Melaleuca Treatment Decision Tool for Homeowners Melaleuca Treatment Decision Tool for Homeowners...

Melaleuca TreatmentDecision Tool

for Homeowners


for Homeowners

StartStart

This tool will help you select the right treatments for

managing your melaleuca problem.

This tool will help you select the right treatments for

managing your melaleuca problem.

Press Start to begin.

Press Esc to exit.

Click here for help

Click here for help

Visit the TAME Melaleuca Project web site at http://tame.ifas.ufl.edu


forHomeowners


forHomeowners

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Killmelaleuca on your

property?


property?

Suppress melaleuca on

your property?

Suppress melaleuca on

your property?

Do youwant to…Do you

want to…

StartStart

Treatmentresult selection

phase

Eradicating Melaleuca Suppressing Melaleuca

Pro’s Con’s Pro’s Con’s

Final solution – once the trees are removed and stumps are treated

High cost – can run several thousand dollars per acre to kill and remove trees.

Low cost – biological control insects used to suppress the trees are free, self perpetuating, and self-sustaining.

Time – it takes a long time for biological control agents to become established and have an effect.

Reduces risk of fire Trees must be replaced with native vegetation so other invasive plants won’t take hold.

Fire risk remains as long as the trees remain.

Click on the selection that

best suits your needs

You should kill melaleuca if the trees are few in number, the trees are near your home, or your property borders on a natural area.

You should suppress melaleuca if the cost of eradication is prohibitive or if you have large numbers (acres) of trees.


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Suppress melaleuca on your property


Usebiological

control

Usebiological

control

Treatmentmethod selection

phase

Follow-uptreatment

phase

StartStart


want to…


phase

Mow using a lawn mower, brush mower,

etc.

Mow using a lawn mower, brush mower,

etc.

Lawn mowers work best on seedlings of 6 inches in height or less. Brush mowers can cut saplings of an inch or more in diameter, depending on the manufacturer. Regrowth will occur unless mowing is repeated regularly.

Lawn mowers work best on seedlings of 6 inches in height or less. Brush mowers can cut saplings of an inch or more in diameter, depending on the manufacturer. Regrowth will occur unless mowing is repeated regularly.

Biological control agents prefer young seedlings and saplings and can actually them. On larger trees, the insects can reduce flowering and seed production.

Biological control agents prefer young seedlings and saplings and can actually them. On larger trees, the insects can reduce flowering and seed production.


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forHomeowners

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Regrowth treatmentRegrowth treatment


phase

Follow-uptreatment

phase

StartStart


want to…


phase

Mow using a lawn mower, brush mower, etc.

Mow using a lawn mower, brush mower, etc.

Usebiological

control

Usebiological

control


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forHomeowners

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property?


property?

Remove thetrees?

Remove thetrees?

Leave thetrees?

Leave thetrees?


phase

StartStart


want to…

Not recommended for populated areas or near homes and buildings. The trees are a fire hazard and pose a threat during heavy weather.

Not recommended for populated areas or near homes and buildings. The trees are a fire hazard and pose a threat during heavy weather.

Preferred option but can be expensive.Preferred option but can be expensive.


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forHomeowners

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property


property

Remove thetrees

Remove thetrees

Cut down the trees?Cut down the trees?

Grind or chip thetrees?

Grind or chip thetrees?


phase

StartStart


want to…


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forHomeowners

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Kill melaleuca on your property


Remove thetrees

Remove thetrees

Grind or chip the

trees

Grind or chip the

trees

Useheavy

machinery

Useheavy

machinery


phase


phaseUsehandtools

Usehandtools

StartStart


want to…

Chainsaws, machetes, portable chippers, etc.Chainsaws, machetes, portable chippers, etc.Barko chipper,

“brontosaurus”, etc.Barko chipper,

“brontosaurus”, etc.


