|
African Black Beetle (Pests)
Description: The African Black Beetle is on of the many insects that can damage our lawns. The grass appears to need water and there may be large brown patches in the lawn.
The larvae have creamy curled bodies and a brown head. (smaller and less curled than the Christmas Beetle). These feed on roots of grasses and other plants during the warmer months causing the plants to wither and die.
The adult is a black shiny beetle about 12mm. During spring the adult feed on the crown of the plants severing the shoots from the roots killing the plant. When you examine the dead grass you will see that the dead thatch comes away in hand-fulls.
Affects: Turf Various vegetable crops including potatoes, beetroot, tomatoes, cabbages and cauliflowers.
Solution: Soaking the lawn with soapy water will bring the larvae and adults to the surface, they can then be collected by hand.
Dig over vegetable bed, remove by hand
When treating a lawn contact insecticide can be used in spring when the larvae are near the surface. Baythroid Lawn and Grub Insecticide, Chemspray Chlorban and GK Grubkil.
There is no chemical control against larvae that are eating your other plants.
Note: Many chemicals sold can be harmful to other insects as well as some animals and in some cases, humans. Always read the manufacturers instructions and warnings before you begin and use as directed.
|
|
Ants (Pests)
Description: Ants are attracted to sweet things inside and outside the house.
In the garden they feed on 'HoneyDew' a sweet syrup excreted by aphids, soft scales and mealy bugs. They so love the honey dew that they will protect the insects who produce it which allows those insects to continue to damage the plant.
Ants can be very useful in the garden, they feed on other pests (fleas, caterpillars, termites), and dead insects.
Ants usually nest in soil, next to buildings under patios and along the sides of paths. They also build nests next to plants that harbour Honey dew producing insects or plants with either ripening and/or rotting fruit or floral nectar.
Affects:
Solution: If the ants nest appears to be under your paving then a kettle of boiling water poured into the gaps between the paving will help. Take care when carrying boiling water to keep it away from children and pets.
Keep ants away from infested plants by painting the tree trunks (if stems are sensitive make collar) with sticky substances such as Tanglefoot. Check the sticky bands regularly and stir in dead ants and debris so the surface remains sticky.
Make sure that the branches are trimmed to keep them away from other plants and structures to prevent the ants finding an alternate root.
Baits are a key tool in managing ants. They contain a mix of sweet food and insecticide. The worker ants take the mix back to feed the ants in the nest. There are various types of baits, in liquid, gel or solid form, one of the least toxic contains boric acid.
|
|
Aphids (Pests)
Description: Small oval shaped pale green, yellowish or black insects approx 2-3mm. They cluster on the tender new growth of plants and the underside of leaves, flowers and buds. They suck the sap and cause a loss of vigour, leaf distortion and prevent fruit or flowers from setting. They produce a sweety sticky liquid which encourages ants and sooty mould. They can also carry some viral diseases.
Affects: Roses and other Ornamentals, vegetables and some fruit trees. Can be seen all year in most areas of Australia but numbers increase rapidly as the weather becomes warmer.
Solution: Blast them off with a jet of water, spray with soapy water,remove weeds from around plant or squash them between your fingers. Can also make your own natural insecticide made with garlic and cayenne pepper.
Control the ants to allow natural predators to take over. Larvae of the green lacewing are wide-ranging predators that will attack and eat almost any small insects or eggs. Lacewing larvae are particularly effective at controlling aphids and can consume 60 aphids in an hour. These are available commercially.
Spray with a systemic or contact insecticide depending on plant and where the aphids are feeding. Systemic Insecticides:-Confidor, Folimat Contact Insecticides: Pyrethrum.
Note: Many chemicals sold can be harmful to other insects as well as some animals and in some cases, humans. Confidor is know to be harmful to bees and should only be used on plants that are not in flower. Always read the manufacturers instructions and warnings before you begin and use as directed.
|
|
Apple Moth (Pests)
Description: A light brown moth - the female is lighter in colour again. Light brown apple moth larvae feed under the stem and on unexposed areas of the fruit leaving the fruit scarred. The larvae also bore into ripe fruit.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons - author Goldfinger820
Affects: Apples and citrus.
Solution: Pest Oil works very well. although it is petroleum based, it is the most effective and organic in that it is not absorbed into the plant, but just spreads a film over the insects and suffocates them. the oil then naturally biodegrades.
Note: Many chemicals sold can be harmful to other insects as well as some animals and in some cases, humans. Always read the manufacturers instructions and warnings before you begin and use as directed.
|
|
Azalea Petal Blight (Disease)
Description: Azalea Petal Blight is caused by fungus and is a problem move common in warm humid areas like Sydney. It ruins our wonderful display of spring flowers.
