No. 2/April 30, 2010
Newsletter Weekly for Next Two Months
We will have weekly issues of the Home, Yard, and Garden Pest Newsletter during May and June. In July, we will switch to an every two-week publishing schedule.
Pest Management Timing Using Phenology
With phenology, stages of plant development (usually bloom time) are used to predict stages in pest development. This method is more accurate than using calendar dates because the plant is exposed to the same climatic conditions as the disease or insect pest.
Scouting Watch
Common pests of bridal wreath spirea are highlighted.
Bristly Rose Slug
Effective management solutions for bristly rose slug are discussed.
Galls, Galls, Galls
Spring commonly brings large numbers of leaf galls, with oaks having the greatest share of leaf and other galls. Galls are plant growths formed due to stimuli provided by insects, mites, disease organisms, or mechanical injury.
Buffalo Gnats
We are getting reports of buffalo gnats in large numbers in the Springfield area. They are common most springs in the northern two-thirds of Illinois.
Dying White Pines
It is a bit early in the season for these calls, but I have already had several inquiries concerning dying white pines. We usually refer to this situation as white pine decline, for want of an exact cause of tree death.
Crabapple Scab Scenario?
Crabapple scab was more severe in 2009 than I have seen it in the past 20 years.
Tree Declines
In many cases we see slow reduction in tree growth and vitality of a tree. This may be the result of many stress factors. Often those factors cannot be pinpointed.
Where Have All the Flowers Gone?
Dahlias, tulips, and iris are some examples of plants that often have flowering difficulties, leaving the consumer to wonder what happened.