Pest Control: Damage Identification

Without proper pest control, damage to your plants is likely to occur - identifying signs of pest damage already present in your garden will help you discover what kind of critters are making a home of your backyard plot. Only then can you figure out how to deal with any unwanted guests.

Thrips: These tiny creatures are hard to find because of their small size, but if you notice damage to young parts of your plants, such as leaves, flower stalks, and flower buds, this is the telltale sign of an infestation.

Cane borer: As its name implies, the cane borer infests the freshly-cut cane of the rose. It is the maggot of the eggs left behind by sawflies and carpenter bees. If you see a punctured hole on top of a newly pruned cane, you may have a cane borer problem.

Japanese Beetle/Fuller Rose Beetle: These insects eat any and every part of the foliage, even the flowers. You can pick these off by hand or use an insecticide.

Leaf Miner: This critter leaves behind obvious signs of its inhabitance. Look for irregular white blisters that almost seem to form a chain. This white substance contains the leaf miner's grub. Remove infested foliage to solve the problem.

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Spittle Bug: Look for little pieces of white “foam” shaped in circles. The spittle bug occupies this white mass on the surface of new stems at the beginning of Spring. If you get rid of the foam, you'll also get rid of the insect. Spray it off with a jet spray.

Roseslug: Roseslugs damage new foliage. If you notice foliage with a skeletal pattern, this means everything but the vein structure has been eaten – a good indication of roseslug infestation.

Leaf Cutter Bee: This bug eats the undersides of foliage and leaves its white skin behind – a sign of its visits. This insect can cause defoliation, which means serious problems for your plants.

Rose Scale: Usually found on old canes and stems, this insect hides under gray scales. The rose scale weakens plants because it sucks out the sap to feed.

Spider Mite: Look for salt-and-pepper particles on the underside of leaves. These are the spider mite colonies. If you don't like using chemical insecticides, spray water under the leaves to wash off most of the mites.

If you can't solve your pest problem alone, you may want to contact your local pest control service to help you maintain a healthy garden.

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