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forHomeowners

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Remove thetrees

Remove thetrees

RegrowthtreatmentRegrowthtreatment

Grind thetrees

Grind thetrees

Heavy machinery

Heavy machinery


phase


phase

Follow-uptreatment

phase

Usebiological

control

Usebiological

control

StartStart


want to…


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forHomeowners

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Hand tools

Hand tools


phase


phase

Follow-uptreatment

phase



Remove thetrees

Remove thetrees


Grind thetrees

Grind thetrees

Usebiological

control

Usebiological

control

StartStart


want to…


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forHomeowners

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Click here for help



Remove thetrees

Remove thetrees

Cut down the trees

Cut down the trees

Heavy machinery

Heavy machinery


phase


phaseHand toolsHand tools

StartStart


want to…

Chainsaws, machetes, portable chippers, etc.Chainsaws, machetes, portable chippers, etc.

Feller-buncherFeller-buncher


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forHomeowners

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Remove thetrees

Remove thetrees

Cut down the treesCut down the trees

Heavy machinery

Heavy machinery


phase


phase

Follow-uptreatment

phase

Usebiological

control

Usebiological

control

StartStart


want to…



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forHomeowners

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Click here for help


phase


phase

Follow-uptreatment

phase

Hand toolsHand tools



Remove thetrees

Remove thetrees

Cut down the treesCut down the trees

Usebiological

control

Usebiological

control


StartStart


want to…


forHomeowners


forHomeowners

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Click here for help



Leave thetrees

Leave thetrees

Hack &squirt

Hack &squirt

Aerialspraying

Aerialspraying


phase


phase

StartStart


want to…

Hack & squirt is a technique where you girdle the tree with a machete, then apply herbicide to kill the tree.

Hack & squirt is a technique where you girdle the tree with a machete, then apply herbicide to kill the tree.

Best for very large tracts (acres of trees).Best for very large tracts (acres of trees).


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Usebiological

control

Usebiological

control

Leave thetrees

Leave thetrees

Hack &squirt

Hack &squirt



phase


phase

Follow-uptreatment

phase

StartStart


want to…


forHomeowners


forHomeowners

Click here for help

Click here for help



Usebiological

control

Usebiological

control

Leave thetrees

Leave thetrees

AerialsprayingAerial

spraying



phase


phase

Follow-uptreatment

phase

StartStart


want to…


forHomeowners


forHomeowners

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First released in April 2002, the melaleuca psyllid (SILL-id) is difficult to see directly because of its small size (1/8 inch). However, its nymphs (immatures) are easy to detect from the waxy flocculence (white fluff) that they secrete onto melaleuca leaves and stems. This wax is harmless and washes off with rain. Psyllids complete their entire six-week life cycle on the melaleuca tree. Pale to bright yellow eggs are laid on leaves and stems and hatch in about two weeks. Nymphs cause the majority of feeding damage and take around three weeks to develop into adults.

First released in April 1997, the melaleuca weevil has been distributed to over 150 locations. Evidence of their presence includes holes or gouges in buds and leaves. Adults are fairly easy to spot on melaleuca – they are gray-brown, with six legs and a snout, and larger than a ladybug (up to 3/8 inch). When touched, they tend to “play dead” and fall to the ground. Adult weevils may live longer than one year, and females may produce up to 1,000 eggs. Eggs hatch after seven days and spend seven weeks as larvae (immatures). Larvae grow up to 1/2 inch and are sluglike, and trail thin coils of fecal matter. Larvae are usually gray but might appear yellow at times. When the larvae are ready to pupate, they cease feeding, crawl or drop to the ground, and spend about four weeks underground in an earthen capsule. Due to this time spent in the soil, weevils do not fare well in permanently flooded habitats.

You can order melaleuca psyllids and weevils from the

University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences

at http://tame.ifas.ufl.edu/html/faq.htm

You can order melaleuca psyllids and weevils from the

University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences

at http://tame.ifas.ufl.edu/html/faq.htm

Biological control is always an option!

Two biological control agents are available.

