Bingo Daubers as Herbicide Applicators

Many of us have used sponge-tipped herbicide applicators, such as Buckthorn Blasters, to apply herbicide to cut stumps, especially in high quality areas. These applicators allow precise coating of the stump while minimizing the amount of herbicide used and collateral damage. A problem with these applicators, however, is that the sponge tips are not very durable and wear out quickly, especially when used on small, jagged stems. This can often cause leakage even before the tip is replaced, which is usually needed after only one use of a 4 oz bottle. This can be expensive.

Buckthorn Blasters are available from the North American Invasive Species Management Association, with one bottle costing $8.99, three caps $7.99, and five sponge tips $9.99 adding up to about $164 for a full set of twelve.

 An alternative is to buy bingo daubers. These are available in the same 4 ounce size, and come with caps and the same sponge tips costing $26.95 for twelve. The colored liquid that comes inside just has to be removed and the bottle rinsed before using them for herbicide application. A minor drawback is that the bingo dauber bottles are opaque, so it is not possible to see how much herbicide is left in the bottle. With a little experience, however, the amount can be easily determined simply by shaking it. Replacement tips are available in packages of 30 for $12.99, but the ones I have found are of poorer quality.

 One way to extend the life of the original tips and to make the poorer quality replacement tips work better is to cut out a small piece of cloth, place it over the sponge tip, and secure it in place with a 6 inch zip tie which cost $10.72 for 1000. For the cloth I used, two layers worked better than one. The following photos show the zip tie, a rectangular piece of cloth to be folded over to make two layers next to a partially engaged zip tie and a bottle that has already been used once with a cloth cover removed. Then the new cloth is secured in place on top of the sponge with the zip tie, the cloth and zip tie trimmed. Finally, after using it once again to treat stems, the cloth is removed showing a sponge that is undamaged and still looking almost new ready to be used in the same fashion once again!

Using this method, the bingo daubers work just as well as the Buckthorn Blasters with a cost of $26.95 vs $164 for 12 bottles with caps and sponge tips. The same process with the same sponge tip can be used repeatedly, but eventually the sponge can wear out even when protected. If this occurs despite the cloth layer, even the poorer quality replacement tips seem to work well if the cloth layer is used. These cost $12.99 for 30 tips or $0.43 per tip vs $2 through NAISMA. One issue is that the replacement tips can sometimes be loose when used with old bottles, but the cloth and zip tie keeps them secure even if loose when first inserted.

Of course, this could used to just extend the life of sponge tips that are acquired through NAISMA as well if that is preferred.

One other huge benefit is that less herbicide is used. When using the cloth method, one bottle lasts longer due to better control with less leakage. So, even though this is an added step it is well worth the extra effort.