Acecap AC4X75 Tree Implant, Brown

I've used these in the past for ash borer and they seem to work, trees have not died from ash borer. A few years ago I started hiring a local arborist but then a private equity group bought most of the local arborist companies and more than doubled the price for injections to $350 a tree so I am again using the Acecaps. It takes me about 12 minutes per tree using a battery powered drill. Do read the instructions carefully. Installing the Acecaps is easy.

So, an EAB infestation is taking its toll on my town. The city that I live in has recommended treatment options through a provider, and that provider has recommended an injection treatment, but the cost of doing so is reportedly in the $XXX + per tree. With this product, I was able to treat 4 of my trees, all of which have a circumference of 30"+. Now, after our last extremely-cold winter, EAB should have been knocked down a bit, but there's still a chance that the infestation could re-manifest itself. I am optimistic that this product can have the desired effect and kill off the buggy-jerks before they destroy my wonderful trees. The costs to have these trees removed might cause me to have to refinance and take out a loan to cover upwards of $15k in tree removal costs. This is a very small price to pay for a trial that could potentially save my trees from dying. The Good: Packaging has simple instructions and the recommended drill bit size is just right for getting the holes drilled and the capsules installed. This product is one of the few that doesn't require operating an injector, and that doesn't leave residue on the trees and doesn't have a negative impact on wildlife, other than the bugs it is designed to kill. The Bad: Installation, while relatively simple, isn't necessarily what I would call "easy". Getting the hole depth drilled just right can be a challenge, and making sure to space the injection capsules out to the prescribed distance can be a challenge as well. Getting the capsules installed was done with a mallet and a punch, though I switched to using a spare drill bit to push the capsule into the tree when done with the drilling because I was creating a divot in the end of the capsule with the mallet and punch. The instructions don't necessarily give the clearest advice, and the timeline for implementation can vary widely from area to area. Perhaps a seasonal implementation chart or info-graphic based upon geography would be helpful. After install, I can only complain of being dirty from kneeling down on the ground, and the usual stiffness that comes from being old. The product didn't cause me any pain, but implementing can be a dirty process. Just be advised. Installation was done at 4 - 5 inch intervals, spread around the base of the tree, in a pattern that went up the trunk on one end of the loop around the tree and down the other. All told, it took me just over an hour to complete the full install on 4 of my trees. I wish the pack was larger! I still have 3 trees to treat. Overall, time will tell whether I installed these correctly, whether the treatment works, and if there is any long-lasting impact to the trees, for good or ill. Of course, they recommend that this not be used on fruit-bearing trees, as it is a poison and can be transmitted to the fruit, potentially harming animals or people who would then consume the fruit. Keep this in mind if you have a crab-apple tree or fruit tree of any sorts. Also, keep in mind that between trees, it is recommended that you sterilize the drill bit that you use to create the pilot holes for implementing the capsules. I did this and hope that we avoided any possible cross-contamination. I'll update any changes to my trees and I'll make sure to note the impact of the implementation/pilot holes on the tree's overall healthiness. Fingers are crossed that this does the trick.

Acecap saved me and that's no exaggeration. My property has quite a number of old oaks and maples. I never had a hint of a problem before, but one year, in a matter of just a few days, my beautiful, 60 year old trees were fighting a massive invasion of eastern tent caterpillars. It was beyond sickening. Friends that came over were shocked as was I every time I went outside. Caterpillars were hanging from webs, crawling down trees, on chairs and on every surface imaginable. I was so desperate, then I heard about Acecap. I called the company and spoke with the owner who was absolutely wonderful. He explained how and why Acecap works so well. The application is simple, just drill into the affected tree trunk as the directions instruct. Over a couple days, those devil worms shriveled up and died. It was remarkable. The year after, I didn't see a single caterpillar anywhere. Today, I'm going on three years since the application and still haven't seen one. I keep purchasing Acecap, because I can't believe it works this well. This product saved me tens of thousands of dollars. My neighbors had caterpillars in their oak tree too, but they paid $600 per tree to get rid of them, I paid $60 and one package treated treat five large trees. This product is nothing short of amazing. Bye-Bye You Rotten Caterpillars!

