1|14|Boring Insects Attacking Mesquite Trees|Gardeners who grow fruit trees such as apples, peach, plum, and apricot are probably familiar with some very nasty insects known as flatheaded borers. As the name implies, their habit is to bore or tunnel into the trunks and larger branches of susceptible trees. They also have flat, wide heads; and white worm-like bodies about an inch or so long. Under the bark, they feed in the cambium area, the trees water and food transporting lifeline. Eventually, if left unchecked, the borers riddle the conductive tissue, destroying the tree.%0A%0ANothing is unusual about flatheaded borers in fruit trees. Apple, peach, and plum are somewhat out of there element in Tucson. They like cooler climes, and as a result, are often under stressful growing conditions here in the desert. Boring insects look for stressed trees to attack. What is unusual is the ever-increasing presence of flatheaded borers in mesquite trees. These are hardy desert trees, usually not suitable targets for borers.%0A%0AThe first signs of damage from flatheaded borers on mesquite trees are the appearance of amber colored globules of resin protruding from the trunk and branches. This resin oozes out wounds made by the insects into the trees cambium. Sometimes removing the resin will reveal the entrances into the galleries or tunnels made under the bark. Loose or pealing bark in the general area can also indicate the presence of borers. Pealing the bark back will reveal sawdust packed galleries 1/4 inch or wider cris-crossing through the wood. With only moderate damage to the cambium, branch die-back will also occur. %0A%0AFlatheaded borer adults are dark-colored beetles about ½ inch long. They lay eggs in cracks and crevices of the bark. When the eggs hatch, the young larva tunnel directly from the egg into the bark. On healthy trees the water pressure exerted by the uptake of water in the cambium layer is usually so strong it literally blows these small, newly hatched worms right out of the tree. But if the tree is unhealthy or under stress, water uptake is reduced to the point that the small worms can penetrate and move into the cambium. There they begin feeding and growing. When nearly mature, they tunnel deep into the heartwood, where they pupate. As adults, they emerge from exit holes and eventually begin laying more eggs.%0A%0ATrees likely to be attacked by borers are those under stress. Mesquites are adapted to our hot, dry conditions; however other factors can stress these desert dwellers. Trees may be planted too deep, or over time, sink in their planting holes. The result is a partially covered trunk base. When trunk tissue is covered with soil it slowly die, along with the tree. Death is usually gradual, but such trees are usually found by opportunistic borers. It's a good idea to check mesquites and other trees by digging at the base of the trunk. If you have to dig more than an inch to find the first set of roots, then the trunk is covered too deeply. The soil should be pushed back away from the trunk and kept back by using an edging material placed out from and around the trunk.%0A%0AOther problems that can promote tree stress include; soil compaction, trenching or cutting roots, wounds from poorly made pruning cuts, and lack of water. Also the setback that trees receive in transplanting increases the possibility that borers may attack.%0A%0AFrom a prevention standpoint, keep trees as healthy as possible. From a control standpoint, once signs of borer damage are noticed, spray the trunk and lower branches of the tree with the Lindane insecticide. Lindane has a vaporizing action that penetrates into the cracks and crevices of wood and into the borer tunnels. Spray large branches and trunk to the point of runoff. As with all chemical sprays, read and follow label directions carefully prior to use. %0A%0ABecause the egg laying period for adult flathead borers is from April through July, spray to kill the larva from May through September. The initial spray should be followed with a second application 4 to 6 weeks later.%0A%0AFinally, to keep borers from returning, it will be necessary to find and eliminate the stress factors that brought about the borer attack in the first place.%0A%0A%0A--------------------------------------------------------------------------------%0A%0AWritten by John Begeman, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the University of Arizona, 520-626-5161. %0AMaterial originally appeared in Arizona Daily Star gardening column, on September 13, 1998%0A%0A|February 21, 2001|
2|5|Pest Problems Begin Early|	Our early warm weather has brought with it an abundance of pesky insects.  Fortunately, most cause little damage to garden and landscape plants.   A few, however, do require some control measures.%0A%0A	Probably the most common insects out and about the garden these days are aphids. They are small, soft bodied bugs that can be found on the new growth of most plants.  They come  in a range of colors including; brown, purple, yellow, black, but most often green.  Although small, they can be seen without magnification. Their favorites are roses, hibiscus, and most herbaceous garden plants.  %0A%0A	Because aphids are sucking insects they secrete a sticky substance called ‘honeydew'.  This substance coats nearby leaves and stems making them appear shiny as if lacquered.  If you see the honeydew, look closely for aphids.%0A%0A	Aphids seldom cause harm to plants.  They are more of an unsightly nuisance.  However, on young garden plants they can be very harmful.   The honeydew secretions can cause a mess on cars, walks, and patios located under infested trees.  %0A%0A	Aphids can usually be controlled by spraying with a strong jet of water from the garden hose to knock them off leaves and stems.  Make sure to spray all around, both over and under the leaves.  Aphids knocked off plants will not crawl back.  Soap sprays can also be used for hard to control aphid populations, such as those on oak.  Make your own soap spray by mixing 1 tablespoon of liquid dish washing detergent in one gallon of water.   Soap sprays are relatively harmless to beneficial insects.%0A%0A 	With warm, dry weather comes another common landscape pest; the spider mite.  Spider mites are small, almost microscopic, insect-like pests.  They are not true insects but rather aracnids related to true spiders and scorpions.  Like aphids, they suck out plant fluids.  Unlike aphids, spider mites are found more commonly on older growth and nearer the ground.  As they continue to feed, they work their way up farther into the plant.  