Plant Pests

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Chewing Insect

The problem is likely chewing insects rather than sucking insects. Likely the caterpillar you saw or could also be some type of beetle or grasshopper? But without seeing the actual pest, we can't say for sure. Look to see if you see any sign of insects- top and bottom of leaves, day and at night with a flashlight (although the grasshopper may be long gone). If there are small black dots, these might be excretions for the insects. You can spray with an organic control effective against chewing insects such as Bt (caterpillars). insecticidal soap or Spinosad. Once the leaves and flowers are damaged, they will not recover but try to control future infestation. Bt is a contact insecticide and Spinosad has a 7-10 day residual. Spray Spinosad in the early evening after the bees have returned to their hives. Once the spray has dried on the plant it is safe for beneficials. Suggest you show your photo or perhaps capture a few in a bottle as well as snip off a damaged frond for a local garden center to confirm their identity.

By | 2016-02-27T12:51:54-08:00 February 27th, 2016|Plant Pests|0 Comments
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Spider Mites

This damage is indicative of a large infestation of spider mite. These are tiny insects related to spider tht suck plant sap and chlorophyll from the leaves, causing the speckled appearance we see on these leaves. Control can be hard with a large infestation. Begin by removing all the infected leaves and destroying them. Use a spray of neem oil, or insecticideal soap, or other control specifically rated for spider mites. Be sure to spray the underside of the leaves where the invisible eggs and nymphs are found. Usually it is best to spray for two to three weeks, then quit for a while unless you see another generation begin to cause damage. Overspraying can kill a number of other insects that prey on these pests. You can also help keep the population of pest mites down by occasionally washing off the leaves of the affected plants early in the morning (and allowing them to dry throughout the day).

By | 2016-02-27T07:55:44-08:00 February 27th, 2016|Plant Pests|0 Comments
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Leaf Miner

This damage appears to be caused by a leaf miner. A small fly or moth lays its eggs beneath the surface of the leaf and when the eggs hatch, the larvae tunnel thru the leaf tissue, consuming the nutrients in the foliage. Once the damage has been done, nothing will reverse it. Chemical pesticides are not effective against this pest because most products won't penetrate thru the leaf surface although organic products containing Spinosad have often
worked to prevent further infestation. If you do use Spinosad, spray in the early evening after the bees have returned to their hives. Once the spray is dry it is safe for beneficials. However, once the damage has been done to the leaf, it is not
reversible. Usually the damage done by these insects is not going to kill the plant unless the damage is extensive. If the infestation is extensive. Here is a link that you might find helpful:
http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/GARDEN/VEGES/PESTS/vegleafminers.html

By | 2016-02-26T17:06:23-08:00 February 26th, 2016|Plant Pests|0 Comments
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Chewing Pests

Please accept our apologies for the delay in responding! There aren't many chewing pests of Plumeria, that we know of, except for cutworm larva (caterpillars). So we recommend you examine the plant for those. We've included a link with more info. (please note that this link recommends chemical products called Diazinon and another called Dursban, but we don't recommend these as they are known to pollute CA watersheds and have toxic affects on aquatic organisms). We recommend caterpillar control products that contain Bacilus thurengiensis or Bt - you can get this at most garden centers. Its possible this chewing pest might be snail/slugs. We've included a link with more info about snails/slugs, how to trap them, where to look for them in your yard/garden, what active ingredients you should look for in a bait product (and ingredients NOT to use), and etc.
https://www.mauiplumeriagardens.com/images/pcb1_2.pdf
http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/QT/snailsslugscard.html

By | 2017-09-11T15:49:22-07:00 February 26th, 2016|Plant Pests|0 Comments
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Snail Damage

The damage on the leaves of your plant looks like snail and/or slug damage - unfortunately, almost every garden has them! But you can get control of them. First, look for the characteristic slime trails on and around your plants. Snails usually come out at night we usually don't see them feeding. Also, remove any dead or decomposing plant material. That is where they love to hide. Your best defense is to seek them out in their hiding places during the day, or trap them and destroy them/throw them out in a sealed bag. This link has great info about these pests, and very effective ideas for trapping. You may also need to alter the environment to make it less favorable for them (they like to hide in dark moist areas during the day and even on the bottom of your plant leaves). http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/invertebrates/links.otherinverts.html There is also an effective organic control formulated with iron phosphate, safe to use around children and pets.