The petals develop spots, brown on the white flowers and cream on the coloured flowers. Soon the petals turn completely brown, collapse and die. The flowers remain on the stems.
Affects: Azaleas
Solution: As with many fungi there is no cure and cultural and preventative steps need to be taken to control the disease.
It is really important to remove and destroy all the infected flowers as the fungal spores remain within the collapsed flowers until the following year when conditions are again favourable.
Avoid overhead watering.
There is a preventative fungicide called Zaleton that will help control the fungus. You need to start spraying the flowers as soon as the buds emerge and continue to do so every two weeks until the flowers have finished. Like many chemicals this has toxic side effects, so read the safety sheets. Not recommended to be used by women when pregnant or trying to become pregnant
Note: Use registered fungicides with care. Always read the manufacturers instructions and warnings before you begin and use as directed.
|
|
Azalea Lace Bug (Pests)
Description: The adult bug is black and about 4mm in length with lace-like wings, the younger nymphal stages are more yellow in colour and have dark spines. The bugs hatch and live on the underside of the leaves where they suck sap. The upper surface of the leaves have a mottled appearance, if heavily infested the leaves can look grey. The underside of the leaves will show lots of tiny droppings. Once a leaf is damage it cannot be reversed.
Affects: Ornamentals, azaleas, rhododendrons, viburnums, flowering quince, crabapple and cotoneaster.
Solution: The best option is to use a systemic insecticide. It is important to note that Confidor should NOT be used whilst the Azalea are in flower. Confidor is harmful to bees, it affects the homing abilities.
Note: Many chemicals sold can be harmful to other insects as well as some animals and in some cases, humans. Always read the manufacturers instructions and warnings before you begin and use as directed.
|
|
Azalea Leaf Miner (Pests)
Description: Azalea Leaf Miner is a small caterpillar that tunnels inside the new soft Azalea leaves. It moves to the side of the leaves where it hides away under the curled leaf and feeds under the webbing.
You will see curled edges and brown patches on the leaves. There will also be a certain number of dead leaves
Affects: Azalea and occasionally Rhododendron
Solution: Prune off infected leaves
Use a systemic insecticide - note that Confidor has been shown to be hazardous to bees and should not be used when the plant is in flower.
|
|
Bean Fly (Pests)
Description: The tiny black flies lay their eggs of the bean leaves. Inspection of the leaves will show tiny yellow spots where the eggs have been laid. When the larvae hatch they burrow into leaf stalks and stem causing them to become swollen, the new plants wilt and fall over; stalks break off higher up in more mature plants.
Photo: Merle Shepard, Gerald R.Carner, and P.A.C Ooi, Insects and their Natural Enemies Associated with Vegetables and Soybean in Southeast Asia, Bugwood.org
Affects: All French and Climbing Beans.
Solution: Inspect regularly and remove damaged leaves as soon as they appear. Aim not to plant beans every year.
Use a contact chemical insecticide each week from planting to flowering. The aim being to prevent any eggs being laid on the leaves. Can use a pyrethrum based insecticide like Pyrethrum or a Tau-fluvalinate based insectide like Mavrik.
Note: Many chemicals sold can be harmful to other insects as well as some animals and in some cases, humans. Always read the manufacturers instructions and warnings before you begin and use as directed.
|
|
Bindii (jojo) (Weeds)
Description: Bindii causes the most problems in lawns because the green fruit have barbed head which stick into the feet of humans and animals. The plants grow flat to the ground in a rosette formation, the leaves are feathery, the flowers and fruit are green and develop in the middle of the rosette. They grow vigorously in winter.
Affects: Major problems in lawns
Solution: Aim to prevent bindii establishment in the lawn by keeping the lawn dense and healthy.
Removal of bindii is best done in late winter(August to early Sept). They can be removed by hand if the area is not too large and the bindii too abundant. Broadleaf herbicide sprays can be used.
Note: Many chemicals sold can be harmful to insects as well as some animals and in some cases, humans. Always read the manufacturers instructions and warnings before you begin and use as directed.
|
|
Blackfly (Pests)
Description: This is a black form of aphid. See aphid for more details
Affects: Many plants including Citrus
Solution: See aphids
Note: Many chemicals sold can be harmful to other insects as well as some animals and in some cases, humans. Confidor is know to be harmful to bees and should only be used on plants that are not in flower. Always read the manufacturers instructions and warnings before you begin and use as directed.
|
|
Blackspot - Apples (Disease)
Description: Blackspot inn apples is caused by a fungal disease (Venturia inaequalis Black patches on leaves and fruit which can cause both to grow in a distorted form. It is a disease that becomes worse with a combination of high temperatures and lot of rain.