Evergreens, such as juniper and Italian cypress are favorite spider mite meals as are roses, pyracantha, oleander, and flowers both annual and perennial.%0A%0A	Plants infested with spider mites will display a characteristic brown cast to needles or leaves. Close examination will reveal tiny stippled spots of yellow or brown.  To find the mites themselves, simply shake the foliage in question over a white sheet of paper.  If you find small dust-like specks crawling about, your plant has mites.  Like aphids, they can be sprayed off with a strong jet of water or a mixture of soap and water to wash them off.  Repeat the water spray every 10 days until mites have been brought under control.%0A%0A	Beneficial insects are also out-and-about in the spring garden.   Lady bugs, parasitic wasps, assassin bugs, lacewings and others are out and about, so protect them.  Only spray with garden insecticides when pests are causing significant damage to plants and other non-chemical controls have failed.  Water and soap sprays will not harm beneficial insects.  They will, however,  control most common garden and landscape pests.  Remember,  even organic insecticides derived from plant extracts, such as pyrethrin and rotenone, can kill our beneficial garden insects.%0A%0A	The topic for this weeks garden demonstration will be Choosing and Planting Desert Trees.   It will be presented on Wednesday at 9:00 a.m. at the Pima County Extension Center, at 1:00 p.m. at the Wilmot Library, and on Thursday at 2:00 p.m. at Marana Planning Services on the Northeast corner of Orange Grove and Thornydale.  Answers to gardening questions may be obtained by phoning 626-5161 in Tucson or 648-0808 in Green Valley. %0A%0A%0A%0AIssued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with U.S. Department of Agriculture, James A. Christenson, Director, Cooperative Extension, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the University of Arizona.%0A%0AThe University of Arizona college of Agriculture and Life Sciences  is an Equal Opportunity employer authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function without regard to sex, race, religion, color, national origin, age, Vietnam Era Veteran's status, or disability.  %0A|April 20, 2001|
3|13|Controlling  Summer Weeds |How do you get rid of summer weeds? Don't give them a chance to grow. Thousands of dormant weed seeds scattered about your landscape, lie in wait for summer rains. Once the rains start the seeds sprout and grow. Applications of weed preventers now, will kill the weed seeds as they germinate. This prevents your landscape from becoming one big weed patch.  %0APre-emergent weed killers are chemicals that work to control weeds before they emerge (begin growing). They lay down a chemical barrier over the soil which either prevents weed seeds from germinating, or kills them shortly after they do. Lots of people don't use pre-emergent weed killers because they can't actually see the benefit of their efforts. Weeds are not there at the time of treatment, and they never show up later. It's much more rewarding to squirt a weed and watch it die a slow and agonizing death. The truth is, it's much more effective to never see them grow in the first place. That's the benefit of pre-emergent weed killers.  %0A%0AWhen shopping for pre-emergent weed killers look for names like Weed Stopper, Weed and Grass Preventer, and Weed Preventer. These are brand names. The actual chemical name is listed on the front label under active ingredients. Although brand names will narrow your search, always purchase on the basis of the products chemical or (trade name). Oryzalin (Surflan) is the chemical and trade name for a weed killer sold under different brand names such as Weed Stopper and Amaze.  %0A%0AOryzalin (Surflan) is one of the better pre-emergent weed killers for use in desert landscapes. It comes in a liquid that is diluted in water and sprayed over bare soil or decomposed granite mulch. Oryzalin (Surflan) does not need to be mechanically mixed with the soil, as do many other pre-emergents. After it is applied, it must be watered into the soil by applying between one half and one inch of water. To do this use a lawn type sprinkler attached to a garden hose. Put cans under the sprinkler to measure the amount of water you are applying. When the cans have filled with one half to one inch of water, your done with that section. Once down, oryzalin will provide control of many types of weeds from 2 to 8 months, depending on the application rate.  %0A%0AOther effective pre-emergents that can be irrigated in after application include; trifluralin (treflan), pendemethalin (pendulum), and prodiamine (Barricade). All these chemicals are related to oryzalin (Surflan), and have similar weed controlling properties.  %0A%0AAlways follow label directions when applying weed killers. To be effective, pre-emergent weed killers must be applied at the recommended rates. They also should be applied as evenly and uniformly as possible. Missed spots or areas were too little is applied will result in poor weed control. Over applied areas can result in damage to surrounding landscape plants. A factor limiting uniformity of application is the garden sprayer. Nozzles are not designed for application to flat surfaces, but rather to leaves of plants. You may wish to have a commercial pest control service or landscape maintenance make the application for you. They have specialized spray equipment and the materials necessary to do a top notch job.  %0A%0A%0A%0A--------------------------------------------------------------------------------%0A%0AWritten by John Begeman, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the University of Arizona,  520-626-5161. %0AMaterial originally appeared in Arizona Daily Star gardening column, on June 9, 1996%0A|June 9, 1996|
