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Ants, bees and wasps belong to the order
hymenoptera. The identifying feature is the narrow constriction
between the thorax and abdomen, or wasp waist. This allows them to move
their back end freely to sting, lay eggs and turn around in a nest or
burrow. Each develop highly organized colonies
with a queen. The best known species of wasps are the black and yellow
striped varieties, also a few black and white. Wasps build their nests in
various places. Paperwasps suspend
their layered nests from eaves or ceilings and their nest resembles a
honeycomb. Some yellowjacket species
build thier nests underground, the only evidence is a
bit of raised surface surrounding a depression and it is very difficult to
spot. All will defend their nests from intruders and they will repeatedly
sting. Wasps inflict painful stings and the venom injected causes
reddening, swelling and itching. Wasps inflict painful stings and the
venom injected causes reddening, swelling and itching. People who are
sensitive to the stings experience extreme swelling, dizziness, difficulty
breathing, and even death. The best way to eliminate a
ground nest is by spraying the hole at dusk with an insecticide then cover
the hole with a glass bowl. Paperwasps are not
as aggressive or as protective as yellowjackets,
however they will sting if threatened. The good news is they all die
after the first hard frost, the bad news is the queen
remains in the nest.
Beetle eggs are laid in the soil and the larvae,
grubs, feed on roots of grass. Adults emerge midsummer and infest many
plants, particularly roses damaging both the leaves and flowers as they chew
their way through. Early autumn they mate and the ugly cycle begins
again. Lightningbugs or fireflies are
what legends are made of. Several species are common in most areas, experts on the bugs can tell the difference based on
the flash. The flash is used by a female to attract a male of her own
species who answers with a flash of his own. The light is produced by a
mixture of chemicals similar to enzymes that results in "cold" light,
a chemical reaction with little or no heat. The light organs are used in
biochemical assays. Interestingly the larvae is also luminescent and
fireflies must be gathered in the wild as so far they have been unable to rasie them in captivity.
Cicadas are periodiacle pests each differing in
color, size, song and life cycle. The most prominent are the 17-year cicadas
which are northern in habitat and a 13-year cicada which is generally
considered southern. Each has adapted to emerge in a large brood in a
particular area from year to year. These brood have
been carefully mapped and it is now possible to determine when and where they
will emerge. This information is especially important for fruit growers who
suffer greatly from an infestation. Nymphs spend a great deal of time living underground,
feeding on fluids from tree roots. In late spring of their due date they emerge
digging their way to the surface and molt for the last time. The adults live
for only about a month, just enough time to mate and lay eggs in twigs and
drive you to distraction with the noise. The eggs may overwinter
or they may hatch and drop to the ground where they dig a hole and make like a
mole. The egg-laying is what can cause serious damage to young trees. It is the
males who sing to attract the females.
Deer.
Probably the best advice but least attractive is to protect lower stems
with chicken wire while shrubs and perennials are growing. Let material grow
through and only outside shoots will suffer the ravages. The easiest and most reasonable is an old
solution. Tie an old piece of thick cloth on the end of a bamboo cane and dunk
it in creosote, sick it in the ground like a flag protecting areas of the
garden. The deer with not risk coming near the strong smell which will prevent them scenting the approach of danger. After a day or so the
smell will not be apparent to humans unless they actually sniff the cloth.
Re-dip flags at intervals throughout the summer or after a heavy rain. Filthy human hair will repel deer, clean hair
will not. The strong, oil smell of hops
repels deer, something to think about.
Another fun idea is mousetraps hung from tasty trees at deer-browsing
height will deter deer. From experience this will also keep dogs off couches
too. A highly recommended commercial
product is Tree Guard, a bittering agent in a durable
latex base applied twice a year.
Aromatic, oily herbs like rosemary, scented geraniums, lavender, planted around tasty plants repel deer. The deer
can't afford to get the aromatic oils on themselves. There are suggestions of deer fencing and
deer stakes, and deer trip wires but this thumb won't go there. Protect
young saplings and conifers by making them wear a hat over winter. Well
constructed birthday party hats will protect the terminal bud. Secure the hat
by stapling it to the tree give the terminal but about an inch of space at the
top. Finally the list
of deer-proof plants, with the caveat that a hungry deer will eat anything
available in order to survive. The tree list includes cedar, cypress,
ash, magnolia, olive, spruce and pine. Shrubs are abelia,
barberry, buddleia, cotoneaster, daphne, juniper,
myrtle, oleander, potentilla, lilac, and viburnum. Perennials include,
columbine, campanula, iris, monarda, gloriosa daisy, poppies, and clarkia.
Fungal spores are horrible and are responsible
for tons of what ails plant material. The short list includes anthracnose, fusarium,
didymellina leaf spot, and powdery mildew,
include all your rots - crown, root, stem, dry, black and corm, plus rust, blights,
and all your molds. Whatever you may have can devastate a garden in no time at
all. The solution is fungicide which does not kill the fungi but will help
protect healthy leaves by killing the spores as they germinate. The key for
control and eventual elimination is to remove all infected leaves and debris
from the garden and follow the specific fungicide product directions. Generally a spray to be used every 7 - 10 days. Cool
temperatures and high humidity favor the spread of fungus, overhead watering
can exacerbate the problem.
