The first quarter of the year has proved interesting and unusual – cold, then cool, then hot. They say a cool spell coming later this week. Where is spring? The plants are behind, and when they bloom, flowers are everywhere. That will put the bees behind. And when something blooms, they flock to it and almost look like swarms. Remind callers that the bees are only gathering the nectar or pollen or both from these plants and will go away when the bloom stops. Many other insects are beginning to appear, and some are not wanted.
1. Carpenter bees – There seems to be a massive number of these flying around and drilling holes in exposed wood. Fence post, beams, picnic tables, swings, rake handles, lawn chairs and even a few plants with dead branches are all becoming victims of these living drills. The problem with them is not a stinging problem but, over time, a structural one. They drill nice, neat ¾-inch round holes and tunnel 6 to 8 inches in all these wooden structures and set up housekeeping. They’re collecting pollen, laying an egg on the pollen and then walling off the cell. They work their way to the entrance, creating a series of cell as they go. Next year is when the structural damage begins as another carpenter bee will locate that hole and instead of using the same tunnel, it will extend the tunnel another 6 to 8 inches deeper and, over time, severely damage the structural integrity. To manage this pest, it needs to be sprayed with either a pyrethroid and soap or Sevin and soap. Spray the solution into the holes late in the afternoon and then fill them with a caulking after the bees are killed. A second method is to use Timbor or Bora-Cur and treat the unpainted wood by wetting it and spraying a 50-50 mixture of the material and water twice on successive days. Each time as the wood dries it sucks the borate crystals into the wood and creates a barrier. Then, if the bees drill into it, the crystals cut their derm, and they die. Figure 1.
2. Pecan phylloxera – These little aphid-like pests are emerging now, and in the lower part of the state it may be too late to manage them this year. They cause galls on the leaves and stems of the pecan trees. Management needs to start at bud break because once the gall begins to form, there is no way to manage them until next year. Those homeowners who might like to try could use granular Merit as soon as possible and water it in within the next few days to have any affect. These little pests can cause nut drop and reduced growth and sometimes death of small branches. For homeowners with one or two trees this may be the only economical tool for this pest. Figure 2.
3. June bugs – These foliage-feeding pests are already beginning to emerge, and several people have called in about armadillos, foxes, raccoons and several other animals digging up their yards and flowerbeds for the grubs coming to the top of the soil to pupate and emerge. The overwintering white grubs are moving up to complete development and pupate and emerge at this time. Some that overwintered at pupae are now emerging. We usually do not see emergence till a little later, but with the last several warm days the bugs have begun to emerge. The adults at night are attracted to lights where they mate and return to the soil to lay their eggs. The adults feed on the new foliage of nut and fruit trees and will strip them bare where heavy populations exist. The larval or grub state feed on the roots of grasses and can damage turf and lawns and increase injury from moles and other animals that feed on them. To manage the adults, spray damaged trees with Sevin late in the afternoon or just before dark. Make sure to use a spreader sticker and to adjust the water pH to between 5.5 and 6.5 for effective management. The white grubs can be controlled with granular Merit, Sevin or Mach 2. Follow directions on the label and watch the pH when Sevin is sprayed. Figure 3.
4. Mole crickets – These pesky little digging pests can cause serious problems in your lawns and turf areas. They produce small tunnels in the grass just like moles do. In fact, if you have the mole cricket, the moles will not be far behind because they will feed on these and other soil pests like white grubs and earthworms when populations get dense. These grass pests feed on the grass roots and can aeirfy the soil enough to kill the grass. Although earthworms are beneficial to the soil, dense populations can kill the grass as well. To manage these little critters, the materials to use are Chipco Choice or Merit. Both of these materials must be applied at dusk to assure optimum contact with the crickets as they come to the soil surface after dark to mate. They also are attracted to lights, so you can tell when they are emerging. To reduce attraction to the lights around your home and yard, use yellow lights outside to help keep them away because they cannot see the yellow light as well as the normal white lights. Figure 4.