4|12|Controlling Winter Weeds in the Garden and Landscape |Weeding and weed control is the drudge-work of gardening. For all your efforts, if successful, there's little to show. You could say: "look at where those weeds would have been". But this hardly will impress the neighbors. What will impress them though, is the health and beauty of your weed-free garden and landscape. %0A%0ABesides being unsightly, weeds rob surrounding plants of water and nutrients. They also continually produce more weeds. Annual weeds reseed themselves, and perennial weeds spread by seed and spreading shoots or roots. To stop the many types of weeds that exist, a combination of control measures must be used. %0A%0AMulches are materials used to blanket the soil. They provide many benefits, foremost is their ability to prevent weed growth. Mulches can be an organic (once living) types, such as ground wood, compost, or pine straw. Or they can be an inorganic (non living), such as decomposed granite, river rock, or plastic weed mats. %0A%0AIt's best to use organic type mulches when possible because of the additional benefits they provide. Besides preventing weed growth, mulches insulate the soil, keeping it cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. They also help conserve moisture. A 2 to 3 inch layer of organic mulch is preferred. Decomposed granite or other inorganics are beneficial, but they will not improve the soil quality as will organics. Plastic mulches should not be used here in Tucson. %0A%0AHand weeding is an effective way to control weeds, when their aren't too many. For easier pulling, hand weed when the soil is moist and weeds are small. Cultivation using a hoe, machete or other sharp object can also be used to control weeds. Try to shave off weeds rather than cutting into the soil. Many landscape plants and most flowers and vegetables are shallow-rooted. Cutting into the soil damages these fine, shallow roots. %0A%0AChemical weed preventers, also called pre-emergent herbicides, can be applied now to prevent winter weed seeds from germinating. Look for products like Weed Stopper, Weed and Grass Preventer, or Weed Preventer on your garden center shelf. One of the best landscape pre-emergent herbicides is a relatively new product called Amaze. Another is an old stand-by: Surflan. Amaze and Surflan can also be used in flower beds, as can Treflan, Dacthal or Eptam. All except Eptam must be watered into the soil after application. Eptam must be mixed into the soil. %0A%0AChemical weed killers, also called post-emergent herbicides, can be used to control weeds that are up and actively growing. One of the best post-emergent herbicides is glyphosate, better known by the trade name Round-up. It can be used to spot treat weeds. It works by being absorbed into the green tissue of leaves and stems, and moves down through the weed into the roots. It takes time for Roundup to work, especially in cool weather when weed growth has slowed. Allow 10- to 14 days for the weeds, roots and all, to die. As with all pesticides, follow all label directions before applying chemical weed controls. %0A%0A%0A--------------------------------------------------------------------------------%0A%0AWritten by John Begeman, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the University of Arizona, 520-626-5161. %0AMaterial originally appeared in Arizona Daily Star gardening column, on October 27, 1996%0A|October 27, 1996|
5|11|Cool Season Gardens Attract Insects|It's a great time to plant cool season vegetables. Temperatures are lowering, providing ideal growing conditions for fall gardening. But just as you appreciate the delicacy of succulent leafy vegetables, so too do garden insect pests. %0A%0AIt doesn't take long for caterpillars, cutworms, and aphids to make a quick meal out of your hard work. That's why it's important to inspect your garden on a daily basis. Look for early signs of insect damage and then examine closer to find out what pest is causing it. %0A%0AHere are some of the local insect enemies that you might encounter on your vegetables: caterpillars, cutworms, beetles, and grasshoppers may chew leaves, stems, flowers, roots, and fruit. %0A%0AAphids, whiteflies, mealybugs, and thrips have beak-like mouthparts which pierce and suck out plant juices. Spider mites are not insects but they also suck juices from plants. Slugs and snails aren't insect either, but they may devour foliage at night. Leaf miners are the larvae of small flies, beetles, or moths. They tunnel between the upper and lower leaf surface forming a wiggly maze or mine' within the leaf. Certain moth and beetle larvae bore right down the stalks or into the vegetables themselves. %0A%0AIf damage does begin to occur, first determine which insects are causing the problem. If you can't tell, bring the critters and leaves their attacking in to the Extension Plant Clinic for free identification. %0A%0AWhen you've determined what the pest is, don't just spray with chemicals. Try a non-chemical approach to control. Knock off and kill larger grasshoppers and caterpillars. Pick off damaged leaves containing leafminers. Wash off smaller soft-bodied insects (aphids, whiteflies, mealybugs) with a strong spray from your garden hose. A soap spray works great too! Just mix 1/4 teaspoon of liquid dish washing detergent in a gallon of water. Spray both the upper and lower surface of leaves. %0A%0ABiological controls, such as the release of lady bugs, may control the aphids and mites attacking your vegetables until the ladybugs disperse. If plants are healthy, leave the aphids alone. Natural populations of ladybugs will soon detect the aphids, and swoop down to make a meal of your unwanted pests. %0A%0A"Dipel", also sold as "Thuricide", is a biological control for caterpillars. It is a form of a bacterial disease that is sprayed or dusted onto plants and infects caterpillars feeding on those plants. It is not harmful to humans, wildlife or other types of insects. %0A%0AIf all else fails, selectively spray or dust with a well chosen product. Follow these guidelines when selecting insecticides: %0A%0AIdentify the pest and look for a pesticide that is labeled for the pest and the plant you intend to spray. If possible, select a product with a label marked "Caution". These products are safer to use than those marked "Warning" or "Danger". %0A%0AFollow all directions on the label. Mix in the proportion indicated and apply as the label directs. Even if it is a product you've used before, read the label again. Application and mixing instructions often change. %0A%0A%0A--------------------------------------------------------------------------------%0A%0AWritten by John Begeman, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the University of Arizona, 520-626-5161. %0AMaterial originally appeared in Arizona Daily Star gardening column, on September 29, 1996%0A|September 29, 1996|