By | 2016-02-26T12:21:45-08:00 February 26th, 2016|Plant Pests|0 Comments
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Aphids

You'll want to get control of these pretty quickly. They don't usually kill plants, but they will excrete lots of plant sap called "honeydew"; this attracts ants and provides the perfect environment for the growth of sooty mold. This mold doesn't actually infect the plant but it will reduce the amount of sunlight that reaches the leaf cells and reduce photosynthesis, which of course will affect the plants ability to produce new leaves and fruits. We've included a link about Aphids, but at this stage you'll probably want to use a pesticidal soap; they're available at your local garden center. You'll need to follow the label directions and make sure the plants are well watered before you spray them. You'll also need to follow-up, most likely, with more sprays, but again be sure to follow the label directions for best results.
http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/QT/aphidscard.html
Scroll down to the bottom of this page and click on the Read More About Aphids link for more detailed info.

By | 2016-02-25T10:34:24-08:00 February 25th, 2016|Plant Pests|0 Comments
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Whitefly

There appears to be a couple of things on the leaf. The brownish one is not clear at all so if could describe it more and get a better picture that would help. The other white insect looks like whitefly. If you flick a leaf, do they fly away, then settle back down? If so, these are whitefly. Whitefly live on plants throughout their three life-stages. During the first stage, whitefly lay eggs which appear on the underside of leaves as white patches arranged in regular curves. Each female can produce 100-200 eggs at a time. After the eggs hatch, they become larvae that suck out the nutrients of the leaves and stems. (The stickiness you feel is called honeydew, a fancy word for the excretions of the insects.) And as adults they become flying insects that lay more eggs and the cycle repeats itself. Spray with neem oil or insecticidal soap that are direct-contact controls. Another organic remedy is Spinosad that has a 7-10 day residual. Confirm with a local garden center and recommended control. Happy gardening!

By | 2016-02-25T06:22:26-08:00 February 25th, 2016|Plant Pests|0 Comments
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Aphids On Leafy Vegetables

It is really hard to tell from this photo but these look like they could be aphids. They will typically feed on the newest plant growth. You can identify Aphids (with a magnifying lens) by the two "cornicles" (structures that look like tiny tailpipes) extending from the rear. If you see the cornicles, you will want to control these insects with a pesticidal soap, available at your local garden center or wash off with a strong stream of water. These insects reproduce rapidly (giving live birth, rather than laying eggs), so you can also narrow the possible insect species down if you see that some of them are smaller versions of the larger ones. Sometimes an adult will develop wings and they look a bit different than the rest, but they'll still have the "tailpipes". Also, the white bits are probably the cast-off exoskeletons of aphids, while the green or grayish moving creatures are the aphids themselves. They can be controlled by many synthetic insecticides but a strong stream will wash them off and they will not climb back.

By | 2016-02-24T09:30:20-08:00 February 24th, 2016|Plant Pests|0 Comments
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Caterpillars

This is a caterpillar. Also known as the larvae of a butterfly or moth.
Good guy/bad guy status depends on the opinion of the person. All caterpillars are there to do one thing and one thing only and that is EAT to get to their next stage of life. Some of us would consider that a bad guy. Others of us would consider it a good guy based on that fact that they are pretty to look at and could be considered pollinators in some cases.
You can hand pick and destroy those that you find on your plants. You could also use something known as Bt or Bacillus thuringiensis. It is a bacteria that you spray on your plant when the caterpillars are present (they must ingest the bacteria for it to be effective) and they will eventually get eaten from the inside out. It is not a quick solution but it is a safe one. You should be able to find it in the garden dept of any big box store or at your local independent garden center. Be sure to follow the directions on the label.

By | 2017-09-11T15:49:23-07:00 February 23rd, 2016|Plant Pests|0 Comments
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Caterpillars

This is the larvae of a butterfly or moth, more likely a butterfly but we don't know the exact type. Good guy/bad guy status depends on the opinion of the person. All caterpillars are there to do one thing and one thing only and that is EAT to get to their next stage of life. Some of us would consider that a bad guy. Others of us would consider it a good guy based on that fact that they are pretty to look at and could be considered pollinators in some cases.
You can hand pick and destroy those that you find on your plants. You could also use something known as Bt or Bacillus thuringiensis. It is a bacteria that you spray on your plant when the caterpillars are present (they must ingest the bacteria for it to be effective) and they will eventually get eaten from the inside out. It is not a quick solution but it is a safe one. You should be able to find it in the garden dept of any big box store or at your local independent garden center. Be sure to follow the directions on the label.

By | 2017-09-11T15:49:23-07:00 February 23rd, 2016|Plant Pests|0 Comments
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