 LADYBUGS
The female deposits eggs in small yellow clusters under a leaf or stem, which within a week hatch into tiny alligator-shaped larvae with healthy appetites. We have ladybugs for purchase at the Garden Shoppe at O’Donal’s; if you don’t see them, ask because we can order them for you. Pests must be present when lady bugs are released, or they will go elsewhere to find their prey. PRAYING MANTIDS
The eggs hatch after two to eight weeks of warm weather. Adults eat grasshoppers, aphids, scale insects, mites, and mosquitoes. Call 207.839.4262 or stop by the Garden Shoppe at O’Donal’s to order and reserve your Praying Mantid eggs. NAMATODES The Heterorhabditis bacteriophora (Hb) is a voracious feeder on Japanese Beetle larvae, and can be applied in the spring and the fall. Apply now (late May – early June) one or two times, two weeks apart. Call 207.839.4262 or stop by the Garden Shoppe at O’Donal’s to order and reserve your beneficial nematodes. The BadEASTERN TENT CATERPILLAR
These are usually more unsightly than truly dangerous to the trees they weave their nest in. They are easily treated (when small) by breaking up the webbing (tents) and spraying with Bonide Thuricide® (bacillus thuringiensis is a beneficial bacteria). When the caterpillars are larger - over one inch or so - use Schultz® Houseplant & Garden Insect Spray which contains Pyrethrins and Canola Oil. LILY LEAF BEETLE
The Lily Leaf Beetle adult is a striking insect with a bright scarlet body and black legs, head, antennae, and undersurface. The adults are 1/4 to 3/8 inch long. Adults and older larvae feed on leaves, stems, buds, and flowers of the host plant. Adults lay their eggs on the underside of leaves in an irregular line. The reddish/orange eggs take from 7-10 days to hatch under normal conditions. Females lay up to 450 eggs, sometimes over two growing seasons. Larvae resemble slugs with swollen orange, brown, yellowish or even greenish bodies and black heads. Larvae tend to cause more damage than adults. Larvae are distinctive and repulsive in that they secrete and carry their excrement on their backs. Younger larvae feed for 16-24 days, primarily on the underside of leaves. Larvae enter the soil to pupate; pupae are florescent orange.New adults emerge in 16-22 days and feed until fall. They do not mate or lay eggs until they emerge the following spring in late March through June. Lily Leaf Beetles overwinter in the soil or plant debris in the garden or woods, sometimes a distance away from the host plants. Adults prefer environments that are shaded, protected, cool, and moist. Treatment VIBURNUM LEAF BEETLE
Obviously this is a pest on Viburnums, and since it feeds both as an adult and as a larva, it can kill a young plant in one season. As a preventative measure, check the tips of the shrubs each fall for rows of eggs on the twigs - pruning them out and disposing of them will significantly reduce the chance of infestations. Control PINE SAWFLY LARVAE
About 1 inch long with a black head, and greenish-yellow bodies, these "caterpillars" are a problem for needled evergreens. They are active during May and June, and again in September. They raise their heads and front legs up when disturbed; regular caterpillars do not. Sawfly larvae are harder to kill than caterpillars, Bt does not control them. Severe defoliation can occur if plants are not treated. Control APHIDS
One of the most common and best camouflaged pest in the landscape. They can be red, black, blue, green, brown… depending on the color of the host plant. They always feed on the newest unfolding foliage and flower buds. Control SLUGS
Members of the mollusk family. They usually hide during the day and feed by night on foliage and flowers. At maturity they are 4 inches by ½ inch in diameter, with numerous black, elongated spots on the back and sides: immatures are a plain grey color. Control ROSE BUDWORM
Who can resist roses? - but, oh, do they have fans in the insect world, too! The budworm is a small green caterpillar with either black or whitish-orange marking; it chews holes in the swelling buds of flowers, and opening buds also. Control ROSE CHAFERS
Rose Chafers are easily identified by their color (tawny beige), and their habit of piling on top of one another while feeding and the foliage and flowers of a number of ornamental shrubs. They are active for about a month in early- mid-summer. Control ROSE SLUG
Rose Slug is not a true slug at all, but certainly has a slug-ish appearance. Mainly foliage feeders, these pests are preventively control by good sanitation practices in flower beds and shrubs in the fall. Control The Ugly PSEUDOMONAS ON LILAC
Cold, wet, and overcast skies in spring set the scene for this bacterial disease. The youngest leaves brown from the margins inward. New shoots are killed, and branches may have black streaks and appear to have wilted. Common Lilac (Syringa vulgaris) varieties are the most susceptible. Varieties less likely to become infected are Syringa meyeri 'Palibin' (Dwarf Korean Lilac), Syringa patula 'Miss Kim' (Miss Kim Lilac) and Syringa prestoniae 'Donald Wyman', 'James McFarlane', and 'Minuet' Pseudomonas Treatment Prune out and destroy infected shoots. BOTRYTIS BLIGHT
The fungus Botrytis cinerea attacks stems, buds and leaves of peonies, and many fruits (such as blueberry, grape, brambles, etc). This disease can appear at any time of the growing season, but is most common in cloudy, rainy weather. It begins early in the spring when the shoots are about six inches tall. Young stalks discolor at the base, wilt, and fall over. This wilt and shoot death may continue throughout the summer if conditions are wet. Other symptoms during the growing season include large, irregularly shaped spots on leaves and brown flower buds that are covered with a mass of gray, fuzzy fungal spores. The fuzzy fungal spores, produced after rain or watering, are characteristic of Botrytis infection. Botrytis Treatment Fungicides are of limited effectiveness against this disease, but basic copper sulfate or Bonide® Mancozeb can be applied early in the season when shoots are about six inches tall to help protect the plant. Spray all plant parts to thoroughly wet foliage and soil. Read and follow all label directions. |
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The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