6|10|Don't Let Them Bug You!|Did you know that less than 1%25 of all insects are harmful to plants. Most are actually beneficial, feeding on harmful insects and assisting in the pollination of certain plants. Yet too often we control pests by indiscriminate spraying; killing beneficial and harmful insects alike. There are many effective alternatives to spraying. Here are some environmentally friendly ways to control insect pests in the home garden and landscape.%0A%0ADon't attract plant feeding insects. They prefer soft, succulent, leafy growth, the kind that comes from excessive fertilizer and water. Moderate amounts of both maintain the quality of your garden and landscape. Too much will invite insects such as aphids and white fly.%0A%0ACheck your plants frequently. Walk around your yard and look for spotted or yellowing leaves. Use a magnifying glass to look closely at leaves, particularly the undersides. You can also use a white sheet of paper to shake leaves against. If insects such as aphids or mites are present, you'll see them crawling against the white background. Frequent scouting allows you to identify and treat problems before they get out of hand. %0A%0AKnow when control is needed. Insect pests come and go. Most don't do enough damage to warrant control. Aphids are a good example. They are small soft bodied, sucking insects which come in a variety of colors from green to brown, and shades between. They are usually found on new growth of plants, and cause a yellowing and curling of the leaves. Damage to plants is slight and temporary. The aphids are gone in a week or so, leaving plants to resume normal growth without the need for spraying.%0A%0AUse mechanical control methods. Many insect problems can be reduced or eliminated by hand picking or pruning off affected leaves or plant parts. The heel of your shoe can be an effective form of pest control.%0A%0AProtect beneficial insects. If you have harmful insects, chances are, you also have a host of beneficial insects and organisms waging war against them. Beneficials like lady beetles, parasitic wasps, lacewings, and spiders eat a multitude of pests like aphids, mites and white fly. Let them do their work. Broad spectrum pesticides such as dursban, diazinon, malathion, and sevin kill many kinds of insects, good and bad. So-called organic pesticides such as rotenone and pyrethrum are as lethal to beneficials as some inorganic pesticides. Soaps and BT (Bacillus thuringiensis) are less harmful to beneficials, and do a good job of controlling a wide variety of pest insects. Learn to recognize beneficials such as lady beetle larvae and lacewings by referring to garden book illustrations. When you see them, let them do the control work for you.%0A%0ADon't spray leafcutter bees. These are beneficial polinizing insects. Right now they are cutting out neat half-circles from a variety of plants. Their favorites are roses, bougainvillea, ash, redbud and other plants with thin, smooth leaves. Females do the cutting and use the leaf sections to fill small thimble-sized holes for the development of their larvae. Although cut leaves cause alarm, and sometimes plants can be completely stripped, no lasting damage is done. Plants will put out new leaves to replace those cut off by the bees. %0A%0ABuy knowledge, not pesticides. If a professional company maintains your landscape, insist they apply pesticide sprays only as needed and only to affected plants. Request spot treatments of problems, and don't allow blanket sprays. Remember that with pesticides, more is not better. Effective scouting for pest problems is a valuable service provided by qualified professionals. Pay for expertise, not chemicals.%0A%0A%0A--------------------------------------------------------------------------------%0A%0AWritten by John Begeman, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the University of Arizona, 520-626-5161. %0AMaterial originally appeared in Arizona Daily Star gardening column, on May 17, 1998%0A|April 23, 2001|
7|9|Environmentally Friendly Pest Control |Did you know that less than 1%25 of all insects are harmful to plants. Many are actually beneficial, feeding on harmful insects and assisting in the cross pollination of certain plants. Yet too often we control pests by indiscriminate spraying; killing beneficial and harmful insects alike. There are many effective alternatives to spraying. Here are some environmentally friendly ways to control insect pests in the home garden and landscape. %0A%0ADon't attract plant feeding insects. They prefer soft, succulent, leafy growth, the kind that comes from excessive fertilizer and water. Moderate amounts of both maintain the quality of your garden and landscape. Too much will invite insects such as aphids and white fly. %0A%0ACheck your plants frequently. Walk around your yard and look for spotted or yellowing leaves. Use a magnifying glass to look closely at leaves, particularly the undersides. You can also use a white sheet of paper to shake leaves against. If insects such as aphids or mites are present, you'll see them crawling against the white background. Frequent scouting allows you to identify and treat problems before they get out of hand. %0A%0AKnow when control is needed. Insect pests come and go. Most don't do enough damage to warrant control. Aphids are a good example. They are small soft bodied, sucking insects which come in a variety of colors from green to brown, and shades between. They are usually found on new growth of plants, and cause a yellowing and curling of the leaves. Damage to plants is slight and temporary. The aphids are gone in a week or so, leaving plants to resume normal growth without the need for spraying. %0A%0AUse mechanical control methods. Many insect problems can be reduced or eliminated by hand picking or pruning off affected leaves or plant parts. The heel of your shoe can be an effective form of pest control. %0A%0AProtect beneficial insects. If you have harmful insects, chances are, you also have a host of beneficial insects and organisms waging war against them. Beneficials like lady beetles, parasitic wasps, lacewings, and spiders eat a multitude of pests like aphids, mites and white fly. Let them do their work. Broad spectrum pesticides such as dursban, diazinon, malathion, and sevin kill many kinds of insects, good and bad. So-called organic pesticides such as rotenone and pyrethrum are as lethal to beneficials as some inorganic pesticides. Soaps and BT (Bacillus thuringiensis) are less harmful to beneficials, and do a good job of controlling a wide variety of pest insects. Learn to recognize beneficials such as lady beetle larvae and lacewings by referring to garden book illustrations. When you see them, let them do the control work for you. %0A%0ADon't spray leafcutter bees. These are beneficial polinizing insects. Right now they are cutting out neat half-circles from a variety of plants. Their favorites are roses, bougainvillea, ash, redbud and other plants with thin, smooth leaves. Females do the cutting and use the leaf sections to fill small thimble-sized holes for the development of their larvae. Although cut leaves cause alarm, and sometimes plants can be completely stripped, no lasting damage is done. Plants will put out new leaves to replace those cut off by the bees. %0A%0ABuy knowledge, not pesticides. If a professional company maintains your landscape, insist they apply pesticide sprays only as needed and only to affected plants. Request spot treatments of problems, and don't allow blanket sprays. Remember that with pesticides, more is not better. Effective scouting for pest problems is a valuable service provided by qualified professionals. Pay for expertise, not chemicals.%0A%0A%0A--------------------------------------------------------------------------------%0A%0AWritten by John Begeman, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the University of Arizona, 520-626-5161. %0AMaterial originally appeared in Arizona Daily Star gardening column, on June 16, 1996%0A|June 16, 1996|
