Plant Pests

/Plant Pests

Fungus Grats

What you have are probably fungus gnats rather fruit flies. You can use an organic product called Gnatrol which has Bt. in it. Please read the label carefully before use. You should be able to find it at a garden center or order it online.There is also a product called Ground Glass although I have been unable to find anything on the internet. It might be safe for your citrus plants. Do not use the house plant systemic. You can do more harm than good. For the time being, I suggest repotting your plants by removing all the soil and cutting off any dead or rotting roots. Repot into the same size pot with potting soil, not garden soil. The larvae feed on roots which is why I suggest repotting them. Your plants are staying too wet which is providing an ideal home for the fungus gnats. Water when the soil is dry. A good rule of thumb is putting your index finger in to the second knuckle. If dry, then you should water. If it is still moist, wait a couple of days and check again. Never let water sit in the bottom of the saucer and all pots should have drainage holes.

By | 2016-01-03T12:01:10-08:00 January 3rd, 2016|Plant Pests|0 Comments
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Beetle Damage

Musgraveia sulciventris or bronze orange bug when young are a dark green turning to a bright orange when mature. Seen typically in coastal districts, they are a native pest of citrus and in spring and summer they suck sap from young shoots, leaves and flowers or fruit stems causing the fruit to fall prematurely. If you see them, pluck them off and get rid of them - stomp and squish. If there are too many to control, there are organic products such as those containing Neem oil or Spinosad. To keep them out of the garden, be careful what you compost - leave out infested plant material - and keep the area around the garden weed-free to reduce their overwintering habitat. Also be aware that when they are disturbed, they can squirt a foul smelling chemical in the attacker's direction that stains the skin and causes a burning sensation if it gets in the eyes. A systemic containing imidicloprid is another option such as Bayer Advanced Fruit, Citrus and Vegetable Insect Control. Suggest you visit your local garden center to decide which option you would like to use.

By | 2017-09-11T15:49:29-07:00 January 3rd, 2016|Plant Pests|0 Comments
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Scale Insects

We can't see clearly enought to ID to species, but this appears to be sap sucking scale insects. This plant pest does not usually cause major problems to plant health unless their population is very large. However, if you don't control them, and the conditions are right for their reproduction, they can get out of control. Keep your plant healthy and it will be better able to withstand the feeding these pests do. Control for scales varies by species or type of scale. We've included web links for your reference in controlling these pests. You can also give the plant(s) a shower, literally, to clean off the pests, and any sticky "honeydew" exudate (sucking insect excrement), and the black sooty mold that grows in this honeydew. Keep an eye out and continue to remove new developing pests. Otherwise, if the population numbers are high you can use pesticidal products, but they may not be very effective on the adult (covered) stage of the scale (they will work on the younger crawler stage if applied correctly). We recommend you use horticultural oils or pesticidal soaps whenever possible. Make sure you apply these products early in the morning (not in the hot part of the day) and the plant should be in moist soil or watered before applying the oil to avoid burning the plant tissues.

By | 2016-01-03T07:14:19-08:00 January 3rd, 2016|Plant Pests|0 Comments
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Scale Insects

We can't see clearly enought to ID to species, but this appears to be sap sucking scale insects. This plant pest does not usually cause major problems to plant health unless their population is very large. However, if you don't control them, and the conditions are right for their reproduction, they can get out of control. Keep your plant healthy and it will be better able to withstand the feeding these pests do. Control for scales varies by species or type of scale. We've included web links for your reference in controlling these pests. You can also give the plant(s) a shower, literally, to clean off the pests, and any sticky "honeydew" exudate (sucking insect excrement), and the black sooty mold that grows in this honeydew. Keep an eye out and continue to remove new developing pests. Otherwise, if the population numbers are high you can use pesticidal products, but they may not be very effective on the adult (covered) stage of the scale (they will work on the younger crawler stage if applied correctly). We recommend you use horticultural oils or pesticidal soaps whenever possible. Make sure you apply these products early in the morning (not in the hot part of the day) and the plant should be in moist soil or watered before applying the oil to avoid burning the plant tissues.
For outdoor plants: http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/QT/scalescard.html

By | 2016-01-02T15:30:19-08:00 January 2nd, 2016|Plant Pests|0 Comments
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Tomato Hornworm

Manduca quinquemaculata, the five-spotted hawk moth/tomato horn worm. A large pale-green caterpillar with white and black markings. The caterpillar can reach 3 Œ_ to 4 in. when fully mature. The spike on one of the last abdominal segments gives the caterpillar the name äóìhornworm.äó The adult moth, called a sphinx or hawk moth, is a medium to large, heavy-bodied moth with narrow front wings. The moth has a spindle-shaped body which tapers at both ends and fairly thick antennae. The adult is a mottled gray-brown color with yellow spots on the sides of the abdomen and a wing spread of 4 to 5 inches.

Injury: The hornworm feeds on the leaves and new stems of the tomato plant, causing extensive damage. During July and August they also occasionally feed on the fruit.
In your case he seemed to think that this would be a good plant to eat also. If you recently took this photo, you can simply leave him out in the cold to die. They are sometime infested with a parasitic wasp eggs that hatch by the young basically eating their out of the caterpillar. You would see tiny little egg casing sticking out of the back. If you see them you should allow the caterpillar to live since it is already dying but the parasitic wasps need to hatch first. That is their job in life to destroy these caterpillars.