5. Colorado potato beetle – Those who have planted potatoes in their spring gardens need to watch for this pest because they have been observed in several parishes already. Both the adult and the larva are foliage feeders and will seriously damage your potato crop if they’re not managed. The adults overwinter in the trash and litter in and around the garden. Good sanitation and cultivation during the winter months will greatly reduce this population. Where management is needed, Sevin, Thiodan or Thionex and the Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis var. tenebrionis) formulation made for Colorado potato beetle can be used. Early detection and management will reduce later populations. Figure 5.
6. Deer and horse flies – These biting flies can cause serious damage and injury to people, game animals and livestock. Feeding can be so severe that the animal appears to be bleeding when you wipe your hand across it. The flied need the feeding to reproduce, like mosquitoes. Populations appear to be high now, and you can see them flying around your vehicle as they are attracted to the exhaust and heat from the engine. To protect your animals, are some sprays and ear tags with pyrethroids can be sprayed or attached to the animals. Figure 6.
7. Eastern and forest tent caterpillars – The caterpillar population is exploding on the trees as the webs of the eastern tent caterpillar are popping up everywhere. The nest developing in the crotches of the trees is typical of the eastern tent caterpillar, while the forest tent caterpillar is visible walking on the trunks and branches. They do not form a webby nest in the branches but do leave a silken trail on the trunk and branches as they move about the trees. Both caterpillars are foliage feeders and can be found on several trees. These are excellent caterpillars for science teachers to use to demonstrate the life cycle of a moth. Using a large aquarium, cut a branch with several caterpillars and every day add foliage or small leafy branches for fresh food. The kids will be able to see the caterpillars shed their skins of molt 3 to 4 times and pupate, and the adults emerge, demonstrating complete metamorphosis. Management of populations should begin when first observed to reduce injury to the trees or shrubs by either cutting out the small branches or spraying with Sevin, a pyrethroid or a Bt with a spreader sticker or with liquid soap. This will reduce surface tension and allow the material to stick to the caterpillars for better control. Both of these populations have only one generation a year. Figure 7.
8. Fall web worms – This caterpillar population will be along shortly as adults have been observed in several areas. These little white moths will collect around lights as many insects do to mate. Within days one can observe the beginning of webs in the trees. These webs will gradually cover larger and larger areas of the foliage as the caterpillars grow and mature. There are multiple generations each year, so management of the early generations reduces later populations. These caterpillars have a thick web nest and long hairs on the body that help protect them from pesticides. So soap or a spreader sticker is essential to get contact with the spray for better management. Their webbing can literally cover a tree or trees in a yard or in the woods, stripping all foliage from the tree, which stresses the tree and makes it susceptible to other problems. Figure 8.
9. Southern red mites – These little mites are often confused with spider mites. They are red but do not have the two dark spots like the two-spotted spider mites or the white hairs and white areas around the hairs. They cause the same type of injury on plants they feed on, like azaleas, camellias, sasanquas and others. The stippling effect is caused by mites and several other insects, so be sure to check before you treat so you have the right insect identified and the right product to control the problem. Ultra fine oil has been a very consistent material for mite control but if used alone will require 2 to 3 applications. If used in combination with a miticide, the oil will enhance the material and could reduce the number of applications needed for management. Figure 9.
10. Camphor shot beetle - A newly found pest in South Louisiana this beetle was collected in Winn Ranger District last spring in sirex wood wasp traps. It has been found in Florida and Mississippi for the last several years. A native of Asia where it has many host, this borer is know to infest royal poinciana in Florida along with several other genera native in Florida. Although thousands of beetles have been collected in a single trap in Mississiappi the host list is still unknown as it is here only being collected in traps and by hand. Since it is moderately aggressive, it can becomeof economic importance where ever it spreads in tropical and sub-tropcal areas. figure 10.
[Image: Carpenter bees and damage]
[Image: Pecan phylloxera and galls]
[Image: June bugs and white grubs]
[Image: Mole crickets and characters.]
[Image: Life cycle of Colorado Potato beetle] | [Image: biting flies]
[Image: Tent caterpillars]
[Image: Web worm and damage]
[Image: Southern red mites]
[Image: Camphor shot beetle] |