We finally got some rain but it only made things grow better for some pest.
1. Thrips -- With the dry weather we had up until now, thrip populations were causing problems in several areas. Both ornamentals and vegetables were seeing higher populations, particularly where we watered on a regular basis. Thrips cause a stippling of the foliar surface similar to mites. They have a modified mandible that has a series of spines on it, and they rub it on the surface of the plant and rupture the cells, and then they lap up the fluids that ooze out of the damaged area. They produce a zig-zag pattern of bleached-out cells on the foliage surface. With high populations, the entire leaf can be damaged, and early leaf drop results. Thrips have very fine hairy wings and are not good fliers, but they can be wind-blown very easily. They have a bad habit of picking up viruses and transmitting them; tomato spotted wilt is a good example. Thrip management will vary by crop, but some materials available are malathion, Marathon, Orthene, Safari, Talstar, Aria, Pedestal and Onyx. Read the label, as some of these are interior and others exterior and the host will vary. Figure 1.
2. Slugs -- These little pests were in the watered areas but now will be everywhere. They eat a variety of foliage and flowers, and they can always be determined by the slime trail they leave. Primarily night or cloudy-day feeders, slugs can be a hassle. The problem is for every one you see there are probably 20 more. The old standbys of methaldehyde and Mesurol do not work as well when you have used them in the past. The beer trap works but is sometimes inconvenient for people to set up. A new material Niban has been very good at getting rid of slugs and snails. Figure 2.
3. White flies -- These little pests are about to explode on the scene. We have seen several samples in the last week or so with massive numbers of eggs ready to hatch. Remember that the old pupal skins are on many leaves, and you cannot kill them; they are dead. Watch for the young nymphs and treat early; do not wait for the population to grow on you. Once established, they are hard to remove without several sprays. We have several species in the state – greenhouse, giant, black, sweet potato and others. On ornamentals use ultra fine oil with Safari, Aria, Talstar, Orthene or Merit. Two applications at 14 days should remove the population. Figure 3.
4. River birch sawfly -- Large populations of these caterpillar-like worms have been reported from several areas. These lime green larvae with a dark stripe down the back usually curl themselves around the leaf when disturbed and are hard to pull from the plant. Remember, they have one simple eye on each side of the head and a leg on each segment of the abdomen. Orthene or any pyrethroid is best for control. Figure 4.
5. Lubber grasshoppers – Devil horses, as many refer to them, are out in abundance in different areas of the southern part of the state. These populations emerged while the weather was hot and dry and the endemic fungi in the soil were unable to affect them. Every spring that is dry and warm-to-hot incapacitates the fungi, and they cannot infect the young grasshoppers and crickets when they hatch, so we get heavy populations. They will eat a great variety of plant material from grasses and weeds to ornamentals and vegetables. Control of this pest is with Sevin or a pyrethroid. Be sure to use a spreader sticker or soap in the solution so the spray will stick to the body and provide better control. Remember Sevin requires a low pH to be functional. Figure 5.
6. Love bugs – Love is in the air, and now with all the rain it may just become a lot thicker. Moderate populations have been seen around the Florida parishes and north of Baton Rouge. Be sure to stop and clean your windows or be sure you have cleaner in the window washer. Those on the body of the car can be cleaned off by wetting them thoroughly and spraying a little soap on them and scrubbing with a soft cloth, or wet them and use a wet fabric softener sheet and rub them. Be sure to wash both off when done, or they can dry and be a little hard to remove. Be sure to flush off the radiator to prevent overheating when going through dense flights of these little bugs. Figure 6.
7. Orange dog caterpillars – The larva of the giant swallowtail butterfly prefers citrus as a host. When first hatched and feeding on the foliage, they appear to be bird droppings until you touch one and the two orange eversible glands pop out and look like they will sting or bite you. These glands carry a pungent odor and are used for self defense against birds and other predators. It does not sting or burn but does scare many people who have not seen it before. Management is very easy – anything you spray on the plants will control them. Unmanaged, they can eat a lot of foliage. Figure 7.
8. Carpenter ants – These large ants are now swarming after all the rain. We have three different ones: a red, a black and a bicolor species of carpenter ant. The winged queens are large and can be found everywhere. They will collect around lighted areas. They are attracted to water-damaged or rotting wood where they build a nest.
They are scavengers and will forage in homes. Remove any ornamental or tree branches that touch the house, as this is used as a means of entry into the home. Nest in water-damaged structures is slow in growth. Any water-damaged wood should be removed. Wood treated with borates will repel infestation. Treat with Advance carpenter ant bait. Nests in trees or old stumps can be treated with Orthene, Talstar or other pyrethroids. These ants do not bite or sting. Figure 8.
[Image: Thrips in flowers]
[Image: Slug on leaf.]
[Image: Whiteflies on ginger.]
[Image: Sawfly larva on riverbirch.]
[Image: Devil horse.] | [Image: Bugs on front of van.]
[Image: giant swallowtail larva.]
[Image: Carpenter ant .]
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