Plant Pests

/Plant Pests

Scale Infestation

This appears to be a type of scale, cottony cushion scale, and is a sap sucking insect that attaches itself to the leaves and stems. Wiping them off with a damp cloth can be effective if caught early, but yours may be more extensive. Organic controls include spraying with horticultural oil being sure to coat all leaf surface. Make sure you spray in the early evening to prevent sun scald. Or cut off the worst of the infected leaves if it will not defoliate your plant. If you wish to undertake chemical control, look for a systemic formulated for scale and for maple plants. Use according to directions for your plant.
Here is the same link on pests that you might find helpful: http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7408.html

By | 2017-09-11T15:49:00-07:00 April 9th, 2016|Plant Pests|0 Comments
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Mildew On Citrus

The white fluffy appearing residue might be from one of the many forms of mildew, many of which are called powdery mildew. Most are prolifc in conditions of warm weather and high humidity. Or it could be residue from overhead spraying with water or chemicals. We cannot tell for sure. Suggest you take a few clippings to a horticulturist at your local garden center or botanic garden to confirm the problem and the recommended control. Also if the citrus is in full sun for 6-8 hours and receives regular water and fed with a slow release or organic fertilizer formulated for citrus, it should be flowers and fruits. But if it was planted less than three years ago, fruiting trees usually bear sizable crops after three to five years.

By | 2016-04-09T01:34:39-07:00 April 9th, 2016|Plant Pests|0 Comments
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Podocarpus Problems

We think you have two different things going on here. First it's not uncommon for podocarpus to have a pubescence or light "fuzziness" on the lower leaves -- it is how it grows. The missing leaves are something else. We can't see any insects but they could have eaten and are now gone. We don't see any frass (poop) and we don't see any leaves partially eaten that would give us an indication of what kind of insect it can be. Sometimes sawflies eat podocarpus and look like caterpillars of moths. Unfortunately when organic pesticides lie dipel are used foe control thye don't work because saw flies don't turn into moths -- they turn into flies. If you can be patient and take a image and send it back to us we might be able make a more accurate diagnosis.

By | 2017-09-11T15:49:00-07:00 April 8th, 2016|Plant Pests|1 Comment
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Sooty Mold

Sooty mold forms on the excretions of insect pests like scale, mealybug, aphids, and whiteflies (and many more). The pest might be feeding on the underside of the foliage on the blackened leaf. So you first need to examine this plant and surrounding plants carefully for pests. Look for insects or insect litter on the underside of the leaves. Scale can look bumpy on stems or like tiny bits of cotton. Some sucking insects, like lacebug, are very small and almost invisible, but you often see their "litter" under the leaves that look dusty, webby or dirty. Most sucking insects can be killed by spraying with insecticidal soap or horticultural oil, sprayed under the leaves of the infected plant. Do this two or three times. Once the insect is under control the sooty mold will go away.

By | 2016-04-08T06:16:10-07:00 April 8th, 2016|Plant Pests|0 Comments
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Spinach

Thank you for getting back again on this. Deer would crop off most of the plant, rabbits would nibble like the one leaf you show, but probably would not stop there. I can think of no mammal that would do this damage. In reviewing your picture, the spinach in general looks fairly damage free, though way too close together. The featured leaf is out of focus, so it is hard to determine whether those "spots" are spots or rasped areas. Your location would be very good for there to be snails and slugs and when first hatched they are really tiny. Still there should be more damage to the other plants if you have an infestation. You may be right about the deer, but if so it took one bite and said UGH. Try putting some bloodmeal around the area and see what happens.

By | 2016-04-08T06:02:59-07:00 April 8th, 2016|Plant Pests|0 Comments
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Inch Worm

In small numbers, this larva of a moth does not cause too much damage, but if there is a large infestation and they are damaging your plants, you can use an organic control such as Spinosad, but spray in the early evening after the bees have returned to their hives. Once the spray has dried it is not longer harmful to beneficials and Spinosad has a 7-10 day residual. You can also use Bt, but this is a contact spray and does not have any residual. Here is some additional information about inch worms:
NCSU: ENT/ort-153 fall cankerworm
www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/.../note153.htm‎
North Carolina State University
This inch-worm caterpillar will periodically outbreak in large numbers every ... Control. Chemical- Under the approval of the NC Department of Agriculture ..

By | 2016-04-07T20:03:20-07:00 April 7th, 2016|Plant Pests|0 Comments
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Bagrada Bug

The photo is somewhat blurry but it appears to be the Bagrada Bug. Your insect belongs to the Stink Bug family, Bagrada hilaris, known to emit a pungent odor when disturbed. It is not native to California but is from parts of Africa, southern Asia and southern Europe. First detected in southern California about 5 years ago. it is considered an "invasive" species and has the ability to cause severe damage to commercial crops in California. It feeds on edibles, vegetables and fruits, as well as alyssum and weeds. It sucks the nutrients and sap out of plants. Hand pick and squish if there are not too many. Or spray with an organic control for chewing insects such as Spinosad. Here is a link from University of California: http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/pestalert/pabagradabug.html

By | 2017-09-11T15:49:00-07:00 April 7th, 2016|Plant Pests|1 Comment
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Spider Mites

The most likely cause of damage that looks like this on many plants is spider mites. They are sucking insects and cause this white mottled stippling on foliage when a plant is typically stressed. These critters aren't really spiders although they are related to them. They are very hard to see, but the underside of infested foliage often looks dusty, sticky, and vaguely web-like and dirty. You can read more about spider mites and how to control them here: http://bit.ly/1pJ46WX You can also go to your local garden center and ask for an organic control for spider mites and then use the product according to directions but at thi point in the season, just compost it. No point in wasting money. Marigolds should be grown outside not indoors.

By | 2016-04-07T05:19:41-07:00 April 7th, 2016|Plant Pests|0 Comments
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Bagrada Bug

This is the Bagrada Bug. Your insect belongs to the Stink Bug family, Bagrada hilaris, known to emit a pungent odor when disturbed. It is not native to California but is from parts of Africa, southern Asia and southern Europe. First detected in southern California about 5 years ago. it is considered an "invasive" species and has the ability to cause severe damage to commercial crops in California. It feeds on edibles, vegetables and fruits, as well as alyssum and weeds. It sucks the nutrients and sap out of plants. Hand pick and squish if there are not too many. Or spray with an organic control for chewing insects such as Spinosad. Here is a link from University of California: http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/pestalert/pabagradabug.html

By | 2017-09-11T15:49:00-07:00 April 7th, 2016|Plant Pests|0 Comments
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Larvae Or Catepillar

It is difficult to tell you exactly what it is, but it looks like a type of larvae. Suggest you hand pick them off your plants (but wear protective gloves) and spray the plant with an insecticidal soap to take care of any you might miss. However, be aware that this could also be the caterpillar/larval stage of a pollinator such as butterflies/moths and just because it may eat some foliage, pollinators are beneficial for our gardens. If you still have the caterpillar/larvae/worm, it is best to take it to an entomologist at your local natural history museum or university for confirmation of its identity in hand. To identify whether or not it is toxic should be done in hand rather than by a photo. Again, as a safety precaution, wear thick, protective gloves when handling.

By | 2016-04-07T00:54:54-07:00 April 7th, 2016|Plant Pests|0 Comments
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