Used these on a 80 feet tall pine tree that was about 10 feet next to a dead pine tree "infected" with beetles. My tree guy said this tree would also need to come down for ~$2000. Tree still looked good, he based his recommendation on proximity to the dead tree. I used this product and also "soaked" the tree with root insecticide. That was last season and tree is doing great so theoretically I saved $2000 minus the cost of these insecticides but have no way of knowing for sure if the tree would have survived without this treatment or not.

This product, when used as directed, will absolutely kill brown tail moth caterpillars. We treated 40 oaks and 1 spruce (for spruce bud worm) each year the past few years. Oaks will now have leaves in June/July when it used to look like December those months. The treated spruce is the only one left alive. It’s imperative to get the plugs in deep enough into trees for these to work. I see some of the pictures in reviews where this was clearly not done. If you haven’t used this product before, and your tree is heavily nested, I’d recommend spacing the plugs closer than recommended the first year. An inch apart is not overkill. In Maine, if you want to prevent these beasts this summer, YOU NEED TO ORDER TODAY; first half of May is the time to plug. We used to order elsewhere but found Amazon cheaper and faster shipping. Edit: seems the state of Maine has restricted sales to the state due to a labeling issue, not because of inferior product or false claims. The state has provided feedback to the company to clarify labeling per state of Maine website: **Acecaps are not registered for use in Maine because the label does not meet federal standards for pesticide labeling. It is therefore not legal to use Acecaps. The Maine Board of Pesticides Control has provided support to the manufacturer to explain what needs to be changed to come into compliance and encouraged the manufacturer to work with EPA to bring their label up to standards. If we become aware of a change in status, we will update this message**

I ordered these after our crepe myrtles became infested with aphids this summer. The leaves turned dark black and the tiny little bugs were everywhere. The black goop was dropping down on the bushes below and attracting yellow jackets. Fortunately I read about this product on line when someone recommended it in a blog post comment. At first I wasn’t sure if it was going to work, but after about a month I noticed new growth on the tree, no more aphids, and that the black goop is coming off the leaves! It Worked for me and I’m thrilled. Love that I didn’t have to spray poison around the tree. It’s right next to our pool. I didn’t want our kids swimming in pesticide infested waters. Win win! UPDATE August 2019: This worked for a good year, but this week I found the aphids and black gunk coming back :( I have contacted the seller to find out if we can reuse the product again and if there are any special instructions for reapplication.

I put these in each of my eight large Ash trees one year ago. My neighbor paid $1200 to have the same number treated in his yard. One year later, his trees are beautiful. Mine are struggling. About half the canopy of each tree is gone. Our neighborhood is lined with hundreds of ash trees so the past year has been filled with sounds of chainsaws. I suspect we had a very large volume of beetles last year given the number of trees. Professional treatment clearly works better. Also, a 3/8 inch hole is pretty large if it’s going to be repeated every year. None of mine are covered by bark after one year. The professional treatment hole is much smaller, half the size or less. I love my trees and I hope to save them. I am going to have to bite the bullet and pay for it.

All you gotta do is drill holes around the trunk of the tree (use an impact drill, regular drill takes forever) and then tap them in with a hammer. Be sure to tap them in to a point below the wood or its hard for the tree to heal. I was swarmed with brown-tail caterpillars devouring every tree near my house (I have 10 acres) and didn't find a one on trees where I used it. You can get away with using fewer than the package says and I focused on just doing the trees around my home as a barrier (doing every tree on a sizable property would be insane) and know that it kills a lot more than brown-tail so I would only use it in select areas when there is going to be a bad season (much better and more effective than sprays, cuttings, etc.) BE SURE TO DETERMINE WHEN TO PUT THEM IN AND WHAT TREES TO USE THEM FOR. IT DEPENDS ON WHAT YOU ARE TARGETING, WHERE YOU LIVE, AND WHAT YOUR GOAL IS.