8|8|Garden Chemicals Can Be Confusing|Many chemicals are available to the home gardener. They control a host of garden and landscape insects, weeds and diseases. But knowing which one to choose for the job at hand can be very confusing.%0A%0ATo simplify the process, first determine whether you really need a garden chemical at all! Insects and weeds are the most common pest problems facing Tucson gardeners. Most insects are beneficial; not plant feeders! Those that do bother plants, like aphids and thrips, do little more than cosmetic injury. Weeds are more of a problem, but often can be dealt with by hand weeding, hoeing, or preventing weed growth with surface mulches.%0A%0AMany good non-chemical controls are available and should be tried first. A strong spray of water from a garden hose is often enough rid plants of aphids and mites. And no, once they're sprayed off they don't crawl back. Soap sprays will do an even better job and will also help control whitefly and thrips. %0A%0AIf stronger measures are needed, first make sure you know what your trying to control. Most insect pests are either sucking or chewing and the chemical controls for each type are very different. Weed controls are also very different depending on the type. Annual weeds growing from seed can be controlled with pre-emergent weed killers, like Surflan. Perennial weeds growing from roots and rhizomes require post emergent systemic herbicides, like Roundup. Then there are broadleaf weeds which differ in control from grasses and sedges. The point being: know the pest and you'll find the solution!%0A%0AWith the pest identified, search the garden shelves for the chemicals that list that particular pest. The chemical should also list the plant or type of plant you wish to treat. For instance, if you wish to spray eggplant to control flea beetles, flea beetles should be listed on the label among the insects controlled and eggplants or vegetables among the crops or plants to be treated.%0A%0AProtect the environment and yourself! If you have a choice, always use the safest, least toxic material. For instance; caterpillars can be controlled with B.T. (Dipel) or Sevin. Bacillus thurengensis (B.T.) is a biological control, deadly to caterpillars but harmless to humans and wildlife. Sevin is a chemical insecticide. Therefore, B.T. is the best and safest choice. %0A%0AChemicals labeled for use in vegetable gardens are among the least toxic. Sevin insecticide; although a chemical; can be applied to edible crops like grapes, eggplants, and others. Diazinon is another common vegetable garden insecticide. So even when spraying non-edible plants like flowers or shrubs, if the pest is on the label, garden insecticides are a safer choice than non-garden types.%0A%0AAnother more exacting measure of a chemicals relative toxicity is the signal word listed clearly on the label. The least toxic chemicals are designated and labeled with the word "Caution". Those which are more toxic display the "Warning" label. And finally, the most toxic: "Danger" with the skull and cross bones symbol. When there's a choice, choose the product labeled with "Caution".%0A%0AAll chemicals, regardless of their toxicity, can be dangerous if mishandled! Always read the entire label before using any product. Follow the application procedures listed, including the use of all specified safety equipment! If no safety equipment is specified, at least wear a long-sleeved shirt and long pants, solid leather shoes, and chemical resistant gloves. A hat, and eye goggles offer added safety. Always mix sprays outdoors with the wind to your back. Mixing is the most likely time for accidents, so be extra careful!%0A%0AChemicals are sold under various brand names and at various concentrations. If you know the common chemical name you can sort out the best values. For instance, Weed Stop and Weed-Be-Gon are two trade names the Ortho Chemical Company uses for the same chemical: 2,4-D. If you know that 2,4-D is the chemical you need for broadleaf weed control, then you'll know that either product can be used. It's just a matter of selecting the strength or concentration and the price you wish to pay.%0A%0AHigher concentrations of a chemical are usually less expensive overall than lower concentrations of the same product. Roundup weed killer is sold in various concentrations ranging from 1%25 to 41%25. A 41%25 concentrate Roundup product may cost 4 times what a 1%25 pre-mixed and ready-to-use Roundup product costs, however, it makes 20 times more spray than the 1%25 product! %0A%0AThe informed shopper can make wise decisions about the purchase of garden chemicals. Knowing the pest and the product is the best way for home gardener to safely and effectively deal with pest problems.%0A%0A%0A--------------------------------------------------------------------------------%0A%0AWritten by John Begeman, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the University of Arizona, 520-626-5161. %0AMaterial originally appeared in Arizona Daily Star gardening column, on October 11, 1998%0A|October 11, 1998|
