Black Vine Weevils (Otiorhynchus sulcatus) are a serious insect pest of many broad leaf plants, both woody and non-woody. Although the genus Otiorhynchus consists of hundreds of species, Otiorhynchus sulcatus (the black vine weevil) is believed to be the most destructive and widely spread, especially in the home landscape. The adult beetles feed on foliage, but their feeding damage is only considered to be cosmetic. … Continue reading Black Vine Weevils
Usually, when there is a problem with your yew (Taxus) the first symptom you will observe is a yellowing of the needles. Yellowing needles however can be caused by a variety of things such as the soil being too wet or too dry, disease, insect pests, winter desiccation, salt damage, animal grazing, animal urine, transplant shock, nutritional deficiency or too high or too low of … Continue reading Yew Pests and Diseases
Peony Insect Pests Foliar Nematodes Foliar nematodes are microscopic organisms that feed within plant tissue. They require a layer of moisture in order to move about on the outside plant surfaces. The species that infects peony is Aphelenchoides fragariae, commonly known as the Strawberry Leaf Nematode. First symptoms appear as bud blast, where infect buds fail to open. If you cut open the suspected bud … Continue reading Peony Pests and Diseases
Insect Pests of Hosta Leaf Nematodes Leaf nematodes are microscopic round worm that enter stomatal openings on hosta leaves to feed on the inside of the leaves. They are unable to cross the veins from inside the leaf and must exit the leaf to cross the barrier or to move to another section of the leaf. They require a layer of moisture in order to … Continue reading Hosta Pests and Diseases
Oak Sawflies are tiny fly-like, nonstinging wasps. The short-lived adults feed on pollen and nectar and do not cause any feeding damage, but their caterpillar-like larvae, on mass, can create extensive damage to oak canopies. There are several species of Oak Sawflies such as scarlet oak sawfly (Caliroa quercuscoccineae) which is native to the eastern United States and feeds on white oak, scarlet oak, pin … Continue reading Oak Sawflies
Pear slugs or pear sawfly (Caliroa cerasi), are also known as cherry slugs. They are pests of several fruit trees primarily pear and cherry (including purple leaved sand cherry), but also plum, quince, serviceberry, Juneberry and occasionally apple. They also feed on a few ornamentals such as cotoneaster, hawthorn, buttonbush, and mountain ash. Pear slugs are not actually slugs but rather the slug-like larvae of a … Continue reading Pear Slugs (Caliroa cerasi) on Purple Leaved Sand Cherry
Hydrangea Wood Borers tunnel through the inside of stems, branches, trunks and larger roots, damaging the vascular system that is essential for the transportation of food and water for the plant. This causes wilting and yellow of leaves as well as branch and stem dieback. In small numbers they are easy to control simply by pruning back affected wood to healthy tissue. In large numbers … Continue reading Hydrangea Wood Borers
Trees and Shrubs Perennials Annuals Can be removed when they are looking worn and tattered. Lawns Weeds Miscellaneous Photo credits: all photos taken by the author. All rights reserved Terms of use Continue reading Ornamental Garden Calendar for October
Lily Beetles (Lilioceris lilii) are a damaging pest insect for lily (Lilium spp.) growers. The pest chews on the leaves, flowers and stem leaving them looking ragged. If the pest numbers are high enough complete defoliation can occur. Early detection and vigilance are key to managing this pest naturally. Damage to Plants Both the larvae and the adults feed on mainly Asiatic lilies and fritillaries. … Continue reading Lily Beetles
Four-lined Plant Bugs (Poecilocapsus lineatus) are small and fairly attractive insects, but they are capable of quickly creating extensive damage to many herbs and ornamental plants in the garden. This is largely due to the powerful digestive enzymes contained in their saliva, which is injected into the plant tissue while they are feeding. Most of the damage occurs to the newest growth, on the tips … Continue reading Four-lined Plant Bug
