Budworms!

Photo from: http://ag.utah.gov/

I am on a worm kick this week. (Maybe because I am planning a little fishing this weekend.)

At any rate, not only do worms hang from trees, they hideout in our petunias and geraniums. I love petunias for a bright splash of color in the yard. This year, I am paying especially close attention to them, because I am on the look out for tobacco budworms.

If your petunias or geraniums aren't blooming like they should, tobacco budworms may be spending some time around your house. Budworms settle into the buds of these pretty plants before they fully develop. Hence, the first sign of an infestation is a failure to bloom. If the buds do open, they will appear ragged and chewed.

How do you find these little guys? Check the buds of the plants for small holes. Also, keep an eye on them at night, when budworms are most active. If you are more of a day hunter, check out the base of the plants, where the budworms like to hide.

If you find them, you can treat the plant with a product containing a synthetic pyrethroid, such as bifenthrin and permethrin. You could also try your luck with new plants in another area of your landscape. Just tell neighbors that you are sponsoring a budworm hotel in the case of the first plants.

Down the road, I am hoping for cultivars that are resistant to this uninvited guest. In the mean time, ivy geraniums appear less susceptible than traditional types and there are some petunias that are less susceptible as well.