Grasshoppers, katydids, and crickets all belong to the order orthoptera and all are champion
jumpers. They have powerful jumping legs as well as two sets of wings and their
hearing is acute. The life cycle is considered an incomplete metamorphosis
comprising of three stages, egg, nymph and adult. Molting their exoskeletons as
many as 15 times during their life they grow but otherwise change very little
as they develop. Eggs hatch in the spring and may take forty to sixty days to
reach adulthood. Each species has a
distinct song or stridulation that the male uses to
attract females. Crickets create their song by rubbing their front wings
together. Grasshoppers move the bumps on their hind legs against their front
wings like pieces of sandpaper. Katydid males like to gather in groups in the
summer and sing throughout the day to attract females but generally all are
solitary types. But, and this is the stuff legends are made of, if they become
crowded and their food sources diminish they gather in huge swarms, migrating
long distances to find a better place to feed and breed often traveling
hundreds of miles. Individually all these bugs will eat their own weight in
plant material in a day, a swarm devours all plants, fruits and flowers within
hours.
Hookworms feed on tomato,
pepper, eggplant, fruits and foliage. You only need one to cause extensive
damage. The adult hookworm moth, a large gray or brown critter with yellow or
white markings emerges from hibernation in late spring drinking nectar from
garden flowers. The worms hatch from eggs laid on the undersides of leaves and
feed for three to four weeks. They crawl into the soil, pupate and the whole
ugly cycle repeats itself. If you spy worms with white sacs that look like puffed
rice these are cocoons of parasitic wasps that feed on the worm and eventually
kill it. Advice is to hand pick them off then destroy
Lightningbugs or fireflies are what
legends are made of. Several species are common in most areas,
experts on the bugs can tell the difference based on the flash. The flash is
used by a female to attract a male of her own species who answers with a flash
of his own. The light is produced by a mixture of chemicals similar to enzymes
that results in "cold" light, a chemical reaction with little or no
heat. The light organs are used in biochemical assays. Interestingly the larvae is also luminescent and fireflies must be gathered in
the wild as so far they have been unable to raise them in captivity.
Mealybugs should be considered one of the more serious problems. They are
cottony-looking insects and can be found on the underside of leaves, on stems,
and particularity in the crotches where the leave meets the stem. They are
prodigious reproducers and may either be delivered live or deposit hundreds of
yellow to orange eggs in white cottony egg sacs. Female mealybugs
feed by sucking sap from the plant, they excrete the
excess in a sugary fluid called honeydew. Once mealybugs
have been detected you need to be on constant vigil and start control measure
immediately as they appear. I have found
that with simple diligence, a fine paintbrush or Q-tip and alcohol, either
rubbing, isopropyl, or the type you mix with tonic, will work to kill the buggers.
Repeat as often as needed. Good advice to wipe the leaves off and heavily water
to the point of runoff with a mild soap and water solution.
Scale can look like white, cushion type
masses or the more prevalent crusty brown bumps, either way it's
horrible stuff. The young are called crawlers
and are soft-bodied. Crawlers insert their mouths into the flesh of the plant
withdrawing sap. The legs then atrophy and the critter is locked into place.
Scale like whitefly and mealybugs, excrete honeydew
which covers the leaves and drips onto surfaces, then mold develops. At this
time the body of scale develops a coat either cottony or crusty brown either
way this is a destructive menace. It seems that plants who
are once infected will always be infected and all you can do is hope to keep it
under control. The way to do that once again is diligence and liquid dish soap
in a sprayer or an alcohol water combo. The soapy water basically suffocates
scale and dries them up and a much better choice around furniture. Repeated
treatment is necessary and plants heavily infested should be tossed.
Spider
mites cause the leaves of plants to look lighter in color, the upper surface
may look spotty or stippled, the underside feels
dirty. The real key is webbing that will be on bud tips and leaf joints,
especially noticeable when you mist. These pests are microscopic in size, they can be yellow to brown or reddish in color and
are indeed a type of arachnid. Mites are fast breeders and can infest any plant
or grouping in no time. The best way to rid plants of mites is by using an insecticidal soap solution.. Get
on a good routine of misting and if necessary hand wipe the leaves and follow
up with a systemic insecticide. If you suspect a plant of having a problem isolate it immediately so as not to infect other
healthy plants.
Tent caterpillars appear in the spring in silken nets
in the crotches of tree limbs or on the ends of branches. The leaves become
food and the tree may become totally defoliated, a common problem all over the
Whitefly is a tiny winged insect that feeds
mainly on the underside of leaves. This pest is quite common in many
houseplants and will get the better of any plant in a weakened condition. The
tiny larva feed for about a month before changing into an adult winged insect,
both the larva and the adult feed by sucking vital sap from plants. Again this
is another pest that cannot fully digest all of the sugars so they too excrete
honeydew
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