Tree Care
Common Insects That Can Damage Your Lawn Trees and Plants and How to Control Them
Your lawn trees are also equally susceptible to damages brought by insects. At Perfect Leaf Management, we make use of specialized programs to help address these issues in the safest and most effective way possible.
Trees serve as a habitat and food source for many insects and if not properly addressed, these invaders can bring about serious damages or worse, even kill the trees in your lawns. Of course, this scenario is a big no-no for lawn owners and to help you out, here are several tree-damaging insects together with control tips for you to get rid of them.
Aphids
HostPlants: Many kinds of trees and shrubs
Control Practices:
• Inspect your trees frequently. Search for lady beetles as well as other helpful insect populations that are associated with aphids.
• A strong stream of water can be used for washing off the aphids from plants when the population is still light and/or there are beneficial insects present.
• Avoid using excessive high nitrogen fertilizer amounts that can stimulate brand new growth that aphids prefer feeding on.
• Once there is a need for insecticides for controlling heavy populations, you can use horticultural oils, insecticidal soaps and those products that contain acephate, imidacloprid, malathion, bifenthrin or cyfluthrin. Follow the directions in the label.Lace Bugs (Hawthorn Lace Bug, Azalea Lace Bug)
Hosts: Azalea, hawthorn, pyracantha, laurel, sycamore, apple, quince, American elm
Control Practices:
• Inspect plant materials that are prone to the bugs weekly during growing season to check for infestations.
• Wash off the light infestations from the host plant using a strong water stream.
• If chemical control is needed, use products that contain carbaryl, bifenthrin, cyfluthrin or acephate. There may be a need for repeated application at an interval of 10 to 14 days to maintain an effective control. To make it most effective, you can time your applications during early spring during the presence of the first generation
Scale Insects (Soft Scales, Armored Scales)
Host Plants: All kinds of trees and woody ornamentals
Control Practices:
• Choose a material of the plant that is not prone to the infestation of scales.
• Inspect the plants often and search for signs of lady beetles as well as other populations of beneficial insects associated with infestation of scales.
• Prune the plant parts that are heavily infested when possible.
• Use insecticidal oils for treating infested plants during dormant season or using conventional sprays during summer and spring when the young crawlers are active in moving on the trees. The application must cover both sides of the leaves as well as all the branches and twigs.
Core aeration
Spider Mites
Host Plants: All kinds of trees and woody ornamentals
Control Practices:
• Inspect the susceptible plants every week during hot and dry periods for any developing infestations of mites.
• Wash off the light infestations from the plant with strong water stream.
• If possible, remove and destroy the plant parts that are heavily infested.
• If chemical control is required, you can use products that contain bifenthrin, acephate, insecticidal soaps or horticultural oils. Usually, there is a need for 2 to 3 applications at an interval of 5 to 7 days for controlling heavy populations. Observe and strictly follow the directions and restrictions in the product label.
Whitefly
Host Plants: Crape myrtle, gardenia, azalea, ligustrum and other trees and woody ornamentals
Control Practices:
• Conduct weekly monitoring of whitefly-prone plants for any developing infestation. Put up wooden panels of yellow color coated with a sticky substance close to the host plants for monitoring the whiteflies.
• You can use products that contain insecticidal soaps, acephate, imidacloprid, resmethrin, bifenthrin, malathion, cyflythrin or horticultural oils for controlling whiteflies. Sometimes, 3 to 4 applications at 5-7 day intervals are required for controlling the heavy populations. Adhere to the restrictions and instructions on the product label.
Tent Caterpillars
Host Plants: Peach, plum, hawthorn, apple, sweet gum, oaks and others
Control Practices:
• Inspect your lawn trees for masses of eggs when you prune in the winter. Remove and make sure to destroy these egg masses.
• Prune the webs out when you notice them.
• Destroy the webs and crush the caterpillars.
• Time the applications of insecticide when the feeding caterpillars are present. You can spot treat the webs using products that contain carbaryl, malathion, Bacillus thuringiensis or diazinon.
Bagworms
Host Plants: Coniferous and broadleaf shrubs and trees
Control Practices:
• Follow the correct fertilizing, pruning and watering practices.
• Remove any stress factor from the tree if possible.
• You cannot treat the infested plant part and must be removed and properly disposed of.
• Protect the trees from re-infestation or infestation by using those products that contain permethrin or bifenthrin. Initial application can be made in April followed by applications in the later part of May, mid part of July and later part of August.
Japanese Beetle
Host Plants: Many ornamental and shade trees
Control Practices:
• Inspect the trees often for any beetle damage.
• Most traps for Japanese beetles are useless. These will only attract more beetles.
• Use imidacloprid or carbaryl for treating infested plants when you first notice beetles.
Fall Webworms
Host Plants: Pecan, oak, hickory and a few other ornamental shrubs and trees
Control Practices:
• Remove and destroy all the bags.
• Treat the infested plants when you first noticed the bags using products that contain carbaryl, Bacillus thuringiensis or acephate.
Asian Ambrosia Beetles
Host Plants: Dogwoods, crape myrtles, redbud as well as other shade trees
Control Practices:
• Remove all the stresses from plants because Ambrosia beetles like to attack stressed or young plants.
• Protect the susceptible plants by spraying their trunk starting from the head height downwards using bifenthrin, permethrin or other forms of pyrethroids. You can start in February then do it again 3 to 4 weeks until the first leaves become full sized.