The weather has warmed, and the bugs are everywhere. Some are even a little early.
1. May or June beetles -- The June bug population is already in high gear, and populations are swarming around light and feeding on the new foliage of several trees – a particularly the nut and fruit trees. These adults are night flyers and are attracted to lights. This is a good gauge to determine density in your area as well as emergence time. To protect the foliage on your trees, spray or dust them with Sevin just before dark. This will kill most of the June bugs as they begin to feed on the foliage. To get good control, however, you must also check the larval population, which is a soil infester. The white grubs feed on organic matter and the roots of your grass. To check for them, cut three sides of a one-square-foot section of sod and peel it back. Check for the grubs, and if 5 or more are found, it requires treatment. Here you have some options: Sevin can be sprayed and watered in; Merit granules can be broadcast and watered in; and Mach 2, a growth regulator, can be sprayed on the turf. Be sure to follow the label recommendation on how to apply and when. It will make a difference in how well you control the problem. If you do not check, an alternative method to see if you have grub is to watch and see if raccoons, opossums, armadillos or coyotes dig up you lawn or flower or vegetable beds looking for them to eat. Moles will also tunnel up the yard to feed on them. So you can check or have nature do it for you. Figures 1 & 2.
2. Solitary bees -- These are our native bees and include both the bumblebee and the carpenter bee. However, the ones we consider the primary solitary bees are the ones that resemble honeybees and live in the soil. These bees find a suitable habitat that is sandy and well-drained and usually has sparse vegetation. Then a hole is dug by each pair of bees to build their nest. Optimum areas may have hundreds of holes. At the bottom of each hole (several inches deep) is the nesting site. The female digs several cells, and in each cell she collects a ball of pollen, lays an egg on it, then seals the cell. Once each cell is completed, the hole is sealed and the adult bees die off. The larvae then develop over the remainder of the year and emerge next spring to assist with pollination of the flowers. Some of the nest sites are on banks and others or on the flat ground or in rocky areas. Those in banks build mud tubes that extend from the holes. Sometimes they are built from the flat surfaces. Those in rocky areas use the rocks to camouflage their entrances. Like carpenter bees, the male hovers around the site preventing other bees from entering his nest and stealing the pollen or laying eggs in it. The several families of solitary bees include Megachilidae, Andrenidae and Halticidae. They are non aggressive and seldom sting, even when lawnmowers pass over the nesting sites. Many people fear this mass of bees, but stings only occur when one is caught in clothing or stepped on. These, like honeybees, are very beneficial, as these are the bees that helped us when the mites wiped out the wild colonies of honeybees. Without them we would have had serious problems getting many of our crops and flowers pollinated. Figure 3.
3. Spider mites -- Before the rains these pests were causing some heavy discoloration on many flowers, vegetables and citrus. These little pests feed with a piercing, sucking mouthpart. Their injury is to the outer layers of cells on the plants and causes them to take on a gray cast. The mites can be observed by eye or with a small hand lenses. They can be managed using ultra fine oils or miticides or a combination of both. Where only the oil is used, 2 to 3 applications may be required depending on the density of the population.
4. Clover mites -- Large populations of these mites have been seen in yards and on houses. This large red mite causes the same problem on clovers, vetch and other grasses. The old treatment was diazinon, but now the oils and miticides are the best control. These do not bite but give many people a creepy feeling when they see these mass numbers. Figure 4.
5. Fire ants -- Now is the time to evaluate the foraging activity of the fire ants by placing oily baits in several places in the yard and checking the density of ant feeding on them after 30 minutes. When populations are high it’s time to apply the growth-regulator baits to manage the populations. Remember, the baits are slow-acting and require from 2 to 6 weeks before a noticeable difference can be seen. Although slower in response time, they are safer, more economical and environmentally friendly and need to be applied only twice a year -- now and in October. For more information, check the LSU web site (www.lsuagcenter.com) and type “fire ants” in the search box. We will be glad to help you set up a control program. Where large areas are to be treated, several county agents have spreaders that fit 4-wheelers to loan for application.
6. Mole crickets -- Small tunnels in your yard or garden are an indication that these little pests are on the prowl. They can damage plans and turf by tunneling through the root zone and causing the roots to dry out, or they can feed on the grass roots. Sometimes called ground puppies, they have enlarged front legs modified for digging. They prefer sandy soils for easier digging. Most infestations begin in sandy areas and move out from there. If found early, treating that spot will reduce the need to treat the whole yard later. The best control is a material called Chipco Choice or Top Choice. Other products that will provide good control include Talstar and Merit. Figure 5.
7. Armyworms -- Heavy populations of these caterpillars have been observed in several sugarcane fields. We do not recommend spraying them, as they do not hurt the cane. They only eat the leaves, and they feed on the grasses in the field. They are heavily parasitized by small wasps, and spraying only reduces the parasite’s effectiveness. In yards and pastures they can be a big problem. Indications of infestations are birds feeding in yard early in the morning and late in the evening or loss of grass. They feed continuously and can do a lot of damage in a short period. Spray with Sevin, pyrethroids, and the Bt formulations. These moths can produce a generation every 30 days under optimum conditions. One can check for egg deposition by placing brightly colored plot flags in the fields and watching for egg to be laid on them. The moths appear to be attracted to the bright colors and lay their eggs. The orange, yellow and red flags appear best. The egg masses appear as fuzzy blobs on the flags and on the overhangs of houses. Many spray them with fungicides thinking they are fungal growths. Once eggs begin to hatch, wait about 10 days to catch the majority of the hatch to get optimum control. Figure 6.
8. Whiteflies -- Watch for the beginning of these populations on vegetables, citrus, hibiscus and gardenias. The adults are attracted to the new growth on plants and begin laying individual yellow eggs. We have several species on whiteflies, and each is a little different. They can be managed with Orthene on the ornamentals, Merit on the citrus and Merit or thiodan on the vegetables. The most noticeable one is the giant whitefly that produces the long, waxy filaments (up to 8 inches) on the undersides of the foliage. All excrete honeydew that develops sooty mold on the infested plants. This will attract many bees, wasps and ants to feed on the honeydew. Figure 7.
9. Imported will leaf beetle -- These little bright blue beetles have laid their eggs on willow trees, and clusters of the larvae can be seen skeletonizing the foliage. Damage is usually minor, but with heavy populations the trees can look ragged, and it makes them unsalable for nurseries. Where populations need treatment, Sevin is the best, but Merit or Talstar can be used. Figure 8.
10. Giant palm weevil -- This pest’s increased activity is probably a result of the hurricanes damage to the palms. This weevil is attracted to the fermenting pheromones of injured or damaged palms. They come to the palms mate, and the eggs are deposited at the base of the fronds. The larvae bore into the heart of the palm and will kill the plants. The best management is preventative. When palms are stressed or damaged, take steps to protect them using a preventative spray. Lindane or dursban are the recommended treatments. Good sanitation and removal of badly damaged or stressed palms is best. There is little control of the larvae once inside the plants. Report any dying palms and send in any specimens collected. This insect is found from Florida to Texas and has been reported in Louisiana. Collections have been made from both Ascension and Terrebonne parishes. Figure 9.
Until next Month
Dale
| | Figure 1. White grubs and June beetle adults. |
| | Figure 2. Damage from armadillo digging up flower bed looking for grubs. |
| | Figure 5. Mole cricket flushed with lemonsoap and water. |
| | | Figure 6. Armyworms are grass feedeers. |
| | Figure 7. Infestation of giant whitefly nymphs. |
| | Figure 8. Imported willow leaf beetle larvae. |
| | Figure 9. Giant palm weevil color varies from all black to red and black. |
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