Affects: Apple trees
Solution: Remove diseased fruit and leaves by hand and destroy.
Lime Sulphur can be used during the dormant period to late bud swell. ( Do not use later as can restrict growth)
A systemic fungicide like Triforine can be used as a preventative spray within three days of warm rainy weather.
Note: Use registered fungicides with care. Always read the manufacturers instructions and warnings before you begin and use as directed.
|
|
Blackspot - Citrus (Disease)
Description: Black and irregular and sunken patches on citrus fruits particularly Valencia Oranges.
Affects: Citrus
Solution: Spray with a copper based fungicide at petal fall. The copper forms a barrier to prevent the fungal spores attaching, so spray prior to infection. The copper remains on the surface we will need to be reapplied if the conditions are wet. Do not apply to much copper as this can damage the fruit.
Note: Use registered fungicides with care. Always read the manufacturers instructions and warnings before you begin and use as directed.
|
|
Blackspot - roses (Disease)
Description: A fungal disease (Diplocarpon rosae) that forms on rose leaves and stems displaying as a growing patch of purple to black. Eventually the leaves will die and drop off. It is worse in warm humid conditions
Affects: Roses
Solution: Choose more resistant varieties.
Collect any diseased leaves and prune away badly diseased part of plant,place in the garbage as the spores will remain long in your garden to re-infect other healthy plants. Avoid watering overhead
During early spring spray plants with either a fungical soap or wettable Sulphur, reapply regularly and after rain.
Note: Use registered fungicides with care. Always read the manufacturers instructions and warnings before you begin and use as directed.
|
|
Boron deficiency (Disease)
Description: Although plants require very small amounts of Boron. The effects caused by a lack of Boron can be quite dramatic. As gardeners the time we see it most is when we are growing vegetables.
Cauliflowers can the flower head may not develop properly or the stalk develop a hollow stem.
Beetroots will often develope roots with a distorted surface and dark rough patches. Other root crops like turnip and swede can also develop hollows within the root.
Affects:
Solution: The key to successful growth of vegetable susceptible to boron deficiency is to add boron to the soil at the time of planting. Boron is commercially available as Borax - do add too much use only 2g per sqm and mix into soil before planting the seedlings.
It is important to know that many vegetables don't like too much boron and may not grow well in beds where boron has been added. Avoid planting potatoes, tomatoes, french beans, celery and certain members of the cucurbitaceae family.
|
|
Botyritis Blight (in marigolds) (Disease)
Description: Botyritis Blight affects Marigolds (Tagetes) in late summer and autumn and in other periods of high humidity. Sometimes known as Grey Mould, it will decimate a plants in a relatively short time.
Affects: The foliage will turn blotchy grey and the blooms will decrease in size and start to rot, tending to die off quickly as the plant cannot transfer enough energy through he foliage.
Solution: You can try to spray with Garlic laced water or Neem Oil. Better to remove the entire plants and any foliage debris surrounding, put it in a bag and burn or dispose of in garbage., taking care not to shake any off to re-infect other plants.
|
|
Bracken Fern (Weeds)
Description: Perennial - Pteridium aquilinum or P. esculentum. Bracken is a large fern, growing up to one metre high. Ferns have fronds, made up of smaller leaflets with small pinnae (tiny mini-leaves) on them. Bracken grow in large colonies in fields, brushy areas, and woods. They have thick root-like stems, called rhizomes, underground. Rhizomes can grow six feet long, and many fronds may grow from one rhizome. Each rhizome also has tiny, hair-like, black roots on it.
Affects: Bracken can grow very densely crowding out and shading other species. It is potentially poisonous to livestock; one can lead to brain damage in horses, pigs and sometimes sheep and the other can cause cancer of the bone marrow and bladder mainly in cattle.
Solution: Remove new fronds as they reach the unfurled stage. Slashing the fronds every 4 weeks during spring and summer will gradually weaken the plants.
There are herbicides available. A list of recommended chemicals and application techniques can be found in the Industry & Investment NSW publication Noxious and Environmental Weed Control Handbook. For full details on the use pattern of these herbicides, consult the product labels.
Note: Many chemicals sold can be harmful to insects as well as some animals and in some cases, humans. Always read the manufacturers instructions and warnings before you begin and use as directed.
|
Author: Bob Saunders.