Using the Mauget Applicator - To Treat for the Adelgid
Greg Cratch demonstrates taking a DBH measurement. Once he takes the diameter at his breast height on the tree, he will divide the number by two. In this case the diameter was 14 inches, so he will use 7 Mauget applicators at the base of the tree.
Cratch drills small holes the size of the Mauget applicator tip into the extended root systems of the tree, making sure not to drill too far into the heartwood where the chemical would collect instead of being distributed. He drills into the extended, raised roots as opposed to the valleys of the tree because the raised roots bring more moisture into the tree and distribute the chemical faster.
Cratch gently pushes the Mauget applicator tip into the newly drilled hole at roughly a 45-degree angle so the chemical will feed into the tree by gravity.
To get stubborn Mauget applicators into the tree, Cratch uses a mallet to gently knock the applicator into place.
Seven Mauget applicators are placed around the tree on the raised roots.
An installed Mauget applicator.
Cratch uses a small stick to push into the drilled hole to make sure that he hasn’t drilled too far and reached the heartwood. Now that this tree has been treated, it should be protected for a couple of years. Powell will return later in the day and spray the branches with his spray gun to give a comprehensive treatment. “Ultimately, they’re all going to be have to done again,” added Powell.
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