Monday, April 16, 2018

Spray for Leaf Footed Plant Bug Now!

Leaf footed plant bug adults and young.
Normally homeowners do not see these insects (LFPB) until after the damage is done. By this time their numbers have exploded and they are everywhere! They will be on fruit trees, nut trees and vegetables.

Look for them overwintering on evergreen plants that they can feed upon during the winter months. LFPG feeds by thrusting its long feeding tube, much like a mosquito, into soft plant parts. They then (again like a mosquito) suck out plant juices.

Get rid of them NOW! They over winter in small numbers as adults fully capable of having young. when they start laying eggs when leaves develop it takes about 10 days for the eggs to hatch into tiny red young clustering and protected by the adults, These young will become adults in about 6 to 8 weeks fully capable of having babies of their own.

We can expect about three generations of these bugs each year and reach their peak numbers about in July. By this time you are fighting a tough battle if you plan to get rid of them.

On young nut trees this feeding can cause the nut to drop or for no seed to form inside the kernel. On young pomegrantes it can cause the fruit to fall. Their feeding can introduce disease problems to the fruit and possibly transmit diseases.

The young cause the most damage due to feeding but they are also the easiest to kill. Use insecticidal soaps on the young but the adults will need something stronger such as the natural pyrethrin products like our Take Down Garden Spray. Spray early in the morning or when the sun is setting.

If you get on them early you will not need the tougher sprays like the conventional insecticides. But if you get to that point then bring out the big guns like Sevin insecticide which we do not carry.


Viragrow Delivers!

No comments:

Post a Comment