Bug Barrier

Today's post is a little different than normal. I usually like to focus on gardening and lawn care in a way that doesn't explicitly promote Ryan Lawn & Tree's services.

Today I want to share with you an AWESOME new service you can get from RYAN. The technical name is "Perimeter Pest Control," but that is a mouthful, so we'll just call it what it is: a Bug Barrier.

RYAN's Bug Barrier will drastically reduce the number of annoying insects in your home. By treating around the perimeter of your home, we can keep ants, millipedes, centipedes and to some degree, spiders, out of your house. (Bugs already in your house won't be affected.)

I am not very tolerant of bugs in my house (sorry, Grandma!). Needless to say, I am a BIG fan of this program. If you are intrigued, visit Ryan Lawn & Tree to request an estimate.

Suspicious Mounds in Your Lawn

Photo Credit: A co-worker of Jim Sullivan, the author of the humorous blog post referenced below.

Late summer is when Cicada Killer Wasps emerge from their underground burrows to feed on, well, cicadas, naturally.

When they burrow out, they leave a six to eight inch diameter horseshoe-shaped pile of dirt around the nest entrance.

Usually, the wasps nest in already disturbed soil, or loose, sandy soil and are not a problem in thick, well-maintained lawns. That said, female wasps are solitary and non-aggressive--while they can sting, they rarely do. Male cicada killers are more aggressive than their female counterparts, but are unable to sting.

If you want to learn more about these creatures, you have to check out this hilarious blog post by a man in Massachusetts who observes a population at his office every year.

Borer Emerges

If you have been following us for awhile, then you read Heather's previous posts (here and here) about the locust borer we found in the larval stage.

Last week, the mature borer emerged. One of our arborists took a picture for me. (I am NOT a big fan of insects.)

It was fun to watch the borer transition from being a tiny white "worm" to what you see above.

Locust Borer Update

If you follow this blog, you may remember my post from July 30th on locust borer (Revisit it by clicking here). I thought the borer looked about full size, so we kept it in the office to see what would happen. Last week it became a pupa. I took this picture a few minutes ago to share. I am hoping that it will complete the process and become a beetle soon. We'll keep you updated on what happens!

Yellow Necked Caterpillar

My final pest of the week is the yellow necked caterpillar. Birch, pin oak, crabapple and service berry are typically affected by this insect pest in our area.

Yellow necked caterpillar eggs hatched a few weeks ago. Small larvae (pictured above) often feed unnoticed until they gain size; then damage can be extensive. Larva feed as a group for about six weeks before they drop to the ground for winter. By the time these caterpillars are typically noticed, the feeding stage is mostly completed. Larger caterpillars are pictured below.

Defoliation late in the season does little to harm the tree; however, the insect can be spot sprayed with plant protection products if found in the early stages. Contact a tree company, like Ryan Lawn & Tree, for assistance.

Locust Borer

Today's insect pest is one you may not physically see very often in its larval stage. One of our ISA Certified Arborists brought this into the office, so I took a picture to share with you. This is a locust borer. (Locust borers are a type of longhorned beetle.) The larval stage tunnels in the wood of black locust trees (and any cultivars). You can see the tunnels created in the wood by the larva as it feeds. (This is a cross-section of a branch removed from a globe locust).

This larva is almost mature; it should pupate soon. If it was still inside the tree, it would emerge as an adult beetle. Adults are black with yellow stripes. They feed on pollen (specifically goldenrod pollen). Females then deposit eggs in the bark of the tree. The eggs hatch and the new larva bore into the inner wood to spend the winter. In the spring, the larva will bore further into the tree and the cycle will repeat itself.

An expert tree company, like Ryan Lawn & Tree, can protect your locusts by applying plant protection products to prevent the new larva from entering susceptible trees before the winter season.

Spider Mites

I've decided to devote this week to landscape pests. The pest that I've chosen for today is the spider mite. Mites feed on many plants; the most affected plants in our area are burning bush, spruce and junipers.

Mites damage plants by sucking out plant juices with their piercing, sucking mouth parts. They often feed on the underside of the leaf, protected from direct sunlight. You can recognize mite damage by looking for stippling (pictured above). Stippling is the lighter green speckles that result from chlorophyll being sucked out of the leaf.