Biological control is always an option!

Two biological control agents are available.

Continue…Continue…


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Damage caused by melaleuca psyllids.Damage caused by melaleuca psyllids.

Damage caused by melaleuca weevils.Damage caused by melaleuca weevils.

Finish…Finish…


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Heavy machinery options


A brontosaurus grinds standing trees all the way down to the ground level. The remaining mulch can cover the stumps, reducing the amount of regrowth from the stumps.

A feller-buncher grabs standing trees, cuts them off at the base, treats the stumps with herbicide, then stacks the trees for later removal. Stacking the trees limits the phase of seedling recruitment thus lowering the amount of follow-up needed.

A Barko chipper attacks standing trees, toppling the trees and chipping them into a mulch that remains on the ground. If the mulch covers the stumps sufficiently, minimal regrowth will occur.

Although the above machines are common, they are but three

of the many types used.


of the many types used.Continue…Continue…


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A brontosaurus grinds standing trees all the way down to the ground level. The remaining mulch can cover the stumps, reducing the amount of stump regrowth.

A feller-buncher grabs standing trees, cuts them off at the base, treats the stumps with herbicide, then stacks the trees for later removal. Stacking the trees limits the phase of seedling recruitment thus lowering the amount of follow-up needed.

A Barko chipper attacks standing trees, toppling the trees and chipping them into a mulch that remains on the ground. If the mulch covers the stumps sufficiently, minimal regrowth will occur.


of the many types used.


of the many types used.Continue…Continue…


forHomeowners


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Hand tool optionsHand tool options

Using a chainsaw to cut down a tree.

A machete was used to girdle this tree by cutting through the bark into the cambium layer. It is important to treat the exposed cambium layer with herbicide as girdling alone will not kill melaleuca.

Using a machete to cut down a tree.

Regardless of the method used to cut down a tree, you need to treat the stump with herbicide.


If doing this work yourself, always follow the

manufacturer’s instructions when using machinery and

herbicides, and always wear the appropriate personal

protective equipment.

WARNING!


forHomeowners


forHomeowners

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Hand tool optionsHand tool options

Using a chainsaw to cut down a tree.

A machete was used to girdle this tree by cutting through the bark into the cambium layer. It is important to treat the exposed cambium layer with herbicide as girdling alone will not kill melaleuca.

Using a machete to cut down a tree.

Regardless of the method used to cut down a tree, you need to treat the stump with herbicide.


If doing this work yourself, always follow the

manufacturer’s instructions when using machinery and

herbicides, and always wear the appropriate personal

protective equipment.

WARNING!


forHomeowners


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RegrowthRegrowth

Coppicing occurs when a tree is cut or falls down. The tree will regenerate easily. Melaleuca used as fence posts have been known to regrow.

Recruitment occurs when stressed trees drop their seeds. A mature tree can hold 50 million seeds, and when those seeds drop, a significant amount of seedling growth will occur within a couple of weeks, often creating a bigger problem than the one that originally existed.

There are two kinds of regrowth:

Recruitment and Coppicing.

There are two kinds of regrowth:

Recruitment and Coppicing.


Herbicide treatment and biological control are both effective methods of controlling coppicing.

Biological control is an effective method of controlling recruitment but large outbreaks may require retreatment.


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How to use this toolHow to use this tool

NavigatingNavigating

Click here for help

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StartStart To return to the beginning, click either the home button in the top left corner or the Start symbol at the top of the page.

To return to the last page that you viewed, click the u shaped arrow in the top left corner.

To return to this page for help, click the Help button in the top left corner.

If you need more information about melaleuca or how to treat it, go to the TAME Melaleuca Project

website at http://tame.ifas.ufl.edu.

Conceived, designed, and created by John C. Scoles, writer/editor for the TAME Melaleuca Project, 2006.


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For more information, you can download a handbook from the publications page of the TAME website.

http://tame.ifas.ufl.edu

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Date post:	31-Mar-2015
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