself a farm, you are one.

Alan, I’m not sure where you are located, I’m in Niagara county, near the Amish in Medina. They sell Avaunt in the 18oz container. I think it was $132

It means you sell something you grow.

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Schlabach’s has it in their catalog, described as “a non-restricted formula.” I might try it next year. I used Malathion and Triazicide this year and got hit moderately hard by PC. I’m now starting to see oozing on about half of the plums that set and maybe 10 to 20 percent of the peaches.

I’m beginning to think the label dosage of triazicide must me insufficient. I get pretty good control with pyrethroids- more than adequate. The problem is the pests they encourage, like white-fly, peach aphids and such once you kill all the predators.

I should have written, “it means you are attempting to grow something to sell- eventually”. You can use chemicals designated for agricultural use only if you are spraying fruit trees that may not bear a commercial crop for years. I doubt it is ever enforced- sounds like a very flimsy legal definition. I’m pretty sure the property does not have to be a licensed farm.

Please keep us in the loop on how well the product works. My chart shows it to be more effective against PC than Imidan.

I’ve already been using it for 5 years quite effectively (I spray on enough “farms”), but I also usually include Assail in the mix to take care of plant bugs. Assail also is poison to PC and especially CM. Here, it is usually all you need to protect peaches as an insecticide as PC doesn’t prefer peaches. However, it isn’t considered adequate to control PC.

To replace, although Triazicide should control plant bugs and psyla which Avaunt probably would not. I use Assail for those, for the most part.

I wonder how it would work with out the addition of Assail?

I bit the bullet early last year and bought Avaunt. Has worked great, absolutely no PC damage last spring and this spring. It is hard to calculate the proper per gallon rate. I have used 1/3 teaspoon/ gallon so far but may be applying more than necessary.

I’ve been mixing mine “hot.” It seems to work, but inconvenient weather has been an issue. I’ve noticed reduced effectiveness after heavy rainfalls. Of course, I’m not using as sticker, so that is the next step I guess.

It works fine without Assail if you don’t need to stop plantbugs, psyla and pests it is not strong against. At least here in the northeast. I manage several orchards with Avaunt only.

I did some quick calculations between Triazicide (0.08% gamma-cyhalothrin) and a comparable lambda-cyhalothrin product (Bonide Fruit Tree and Plant Guard, 0.5% lambda-cyhalothrin). Lambda and gamma-cyhalothrin differ in that gamma is enantiopure, and lambda is a 1:1 mixture of gamma and a less active stereoisomer of cyhalothrin.

Mixed as per the label, there is 8.3 times more a.i. in the Bonide product in your spray tank. If you assume that only the gamma-cyhalothrin is the active ingredient and the other stereoisomer in the lambda-cyhalothrin is completely inert, then there is still 4x more product in the Bonide spray than the Triazicide. (However, it is likely that the other stereoisomer is not completely inert.)

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You need a scale accurate to a tenth gram- maybe you know someone who will loan you one. Once you’ve measured it once you will be set. When I have time I will do it myself and post it. I have an old O-Haus tribeam that should be adequate. I figure round up a bit for a hand sprayer over a spray gun that has lots of power.

I use a gun powder scale to measure out small amounts, works great

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