Cutworms are a destructive pest insect of a wide variety of plant material. Many home gardeners have encountered them in the vegetable garden, where they chew through the stems of their seedlings, cutting them off near the soil line. There are hundreds of species of cutworms and appearances can vary, as well as habitat, food preferences and life cycle. There are however several general characteristics, … Continue reading Cut Worms in Home Gardens
Most people are familiar with these slimy pests, that cause extensive damage to gardens, both ornamental and food. Slugs and snails while thought of as insects to most gardeners, are actually invertebrate animals known as molluscs or mollusks (along with oysters, clams and squid). They have been around for about 500 million years (BYJU’S, (n.d.)) with about 85,000 known species (Wikipedia, (rev. 9 April 2022)). … Continue reading Slugs and Snails in the Ornamental Garden
Japanese Beetles (Popillia japonica) are a highly destructive and invasive pest, both in the adult and larva stages. The larvae are white grubs that feed on the roots of mainly grasses. While the adults feed on the leaves of over 300 types of plants, skeletonizing them. The adults are able to fly up to 8 km (5 miles) with a good wind, in search of … Continue reading Japanese Beetles
The spongy moth (Lymantria dispar), is an invasive and highly destructive pest. When their numbers are high the larvae can completely defoliate trees, even forests. Formerly known as the gypsy moth, it was renamed by The Entomological Society of America in Feb. 2022. This species has a few sub-species including: Lymantria dispar dispar, Lymantria dispar asiatica, Lymantria dispar japonica, Lymantria umbrosa, Lymantria postalba and Lymantria albescens. They are often … Continue reading Spongy Moth aka. Gypsy Moth
There are approximately 2500 spittlebug species worldwide (Deitz L. L. et. al., (2008)). Most of these live in the tropics with only about 60 species living in North America (Missouri Department of Conservation, (n.d.)). In Canada they are mostly found along the very southern end of the country. The nymphs are referred to as spittlebugs because of the frothy, spittle-like substance they produce and cover … Continue reading Spittlebugs and Frog Hoppers
Many gardeners are familiar with the little green soft bodied insects that feed on the growing tips and flowers of many of their favourite garden plants. Aphids however are actually a very large and diverse group of insects with between 4,000-5,000 species worldwide. They come in a range of colours including green, black, brown, red, yellow, purple, gray and white. Size wise they vary in … Continue reading The Many Faces of an Aphid
Identification Fall webworm nests: are composed of silky threads wrapped around the leaves and branches encapsulating the caterpillars. The nests are loosely constructed and messy looking, occurring at the branch tips, and enlarging as food runs out. Large colonies can encapsulate an entire tree in their webbing. The caterpillars feed inside the nest (unlike tent caterpillars) and as such the nest is full of frass … Continue reading Fall Web Worms
There are hundreds of large crane fly species in North America, belonging to the Tipulidae family. They are sometimes referred to as daddy-long-legs, mosquito hawks or water spiders. They have a variety of habitats, from moist woodlands to grassy or aquatic areas, depending on the species. Most are not considered pests of home turf, golf courses, gardens, crops or pastures. There are however two problematic species … Continue reading Crane Flies and Leather Jackets Turf Damage and Control
Tent Caterpillars Tent caterpillars construct their silky tent like nests in early spring in the crotches of trees such as cherry (Prunus) and apple (Malus). They feed during the day, then at night they return to the tent for protection. Your first line of defense should be to begin looking for these nests in early spring, about the time saucer magnolia (Magnolia x soulangiana) and … Continue reading Insect Pests To Be On The Lookout For In The Garden
Springtails (Collembola ) are anthropods within the class of hexapoda. Many specialists now classify them in a separate subclass called Entognatha due to the fact that their mouth parts are not external (like insects) but rather they are internal (or mostly so). They are named for most of the species ability to jump short distances by using their tails as a spring board. This special … Continue reading Springtails
Horticulture For Home Gardeners 