If infestations become too heavy, the entire plant may become bleached (above) and premature leaf drop may occur. Regular monitoring of susceptible plants can prevent this damage from occurring. If you need assistance controlling spider mites, give a tree company (like Ryan Lawn & Tree) a call.

Fall Webworm

Now is the time that we are seeing a lot of fall webworm on trees in our area. We are seeing the second generation of webworms; the first generation was small and unnoticed. Unlike tent caterpillars, webworms eat inside their webs. As food is consumed, they enlarge their nest. I snapped this picture (above) of webworm on crabapple. If you open the nest, you will see the webworm larvae (pictured below).

Since damage occurs so late in the season, control is optional. High populations can completely defoliate host plants, but plants typically recover. In some cases, host plants can become stressed leading to other problems if webworms are not controlled.

The easiest method of control is to remove and destroy infested portions of branches while webs are small. If you want to control populations of webworms using plant protection products, apply them when webs are small (before much foliage has been destroyed). A tree company (like Ryan Lawn and Tree) can assist you with chemical control if necessary.

Bagworm Update

You may think I am obsessed with bagworms. I'll be honest - maybe you are right. I've known about them for some time, but I've never paid much attention to them during the season (I've only seen the bags that they overwinter in). That was until this year. I'm totally fascinated with them!

I was walking with my family yesterday and we walked by the large cedar near my house that is infested with bagworms. The bagworms are getting quite large now; most people notice them on their landscape plants at this size. It has been fun to observe these insects in action with my kids. I snapped this picture yesterday. Look closely at the picture above - you can see the bagworm emerged from it's bag while it is feeding on the foliage.

My husband removed the bag from one of them. In case you were wondering what the insect looks like without the protective bag, I thought to share this picture.

If you need help controlling bagworms on your property, contact a tree company (like Ryan Lawn & Tree) for assistance.

Bagworms are Growing

If you follow this blog at all, you will remember I've written about bagworms before. (Read my post from when they first hatched here.)

I was walking by a cedar a few weeks ago where I had seen the bags hanging from last year's infestation of bagworms, so I stopped for a closer look. Sure enough, I saw little bagworms all over it. I took a piece of the plant home with me so I could take a picture (above).

I've never actually seen the actual bagworm insect, so I gently squeezed on one of the bags. If you look closely at the bagworm inside the red circle above, you can see the insect sticking out of it. I'm totally fascinated. I'll keep monitoring the tree and the bags as they grow. If I get another picture as the insects mature, I'll share it!

Lady Bugs

I'm so excited to see the lady bug larva on the plants in my backyard. It has been fun for me to share this beneficial insect with my kids. The larval stages look so different from the adult.

I snapped this picture of a larva that I found on my hosta. I've also seen them on other plants around my garden. Lady bugs (both babies and adults) eat aphids, scale insects and mites that feed on the plants in your garden. One source on the internet said one lady bug can eat up to 50 aphids in one day. I'll take that kind of help any day!

Hatched Bagworms

I wrote about bagworms a few weeks ago. I've never seen them when they first hatched. (The only ones that I have seen are after they had become larger or even when they've prepared to spend the winter in their sack that has been tied off from the outside world.)

For those of you who are not familiar with bagworms, they are a caterpillar that constructs a bag around itself as it feeds to help camouflage and protect it from enemies. Careful monitoring of landscape plants is important because as the insect (and bags) grow, control is more difficult. Large infestations of bagworms can devastate plants.

I wanted to share this picture with you. One of the arborists here at Ryan Lawn and Tree brought this sample in to me because he knew I hadn't seen small bagworms before. Bagworms have hatched, so monitor your landscape plants (especially evergreens) for this insect pest! Call a tree company, like Ryan Lawn and Tree, for control.

Ants on my Peony Plants

I love peony flowers. When I was growing up, I used to cut off the open blooms and put them in a vase or glass next to my bed because I just loved how their beautiful fragrance filled my bed room. Before I brought them inside, I had to be sure to shake the ants off of them.

