Environmetrics Avoids Toxic Pesticides to Save Trees
Chemsultants International thrives on the challenge of bringing good ideas to commercial reality.
A Northeast Ohio company's expertise stands to save trees from the ravages of leaf-eating insects without pesticides. Envirometrics of London, Ontario knew that timing is critical to prevent bugs from killing the trees. "Fall cankerworm is the predominant defoliator of oak, elm, ash and other hardwood trees," says Paul Martin of Envirometrics. "At the first hard frost the female worm starts crawling up the tree to lay her eggs in the canopy. In spring they hatch into small caterpillars which eat new leaves just as they're coming out. "
Enter Mentor-based Chemsultants International which thrives on the challenge of bringing good ideas to commercial reality. "We explained the end use and they went to work," says Martin. "We had to develop a sticky adhesive that not only would trap insects, but would hold up to frost, rain, wind, sun, dirt and humidity," explained Jim Duvall, Chemsultants technical operations manager. "And we had to do it quickly so it could be tested during a spring bug hatch."
Chemsultants' Mentor research and development scientists created the Bug Barrier Tree Band, an adhesive strip wrapped around a tree's trunk to capture and immobilize bugs in a sticky layer that can be discarded or examined by entomologists. Effective on cankerworms, gypsy moths, elm beetles, forest tent caterpillars, and ants, it's a solution that eliminates the need for toxic pesticides and doesn't alter the beauty of the tree. "Because we had the raw materials in our inventory and technical expertise in adhesives, we were able to effect a quick turnaround," explains Richard Muny, Chemsultants president.
The Bug Barrier went from concept to introduction at last April's Canada Bloom Show in Toronto in less than a year, Martin said. "We now have homeowner kits that can be purchased directly from us and are setting up a dealer network so arborists may band trees as a service to their clients.
Chemsultants International, Inc. 9079 Tyler Blvd. Mentor, OH 44060 Phone: 440.974.3080 Fax: 440.974.3081
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