What’s that yucky bug on my plants!
Here’s a report of some of the critters showing up this summer.
Aphids
Check the tips and new growth of your plants regularly. That is where aphids usually show up, and they seem to appear out of nowhere. The good news is that they are easy to control. Most pesticides (except Sevin) will kill aphids. Even home remedies like dish soap are effective in keeping these “suckers” under control.
Lace Bugs
Tiny, light colored spots on leaves mid-summer may be from Lace Bugs. Tiny, clear-winged flies (hence the name) can be found on the underside of the leaves along with what looks and feels like tiny dark grains of sand. We recommend Fertilome Triple Action sprayed at the first sign of stippling on the leaves.
Scale
Sometimes the first indication of scale on any of your plants is stickiness and sooty mold on the leaves. Upon investigation, hard shelled bumps (of most any color) can be seen on the underside of leaves and along twigs and stems.
Scale is a challenge to control because the hard shell resists chemicals, and all it takes is one egg, larvae, or insect left behind for a new infestation to occur. Longfellow’s recommends Fertilome Triple Action as a spray, but consider using Tree & Shrub Insect Drench as a long-term control for outdoor plants.
Japanese Beetles
Late hatches of this voracious beetle has kept mid-Missouri gardeners frustrated with their incessant chewing and damage to favorite plants. For more information about controlling Japanese Beetles, read Our Blog.
Cicadas
That incessant buzzing sound in late summer is the Cicada. When the periodical Cicada (7 year, 13 year, etc) hatches, we see damage on the tips of our trees, but when the annual Cicada shows up in July and August, their numbers are usually low enough that damage is minimal. We don’t recommend spraying this year.