9|7|Hungry Critters Looking for Food|Rabbits, pocket gophers, javelina, and other desert critters are looking for a meal. This year, with no rain to grow the desert wildflowers and grasses, food is scarce. So these hungry critters are moving into gardens and landscapes looking for a meal.  %0AIf your trying to repel these critters with the many home remedies alleged to work; forget it! Mothballs, coyote urine, marigolds, and other repellents just don't work. For every gardener who has success with a given remedy, there are three that don't. %0A%0APhysical barriers are the surest way to exclude unwanted wildlife. Chicken wire fencing works great for rabbits, but fencing for javelina must be heavier. Hardware cloth supported by strong posts will keep even the most determined javelina out. For rabbits, fencing should be two feet high. For javelina, fencing should be up three feet or more.  %0A%0AA gardener recently told me of knawing damage in her citrus tree. She was certain that hungry rabbits had propelled themselves by jumping up into her tree to feed. It is more likely that pack rats were the culprits, and had crawled up the trunk. Such trees can be protected from climbing rodents by placing an 18 inch wide band of sheet metal around the trunk. The slick metal provides nothing for the rats to grasp for climbing. %0A%0AWhen using chicken wire or hardware cloth fencing around the garden it's a good idea to bury the wire a few inches deep in the ground. This will prevent rabbits from pushing under and through the fencing. If burrowing rodents such as pocket gophers are a problem, hardware cloth can be placed vertically in the ground around the garden perimeter. The woven wire cloth should extend from the soil surface down 18 inches into the ground. As pocket gophers dig their main burrows 4 to 18 inches below the soil surface, this should prevent them from digging through to the garden. Of course fencing just also be extended above ground to exclude them. %0A%0ARaised beds for gardening are ideal for excluding unwanted wildlife. The sides of the bed can be made high enough to discourage rabbits. Hardware cloth placed in the bottom of the bed, before filling with soil will prevent pocket gophers from digging up into the bed. Wire cages can also be placed over the bed to keep out rabbits, packrats, and birds.  %0A%0AHere at the Extension Center Demonstration Gardens we have devised a very effective cage for our raised beds. The frame is constructed with concrete reinforcing bars and wire, coverd with an outer skin of chicken wire. The bars are bent into large half-circles and anchored into a base frame made with wood 2x4s. Reinforcing wire placed over and wired to the arching bars holds the bars and the framework in place. Finally, a covering of 1 inch mesh chicken wire is added as the exclusion material. For a detailed look at this type of cage enclosure, visit the Extension Center Demonstration Gardens. The Gardens can be viewed from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. The Extension Center is located at 4210 N. Campbell Avenue. %0A%0ATrapping is another method of controlling unwanted critters, but is best used in combination with fencing. Several excellent styles of live traps, also known as have-a heart, are available from garden centers, hardware stores, and seed catalogs. %0A%0ATraps should be placed around the garden. Check traps daily to replenish bait or remove any trapped animals. Forgetting to check the trap, even for one day, could result in the inhumane death of the captured animal. %0A%0AApples, carrots, cabbage, and other fresh green vegetables are good baits. A good bait for garden traps is a cabbage leaf rolled tightly and held together by a toothpick. For best results, use baits that are similar the type of food attractive to the animal targeted for capture. Release trapped animals well away from other homes to avoid creating a problem for someone else. %0A%0AA final suggestion; if all else fails, plant some extra garden plants for the animals. If your lucky you'll end up with enough for you, your family, and the hungry critters.  %0A%0A%0A%0A--------------------------------------------------------------------------------%0A%0AWritten by John Begeman, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the University of Arizona 626-5161. %0AMaterial originally appeared in Arizona Daily Star gardening column, on April 11, 1999%0A|April 20, 2001|
10|6|Keeping Rabbits out of Your Garden|If your trying to repel rabbits with mothballs, coyote urine, human hair, marigolds, or a myriad of other home remedies, give up! They just don't work.  %0AI have people come in the the office and tell me that their remedy works just great. But then I've had ten others tell me they used the same remedy with no results.  %0A%0AWhat is tried and true when it comes to keeping rabbits out of the garden is a physical barrier. Anything strong enough and high enough to keep rabbits from punching through or jumping over will work.  %0A%0AAt the Extension Center Demonstration Gardens we almost exclusively use one inch mesh chicken wire. We have a perimeter fence that's two foot high, running around the entire garden area. The bottom of the fence is buried a few inches down into the soil to hold the bottom securely in place. This will also discourage rabbits from digging under the fence. The fence is supported every six or eight feet with steel fence posts. Granted it's not the most attractive fence, but it's functional and it works.  %0A%0AOccasionally, rabbits find their way through our perimeter fence, usually through open gates. For these intruders we have also circled individual plants or plantings we know they find particularly tasty. Leafy greens like lettuce, mustard, spinach, and chard are favorites. Most any young, tender plant, be it vegetable, flower, shrub or tree are fair game for rabbits.  %0A%0ARaised beds, if their raised high enough, is also a deterrent to rabbits. Even a bed built up 18 inches high will provide a deterrent. Some nibbling will occur on the edges, but that can be tolerated. We make our raised beds out of various materials including; concrete block, slump block, and pressure treated 4 by 4's.  %0A%0ACages can be built over raised beds to exclude more than rabbits. One of our Master Gardeners, Henry Yglecias has devised a very effective cage built from concrete reinforcing bars, reinforcing wire and chicken wire. The bars are bent into half circles and concrete reinforcing wire is attached. Finally, the frame is covered with a one inch mesh chicken wire skin. Chicken wire placed in the bottom of the raised bed or planter will keep burrowing ground squirrels from tunneling up from below. You can see Henry's cages demonstrated in our gardens at the Extension Center.  %0A%0ATaste repellents have limited success. Some people have reported good success using hot pepper sauce diluted in water and sprayed on the plants. Try one tablespoon per gallon and include a small amount of spreader sticker to keep it on the plant. Commercial, ammonium based, taste repellents are also available from garden centers and nurseries. These provide mixed results.  %0A%0ATrapping is another method of controlling rabbits, but is best used in combination with fencing. Several excellent styles of live traps, also known as "have-a heart", are available from garden centers, hardware stores, and seed catalogs.  %0A%0ATraps should be placed around the garden. Keep the traps near cover so that rabbits won't have to cross large open spaces to get to them. Check traps daily to replenish bait or remove any trapped rabbits. Forgetting to check the trap, even for one day, could result in the inhumane death of a captured rabbit.  %0A%0AApples, carrots, cabbage, and other fresh green vegetables are good baits. A good bait for garden traps is a cabbage leaf rolled tightly and held together by a toothpick. For best results, use baits that are similar to what your rabbits are feeding on.  %0A%0ARelease rabbits in rural areas several miles form where they have been trapped. Do not release them where they may create a problem for someone else.  %0A%0AA final suggestion; if all else fails, plant some extra greens for the rabbits. If your lucky you'll end up with enough for you, your family, and the rabbits.  %0A%0A%0A%0A--------------------------------------------------------------------------------%0A%0AWritten by John Begeman, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the University of Arizona 626-5161. %0AMaterial originally appeared in Arizona Daily Star gardening column, on September 7, 1997%0A|September 7, 1997|
11|4|Roundup Weed Killer Popular with Gardeners |One of the most popular weed killers for home garden use is a material called Roundup. Sold under various trade names including; Roundup, Kleenup and Weed and Grass Killer, the common chemical name of this product is Glyphosate, which will always appear as the active ingredient on the product label. Roundup is a systemic herbicide. This means that it is absorbed into the plant and is carried internally through the plant. Because of it's systemic character, Roundup is applied to green leaves and green stem tissue. It is absorbed and moves through the entire plant, killing it, roots and all. This is especially beneficial in controlling perennial weeds. When the roots are dead, the weed will not regrow. %0A%0ARoundup is most effective on perennials including weedy grasses such as wild Bermuda grass and broadleaf weeds like plantain. It is "nonselective", meaning it will kill virtually any green herbaceous plant it comes in contact with. It can be used to spot treat weeds in the lawn, edge trees, control weeds in shrub beds, and eradicate weeds that pop up through patio blocks and gravel driveways. %0A%0AUnlike many weed killers, Roundup has no effect on the soil and is safe to use to eradicate weeds prior to sodding a new lawn or planting a landscape bed. Applications of Roundup must be made carefully. Any green plant tissue will absorb this product, not only leaves but also green twigs and trunks, like those of Palo Verde trees. Sprays must be directed to avoid contact with desirable plants. The best time to spray is in the early morning when the air is calm. When spraying in "too close for comfort situations", use a piece of cardboard to shield desirable plants from the weeds you intend to spray. Tall weeds in a shrubbery bed can be bent over and sprayed on the ground. %0A%0AAfter applying Roundup, give it time to work! Because it is a systemic it must be absorbed by the leaves and moved down within the plant to it's roots. All this takes time, usually about 7 to 10 days. Plants will begin to yellow up and then die. Do not pull or hoe the weeds out until they are completely dead. If weeds are emoved before the chemical can move into the roots, they will just regrow. %0A%0AOne final precaution, Roundup, like all other pesticides should always be used according to label directions. Use the dosage recommended. The adage "if a little is good, a lot is better" does not apply with pesticides including Roundup. Overdosing will cause the tops of weeds to die before the Roundup is moved into the roots. Roundup (glyphosate) is available for purchase in several formulations of varying concentrations. The most concentrated forms contain 41%25 glyphosate, while the least concentrated premixed and ready to use products contain only .5%25. If you are planning to use the product frequently, a more concentrated form would be the best buy even though the initial cost is more.%0A%0A%0A--------------------------------------------------------------------------------%0A%0AWritten by John Begeman, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the University of Arizona, 520-626-5161. %0AMaterial originally appeared in Arizona Daily Star gardening column, on August 4, 1996%0A%0A|August 4, 1996|
12|3|Soil Solarization|Solarization is the safest and most effective means of controlling soil pest problems in home gardens. In many parts of the country where sunshine and warm temperatures are less abundant, solarization may not work. But here in Arizona, high solar radiation and lots of heat make soil solarization a snap! %0A%0ASolarization consists of covering the soil with a clear plastic tarp for 4 to 6 weeks during a hot period of the year when the soil will receive maximum direct sunlight. When properly done, the top six inches soil will heat up to as high as 125 degrees. Over several weeks, that's hot enough to kill a wide range of soil inhabiting pests such as; wilt and root rot fungi, root knot nematodes and noxious weed seed. In addition, solarization stimulates the release of nutrients from organic matter present in the soil. It is especially effective for treating garden soils, where the intent is to plant vegetables, herbs, and flowers. %0A%0AHere in Tucson, the best time for solarization late spring. This is when solar radiation is at it's peak, and when soil temperatures are naturally their warmest. Ideally, solarization should begin in May and extend into June. Solarization should be complete by July, when monsoon clouds and rains begin to have a cooling effect on the soil. %0A%0AThe first step in soil solarization is to till the area to be treated. It is necessary to break up soil clods and plant debris in order to enhance heat conduction through the soil. The soil surface should be raked smooth before covering with plastic. A fine soil surface will allow the plastic covering to be placed in close contact with the soil, with few air pockets to interfere with direct solar heating. %0A%0ABefore applying the plastic covering the soil should be moistened. Wet soil conducts heat better that dry soil. Moisten the soil to a depth of one foot. This will enhance heat penetration through the potential rooting profile. Also, in moist soils, pest organisms are more active and thus more susceptible to the lethal effects of heat. In dry soils most pest organisms are dormant. %0A%0ALarge sheets of plastic to use for solarization are available at hardware and home supply stores. Use clear polyethylene, not black plastic! Clear plastic produces higher soil temperatures faster than black plastic. Sunlight passes through clear plastic to heat the soil directly. Black plastic intercepts the light, and soil is heated primarily by conduction only where the plastic actually touches the soil. Some of the heat generated when sunlight hits black plastic is lost directly to the outside air. %0A%0AThin plastic (1 to 2 mil) may permit more sunlight to penetrate to the soil. It has also been reported to favor more rapid and deeper control of soil-borne fungi than thicker plastic (6 mil). However, both eventually provide equal control and thicker plastic is less likely to tear. %0A%0ATo install the plastic over the garden area to be solarized, first dig a trench around the garden perimeter. The trench need only be about 8 inches deep and 12 inches wide. It will be used to hold the plastic in place.