Without proper pest control,
damage to your plants is likely to occur - identifying signs
of pest damage already present in your garden will help you
discover what kind of critters are making a home of your
backyard plot. Only then can you figure out how to deal with
any unwanted guests.
Thrips: These tiny creatures are hard to find because of
their small size, but if you notice damage to young parts of
your plants, such as leaves, flower stalks, and flower buds,
this is the telltale sign of an infestation.
Cane borer: As its name implies, the cane borer infests
the freshly-cut cane of the rose. It is the maggot of the
eggs left behind by sawflies and carpenter bees. If you see
a punctured hole on top of a newly pruned cane, you may have
a cane borer problem.
Japanese Beetle/Fuller Rose Beetle: These insects eat
any and every part of the foliage, even the flowers. You can
pick these off by hand or use an insecticide.
Leaf Miner: This critter leaves behind obvious signs of
its inhabitance. Look for irregular white blisters that
almost seem to form a chain. This white substance contains
the leaf miner's grub. Remove infested foliage to solve the
problem.
Spittle Bug: Look for little pieces of white “foam”
shaped in circles. The spittle bug occupies this white mass
on the surface of new stems at the beginning of Spring. If
you get rid of the foam, you'll also get rid of the insect.
Spray it off with a jet spray.
Roseslug: Roseslugs damage new foliage. If you notice
foliage with a skeletal pattern, this means everything but
the vein structure has been eaten – a good indication of
roseslug infestation.
Leaf Cutter Bee: This bug eats the undersides of foliage
and leaves its white skin behind – a sign of its visits.
This insect can cause defoliation, which means serious
problems for your plants.
Rose Scale: Usually found on old canes and stems,
this insect hides under gray scales. The rose scale weakens
plants because it sucks out the sap to feed.
Spider Mite: Look for salt-and-pepper particles on
the underside of leaves. These are the spider mite colonies.
If you don't like using chemical insecticides, spray water
under the leaves to wash off most of the mites.
If you can't solve your pest problem alone, you may want to
contact your local pest control service to help you maintain
a healthy garden. |
