This week, I received a sample of an insect (live bugs in a ziplock bag), from a customer who wanted to know what the bugs were that they are seeing on their hibiscus, before they sprayed to get rid of them. Good thing they brought in the sample first, as the “bugs” were actually the good guys – they were the larvae of Lady Beetles! Interesting looking critter, that I think resembles an insect form of an alligator, about 1/4 inch long, with six front legs. Point is – had those folks not asked what it was before they sprayed, they would have been eliminating good insects rather than the bad ones. Make sure you know what it is you’re spraying, and whether or not it even needs to be controlled (minimal damages). And if it does need control, what is the most Eco-friendly spray that can be used? Thanks for taking the extra steps before you spray.
This week, Buggy Joe Boggs (OSU Extension) is reporting lots of calls wanting to know what the yellow flower many folks ar seeing growing in fiedls that have not been plowed – it’s called cressleaf groundsel which is a winter annual (seeds stay viable for several years) that seems to showing up more and more in unplowed fields and even in home landscapes, honeybee swarm reports are up (which is a good thing!), 4 lined plant bugs showing up on mmnay perennials and few herbs, boxwood showing winter damages (leaf and stem blight, leaf spot), boxwood leaf miner damages, boxwood psyllids causing new leaves to “cup”, root rot on rhododendrons, sawflies on ash and oaks, tent caterpillars now on walk abouts, elder shoot borers in elders, thistle tortoise beetles feeding on Canada Thistle (yes!), biting ants in landscape beds (possibly acrobat or Allegheny ants, peach leaf curl on, yes, you guessed it, peach trees, anthracnose on oaks, leaf blotch on horsechestnuts, vole damages on the rise, bluegrass producing seed heads, and EAB (Emerald Ash Borer) damages starting to show as the ash are leafing out (or not). www.emeraldashborer.info
-Catch The Buggy Joe Boggs Report every Saturday at 8:42AM on 55KRC The Talk Station.
Tags: lady beatles, larvae lady beatles
