How do your products control pests?
Spray oils function as insecticides mostly by physical action. The oil is effective against the younger, vulnerable life stages of the pests - egg, early instar larvae or neonate. Oil can block the spiracles of these pests causing suffocation. The oil can also soften the waxy cuticle of the pest or egg, resulting in dehydration and death. There is also some suggestion that oils have some neurological toxicity, particularly to aphids. Oil can also disrupt the usual signals that ovipositing moths use to detect suitable spots to lay eggs - in effect leaves or fruit can be effectively disguised for a period following the oil application.

If your products are registered as insecticides then how can they be soft to beneficial insects at the same time?
Beneficials are usually quite different species from the pests and are not as susceptible to the challenge that the physical mode-of-action of spray oils presents. They tend to be well protected beetles or very mobile insects capable of flight so they can disperse quickly during spraying. Spray oils do not leave a toxic residue so the beneficials can quickly repopulate a sprayed area.  Have a look on the CANOPY page at the beneficial disruptive index (BDI) prepared by the CSIRO for cotton growers to see how soft this product is against a wide range of beneficials.

How do I get the best out of my spray oil?
Read the label carefully and follow its directions. If the product label permits, apply low rates often, rather than a high rate once. Use a high spray volume to ensure good coverage on the target plant parts and target vulnerable life stages of pests like eggs, early instar larvae and crawlers. This is in spring time for most pests. If your crop has a history of a certain pest and you observe a few of them around, spray at that point with a low rate, and follow up again in 7 - 10 days. Don't wait for the population to build up to high levels. Don't use disruptive insecticides, like organophosphates or synthetic pyrethroids because these often cause secondary pest outbreaks or subsequent pest 'flaring'. This is because they kill beneficial insects which were helping to control the pest in the first place. Avoid spraying oils on plants with a valued bloom appearance e.g. table grapes. The oil will flatten the bloom, changing the appearance.

What is the best time of day to apply a spray oil?
For summer applications, apply the oil in the evening after the plant surface has had a chance to cool slightly from the daily heat. The next best time to spray is early in the morning before the sun gets up in intensity.

There is a black growth on the leaves of my fruit tree.  Is it harmful? Will D-C-Tron Plus control this?
This is most likely the disease sooty mould. Sooty mould can harm the plant by reducing the leaf area able to photosynthesise effectively. It is what is known as a 'secondary disease' meaning that it comes about as a result of the actions of another pest. Aphids, scale and mealybug are often the real culprits behind sooty mould because they excrete honeydew which acts as a food source for the sooty mould. If you control the primary pest, you control the sooty mould. So yes, if you use D-C-Tron Plus to control one of these primary pests, you will indirectly be controlling sooty mould. But don't expect the mould to just disappear once you spray. It will slowly dry up as the food source is stopped and flake off the plant with wind or rain over time.

I have mites on my roses. What is the best way to apply D-C-Tron Plus to control them?
Target the undersides of leaves where pests like mites, whitefly and aphids tend to congregate. Spray at low concentration repeatedly every 10-14 days through the growing season. Start spraying when the pest numbers are low, not when they are in outbreak levels. The physical mode-of-action of spray oils is not sufficient to bring outbreak levels under control by itself. In this case you would need to mix with a miticide.

Do spray oil insecticides have to be registered by the APVMA?
Yes they do. Although spray oils are soft insecticides they must still be registered and used according to their labels.

Do your products control pests by themselves or do I have to mix them with other insecticides?
If your pest pressure is at the low end of the scale, then usually one or two correct applications of a spray oil will be enough. However, if the pest pressure is high then mixing the spray oil with another insecticide can be extremely effective as the oil will act as an adjuvant or provide additive benefit. Combinations with other soft products like Bt or neonicotinoids are of particular note.

If I want to apply a mixture, what is the best way to go about mixing them up in the spray tank?
Generally your fill the tank to about 60% capacity then add the other components first. Make sure any WDG or wettable powders are fully dissolved first before adding anything else. Then you can add suspension concentrates and ECs and then finally the oil. Don't leave complex mixtures to stand overnight and remix for at least 10 minutes after stopping for more than 30 minutes. If unsure of the compatibility of a particular mixture make it up in a jar first and then filter a little bit and examine the filter for residue. Be mindful of problems from complex mixtures in cold weather.

Are there any chemicals I should avoid using with the oils?
Don't apply oil if sulphur-based products have been used in the previous 3-4 weeks or are likely to be used in the following 3 weeks.

Are spray oils biodegradable?
Mineral or petroleum based spray oils are classed as inherently biodegradable which means they break down naturally due to the actions of microbes, just not as fast as products classed as directly biodegradable.

Are all spray oils allowed organic inputs?
No.  Depending on the criteria of the specific certifying body, e.g. BFA, NASAA, a spray oil is most likely not to be a certified organic input. To be eligible, the base oil and the additives used in the formulation must meet certain sustainability standards and be specifically certified by the relevant body. If it is certified, the product will carry the relevant certifying body's logo on its label. Caltex Winter Spray Oil and Summer Spray Oil are both certified by the Biological Farmers of Australia (BFA) as allowed inputs for organic operations.

Do adjuvants have to be registered by the APVMA?
Yes. Being agvet chemicals, adjuvants must be registered by the APVMA and used in accordance with their registered labels.

How should I dispose of the empty drums?
20L and 205L drums carrying the drummuster logo (all Caltex Precision Spray Oils products) should be washed as per the label directions and returned, with cap, to the nearest drummuster recycling station. 1000L IBCs should be rinsed as per the label and returned to your ag chemical reseller.