In the News - June 2009
Beware springtime damage from lace bugs, agent warns
SEARCY, Ark. - In early spring, homeowners should inspect ornamental shrubs
and trees for lace bugs, nasty little insects that can literally suck the life
out of your precious plants.
"Lace bugs attack a broad range of evergreen and deciduous trees and shrubs
and often go undetected until infested plants show severe damage," says Sherri
Sanders, White County extension agent with the University of Arkansas, Division
of Agriculture.
"Lace bug damage detracts from a plant’s beauty, reduces its ability to
produce food, reduces its vigor and causes the plant to be more susceptible to
damage by other insects, diseases or unfavorable weather conditions. Repeated,
heavy infestations of lace bugs may kill a plant," Sanders warns.
Both adults and nymphs have piercing-sucking mouthparts that allow them to
remove sap as they feed from the underside of a leaf.
How do you know if you have lace bugs?
Look under the leaf for the adult insect, which is flattened and rectangular
shaped, about an eighth- to a quarter-inch long. The wings of most lace bugs are
light amber to transparent in color. Lace bug nymphs are flat and oval shaped
with spines projecting from their bodies in all directions.
Azalea lace bug eggs are football-shaped and are transparent to cream
colored. Hawthorn lace bug eggs, like many Corythucha species, are barrel-shaped
and dark brown. The eggs are found on the lower leaf surface, usually alongside,
or inserted into, a leaf vein. Adult females secrete a varnish-like substance
over the eggs that hardens into a scab-like protective covering, according to
Sanders.
She advises homeowners to regularly inspect ornamentals in the early spring
for overwintering lace bug adults and eggs. Mirid plant bugs can help keep lace
bugs in check, so don’t kill them, if possible. Mirid plant bugs are about the
same size as lace bugs, but are more narrow and are bright red and black.
If you see only a few lace bugs and little or no damage, wash lace bugs off
infested plants with a strong stream of water from a garden hose. Repeated
applications of insecticidal soaps or horticultural oils are also effective in
controlling lace bug populations.
With heavy infestations, chemical control is often necessary. Products
containing acephate (Orthene), dimethoate (Cygon), carbaryl (Sevin), malathion,
imidacloprid, cyfluthrin or bifenthrin will provide effective control.
Follow all directions, particularly safety precautions on the insecticide
label. Not all of these insecticides are labeled for use on all host plants.
Choose a product labeled for lace bug control and for application to the host
plant.
For more information, contact your county extension office or visit
www.uaex.edu and select Home and Garden. The Cooperative
Extension Service is part of the U of A Division of Agriculture.
June 5, 2009
Media Contact: Elizabeth Fortune
Extension Communications Specialist
U of A Division of Agriculture
Cooperative Extension Service
(501) 671-2120
efortune@uaex.edu
Related Links
Request an Interview
|