If you have peony plants in your garden, you are probably familiar with the ants that crawl all over them. The ants are not harming your peony plants. They are a temporary, natural "by-product" of having these lovely garden plants.

Did you know the ants have nothing to do with the health of your plants or whether they bloom or not? Ants are not required to open the flowers. They are attracted to the nectar that is given off by the peony blooms and do not damage the blooms themselves. In fact, once the blooms open, the ants will disappear. Since the ants disappear on their own, spraying the ants with insecticides or other chemicals is not recommended. Doing so will do more harm than good.

Rose Cane Borers

I've been concerned about my roses (the same ones that had aphids earlier in the year). I noticed some of the stems wilting and turning brown. I got out my felco hand pruner and cut out the dead branches. They are pictured above.

Upon closer examination, I noticed the center of the cane was hollow (see above). I think I am seeing the evidence left behind by a rose cane borer. I did a little research and the best defense to this pest is careful monitoring. Prune out affected branches as soon as they are noticed. You need to prune down past where the cane is hollow, then seal off the pruning cut with a drop of Elmer's glue. Some experts recommended putting a drop of food coloring in the glue so you can keep track of the cuts that you've sealed as you prune your roses. I think I will try it! I'll let you know how it goes.

Aphids!

Looking at the calendar, I see it is May already. It seems like it is too soon for garden insect pests because it has been so cold and wet. Over the weekend, I found out differently! I was walking past the three rose bushes by my front door and I noticed aphids all over them! I quickly grabbed my camera to snap this picture. Then I grabbed my garden hose. (Aphids can be dislodged by a strong stream of water). It appears my roses are safe – at least for now!

This reinforces the fact that regular monitoring of insect pests is very important to protect prized garden and landscape plants from damage. Let the diligent monitoring begin!

Grubs in my Beds!

I added some perennials to my landscape beds a few days ago and came across some white grubs. It is normal to find grubs in your landscape beds. Just because you see grubs in your landscape beds, doesn’t mean you will have grubs in your lawn; grubs are not very mobile. Right now they are feeding on organic matter in the soil. Do not worry if you find a few while working this spring. It takes high populations to do damage.

Grubs that damage to your lawn later in the season will hatch from eggs that will be laid by chafer beetles and May/June beetles in July. You can apply a grub control product to your turf areas during the summer to prevent grubs from damaging your turf. A lawn care service, like Ryan Lawn & Tree, can also provide this application for you.

Bagworms

I snapped this picture of bagworms on that cedar from yesterday. If you have an evergreen in your landscape, take some time to look for bagworms. They can also be found on deciduous plants, but are more common (and destructive) to evergreens. Look for the bags hanging from the branches, similar to Christmas ornaments.

Bagworms construct these bags for protection. If only find a few of them, remove them by pulling or pruning the bag off of the plant. Bagworms spend the winter season in the egg stage inside some of these sacks. Remove them now before the eggs hatch in late May or June.

If you have a larger infestation, contact a tree company like Ryan Lawn & Tree, to assist you with controlling this landscape pest.

Ash Flower Gall

Ash flower gall is caused by a microscopic mite that feeds on the male flowers. The feeding causes the tree to produce lots of flower buds which results in the formation of galls. These galls start out green, and then turn brown to black. The galls can persist over winter.

Ash flower gall is a cosmetic problem. The certified arborists at Ryan Lawn & Tree do not recommend treatment in this case. If your tree is small, the growths can be removed through pruning, but they do not harm the tree if left on it.

This picture is of some old galls from last season. Ash trees have not flowered yet around the Kansas City area. I’ll have to keep my eye open to see if I can catch some before they have a chance to turn color. If I do, I’ll be sure to share!

Scale Insects on Trees

Scale insect on magnolia

Before the leaves emerge this spring, look around your landscape for scale insects. Although a wide variety of plants can be affected by scale, it is common on euonymus, oak and magnolia. Look for immobile adults like those pictured on the magnolia above or pin oak below. At this stage in their life cycle, scale can be treated with dormant oil. When eggs (located below this protective covering) hatch, the crawlers can be treated with insecticide.

Scale insect on pin oak

Learn more about scale insects by visiting Ryan Lawn and Tree's informational library: Scale insects.