By | 2016-01-01T01:08:30-08:00 January 1st, 2016|Plant Pests|0 Comments
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Pests

Please accept our apologies for the delay in responding to your request! The leaf damage on your plant could one of the following: On some leaves it looks very much like a fungs called Sooty Mold, but its not actually a plant disease. And on other leaves it looks like it could be damage cause by spider mites. We've included links and info about both. Sooty Mold is a secondary issue caused by the excretion of sucking insects that are feeding on the leaves above those that have the black mold on them. These insect excretions (which contain sugars) are a perfect place for the sooty mold to grow, but it does not infect the plant. You can wash off the mold with a high pressure spray of water (and maybe a little rubbing of the affected leaves). But, in order to get rid of the mold permanently you'll need to control the sucking insects on the undersides of the leaves. If it is an insect, you can send us a picture of what you see on the underside of the leaves and we can try again to help. If its spider mites causing the damage, you will want to take action as the damage appears to be heavy. Please refer to these references for more info on both possiblities.
http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn74108.html
http://msucares.com/pubs/infosheets/is1938.pdf
http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/invertebrates/links.mites.html

By | 2015-12-31T07:32:55-08:00 December 31st, 2015|Plant Pests|0 Comments
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Goldenrod Soldier Beetle

Chauliognathus lugubrious. An unfamiliar yellow and green beetle with a soft body may be a source of curiosity if it turns up in your garden. Will it eat the plants, or bite people? A dozen of the beetles together might start to cause concern. But ten thousand of them festooning a tree are bound to raise alarm. Yet the insect in question wonäó»t harm either you or your plants.It is still something of a mystery why the Plague soldier beetle (Chauliognathus lugubris), a native species found in temperate southeastern Australia, occasionally builds up to massive numbers. Its grubs live in the soil, feeding on other small creatures. The adult beetles donäó»t seem to eat the plants they settle on, although the sheer weight of a mass of them may break weaker twigs. What they are more interested in is sucking nectar from flowering trees, and copulating.

The bright colours of Chauliognathus are a warning to any predator thinking of taking a swipe at one, as they exude a white viscous fluid from their glands that repels any predators thinking of getting too close.

By | 2015-12-30T17:13:43-08:00 December 30th, 2015|Plant Pests|1 Comment
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Aphids

Aphids are piercing, sucking insects and suck the chlorophyll out of plant leaves. When the insect population on one plant is very high, this can make the plant weak and open it up to infection by other pathogens. The Aphids excrete "honeydew" which attracts ants and provides the perfect environment for the growth of a sooty mold fungus onthe leaf surface. This mold reduces the amount of sunlight that reaches the leaf cells and reduces photosynthesis, which of course affects the plants ability to produce new leaves and flowers. We've included a link about Aphids, but at this stage you can either pick them off (swipe them off) by hand, or you can 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 may need to follow-up 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 | 2015-12-30T09:17:12-08:00 December 30th, 2015|Plant Pests|0 Comments
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Beetle Damage Or Leaf Spot

This type of damage could be a night feeding beetle or the same fungal damage you see on other leaves. Fungal damage mimics insect damage because once the fungus kills leaf tissue it browns and falls away from the leaf, making it look like the leaf has been chewed. Unfortunately it's hard to tell the difference and it could be either (or both...it's a jungle out there!) because at the same time the leaf spot is showing up the Japanese and Asiatic garden beetles are actively munching on plants.

To tell if it's beetles, go out in the evening or after dark with a flashlight. Dusting the plant with diatomaceous earth (garden grade, available at your local garden center - don't use the stuff for swimming pools) can help organically protect the plants from beetles, earwigs, slugs and other creepy crawlies.

Use a copper or sulfur fungicide for organic fungal control if the problem continues. Water deeply less often - don't hand water (too shallow) and don't splash the foliage if you can help it. Soaker hoses are a good way to water veggie gardens deeply without splashing foliage.

By | 2015-12-29T20:09:15-08:00 December 29th, 2015|Plant Pests|0 Comments
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Scale Insects Severe Infestation

This is a pretty bad infestation of sap sucking insects called scale. We haven't ID'd to species, but they are damaging the plant and causing the black sooty mold to grow. The insects excrete a sugary, sticky excrement called Honeydew that is a perfect "food" for the sooty mold fungus to grow in. The sooty mold spores exist in the environment and won't kill the plant but will cut back on photosynthesis in the affected leaves. The bigger issue is the number of scale insects. They are difficult to control with pesticides because the adult insect body (the egg laying reproduction stages) are protected under the outer covering you see, and some contact-type products are not effective. If these are soft scale, a horticultural oil will usually work. Otherwise you'll need a systemic pesticide that they will be taken up by the insects when they suck out the plant sap. However, we also recommend you prune out the most infected branches (being careful to prune properly and for aesthetic value) to reduce the amount of pesticide you'll need to use and to reduce the number of pests that can reproduce. We've included a link with general info about controlling scale insects from the Univeristy of CA.
http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/QT/scalescard.html

By | 2015-12-29T05:29:16-08:00 December 29th, 2015|Plant Pests|0 Comments
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