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hedge row of boxwoods got hit with some mites......lotsa leaf damage

Just finished up the dormart pruning of the box. A mix of hard shearing removing most of the leaves. Some of them appear to be hit pretty hard as the leaves inside also appear to have mite dame. I also hand pruned-selective pruned, thinning it out.

Applied a drench of imidacloprid in fall. Going to do one more drench hoping to knock out whatever remains. I know systemic products take time. Like up to 60 days. Do I do the drench now, or do I do it during peak uptake, which is probably some along mid-march / april ?

Last year, we had a endless rainy march. Endless being the word

I have used imidacloprid as a soil drench to control scale and lace bugs on other spring flowering shrubs, but I have only dared do so after the bloom period, which for boxwoods is April give or take. It would be reckless to make the plants toxic to bees and other beneficial pollinators right before they bloom. I believe there are far better (and far cheaper) options for controlling mites on boxwoods. Applying imidacloprid as a soil drench for systemic control should be used only as a last resort.

http://oregonstate.edu/dept/nurspest/bo ... r_mite.htm