I have camphor borers targeting my gas tanks at my dock. Also got into the fuel line for my boat. Never heard of them but the local coop told me what they were. What can I do to stop this damage? They like alcohol and this stinking ethanol gas apparently has enough alcohol to attract them. So far they’ve ruined two gas cans and the fuel line damage was an easy fix but time consuming.
Camphor borers are members of the ambrosia beetle family and they definitely like alcohol. We’re getting reports of them boring into gas lines all around the country. Ethanol contains alcohol so its no surprise they like the smell.
In the yard, they’ll target sick trees or other plants where they’ll bore into the bark or limb. Like other ambrosia beetles, they’ll inoculate the tree with a fungus and live on the fungus, not the tree.
Our best suggestion is to lightly mist the exterior of any gas tank or fuel line with FS MP AEROSOL. Its highly repellent to boring beetles so they’ll detect the active and stay away. We’re seeing 3-4 weeks of residual for tanks stored out in the open but if you fuel line is out of the sun, one treatment can last 2-3 months. And it takes just a few seconds to treat so its easy to do.
The can comes with a straw injector you can leave off is you’re using it to mist. To spray a 3 foot fuel line only takes about 1 second of spray so it goes a long way. To spray all sides of a 5 gallon fuel tank will take about 5-8 seconds of spray.
You may want to inspect local trees to see if they’re getting damaged. If you’re finding holes and/or fungus growth, like white or black mold, spray affected trees with MAXXTHOR EC. This fast working highly repellent spray will both kill active camphor beetles and keep them away.
Add .5 oz to gallon of water and expect to use 1 gallon of mixed solution for every 1-2 trees spraying up as high as you can reach. Treatments will last 2-3 months so plan on treating at least twice the first year you find them. After that, once a year treatments will keep them protected.
Use any standard PUMP SPRAYER to apply the Maxxthor.
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