Effective Insect Control for Healthy Tree

Larvae feeding causes leaves to become skeletonized, dry, brown and curled

Larvae cover themselves in their own excrement to discourage predators.

Adult beetles overwinter in leaf litter some distance from lilies, and lay eggs on lilies when they are about 1 foot high.

UMass Fact sheet

Leaves take on a skeletonized “tattered look” especially on Arrowood Viburnum

Note 3 sets true legs,

0 sets of pro legs on abdomen

Adult Beetles feed on many ornamental trees, shrubs and flowers

Larvae (Grubs) feed on turf grass roots

The Japanese beetle has a one year life cycle, 10 months as a white grub and 2 months as an adult.  It emerges from the soil as an adult in late June and is active through July and August.  The peak period is July.  Between feedings females drop to the ground, burrow down 3 inches and lay up to four eggs at a time. 

• Egg hatch is moisture dependent, late August and September.
• Treat overwintering grubs in spring.
• Treat for fall grub egg hatch preventatively. 
• Generally 4 to 6 grubs per square foot is considered threshold for treatment.

Adult Beetle feeds on a large variety of plants. The damage they cause is called “skeletonizing.”

More than 6 grubs per square foot, treatment should be considered.

Turf damage by grubs.

Spores from orange tendrils on cedar galls infect only apple leaves

when Apple leaf infections matures spores from underside of leaf infect only cedars

Fungus overwinters in leaves on the ground that eject spores in the spring causing infection at bud break. As infections mature, they can produce more spore that reinfect more leaves and apples, this is repeated through out the season.

can cause significant and rapid defoliation. Often symptoms don’t appear for a month ater infection.. Fungus overwinters in leaves on the ground

NOT Downy Mildew The Mycelium of the fungus grows on the surface of the leaf. Sends a specialized structure into the leaf to feed.

sets of prolegs, 3 sets true legs

No sets of Prolegs, 3 sets true legs

No Prolegs, No true legs

of prolegs, 3 sets true legs

Moth larva can have 2 to 5 sets of prolegs.

Butterfly larva always have 5 sets of prolegs

Caterpillars build tents over themselves as they feed. 

Remove tent in evening or rainy days when Caterpillars are in the tent

formerly Gypsy Moth

a general term used to describe a number of fungi that tend to be black in color and produce angular leaf leasion that follow leave veins down the leaf stalk that then can cause cankers on twigs and in some species like dogwoods can eventually girdle the tree.

Can also produce many sprouts along branches that are susceptible to infection

Red oaks die quickly; white oaks may recover

Pathogen—Oak wilt is caused by the fungus Ceratocystis fagacearum

Vectors—Beetles in the Nitidulidae family and oak bark beetles (Pseudopityophthorus spp.) can transmit the fungus.

Hosts—Oak wilt is a disease of oak species. Species in the red oak group die more quickly than species in the white oak group.

Larvae attack ONLY the central leader, usually of White Pine and less often Colorado spruce

A soft scale, all soft scale secrete a sugary substance called honeydew that promotes the growth of a fungus called black sooty mold

Adult females on left, late instar crawlers White  on right

Second instar crawlers (nymphs) overwinter

Females are brown Males secrete white waxy threads when the make their pupal case; often confused with hemlock wooly adelgid

feed at the base of the needles

Plant roots under stress from lack of oxygen are susceptible.

Wet soils, compacted soils, clay soils, and PLANTING TOO DEEP all limit oxygen to the roots. Top of plants wilt because the roots are not working