%0A%0ALay the plastic out so that it covers both the garden area and the surrounding trench. As the plastic is pulled tight, hold the plastic in place by covering it with soil in the trench. As you move around the perimeter covering the plastic, keep pulling it tight. A tight fit against the soil surface allows for better heating. Burying the edges will also prevent the wind from picking up the plastic tarp and blowing it off. %0A%0ALeave the plastic covering on for a minimum of 4 to 6 weeks. You can monitor soil temperatures under the plastic by placing a soil or compost thermometer through the plastic covering and into the soil. A dial thermometer with 5 inch probe can also be used. They are inexpensive and can be purchased at local hardware stores. Locate the thermometer close enough to the edge of the bed so that it can be read without walking on the plastic. Push it down five or six inches into the soil. Leave it in place during the entire solarizing process. The goal is to raise and maintain temperatures in the top 6 inches of soil to a level between 110 to 125 degrees F. %0A%0AWhen solarizing is complete, plant your bed with seed or healthy, uncontaminated plants. Do not mix untreated soil into the solarized bed. The less disturbance of the solarized soil before, and at the time of planting, the better. Raised beds can also be solarized in the same fashion as ground beds. %0A%0ASolarization is by far, the most effective way home gardeners have to reduce or eliminate soil-borne garden pests. The tangible benefits: healthier and more productive flower and vegetable gardens! %0A%0A%0A%0A--------------------------------------------------------------------------------%0A%0AWritten by John Begeman, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the University of Arizona, 520-626-5161. %0AMaterial originally appeared in Arizona Daily Star gardening column, on May 07, 2000%0A%0A|May 07, 2000|
13|2|What's Bugging Your Garden? |True, most people don't like really hot weather, but lots of bugs love it! Particularly the pesky kinds that feed on all sorts of plants in our gardens and landscapes. They particularly like the fact that little rain has come to wash them off the leaves. They also enjoy the fact that plants stressed by hot weather are easier to attack. %0A%0AThe biggest fans of hot, dry weather are spider mites. If you've noticed your Italian cypress or junipers turning brown, it's from the feeding of these tiny pests, related to true spiders. In fact, if you look closely, you can see the webs they spin over the needles. The size of a pin head, mites can only be seen well with the aid of a magnifying glass. I look for them by taking a white sheet of paper and holding it under suspicious looking branches. Giving the branch a hard shake over the paper will cause the mites to fall off, appearing as tiny black or red specks crawling about on the white background. %0A%0ASpider mites also feed on pyracantha. If your's have developed coppery colored leaves you can bet mites are present. The best way to control mites is to provide them with what nature hasn't, a good washing off with water. Use a strong jet from your garden hose to spray the plant. This will knock off a great percentage of the mites. Doing this on a weekly basis will keep the plants nearly free of mites. If infestations are severe, you can also use a soap spray to really clean them up! Make your soap spray by mixing 1/4 teaspoon of dawn or palmolive dish washing liquid in one gallon of water. Spray in the morning when temperatures are cool. Follow the initial spray with one a week later. The second spray will kill young mites newly hatched from the eggs left by the adults. %0A%0AMany types of worms are also now feeding on trees, shrubs and vegetables. Tomato horn worms, by far the biggest caterpillar, can be seen russeling through tomato plants. The size of a big, big thumb, this ravenous green caterpillar can devour hole plants in no time flat. The tomato hornworm is also called the tobacco worm, probably because the pupa resembles a cigar with a large looped handle. %0A%0AIf you have grapes, you've probably noticed many of the leaves turning into lacy skeletons. Look closely and you'll find some beautiful little black and yellow stripped caterpillars. These are the grape leaf skeletonizer caterpillars. They emerge each June from eggs layed by the a small grey moth. %0A%0AThe best way to control caterpillars is to hand pick and destroy them. Sometimes this is not always possible. If a spray is required use an organic product such as B.T. (Bacillus thurigiensis). B.T. is most commonly sold under the trade names Dipel or Thuricide. Because it's a bacteria that must be ingested and grow inside the caterpillar, it takes a few days to kill. By the way, the bacteria has no effect on humans or pets or wildlife, only caterpillars. %0A%0AAnother type of caterpillar, called a webworm, has been spotted feeding on a number of trees, including mesquites. They are tiny compared to the tomato hornworm. Hard to see, these little green worms spin themselves inside the leaves, where they feed in relative comfort. Webworms do so little damage, no control is required. They feed for only a short time and then disappear to pupate and develop into their adult counterpart. %0A%0AA number of beetles are also out and about in the garden at this time of year. The spotted cucumber beetle can be found on cucumbers, squash, and melons. It's about 1/5 inch long with a yellow body and black spots. The striped cucumber beetle has black stripes instead of spots. Both feed on leaves, stems, and fruit. Flea beetles are another common garden pest. They love eggplants; but will settle for peppers, beets, turnips or radishes. If you see vegetable plants that look like they've been used for target practice with a BB gun you've got flea beetles. Besides vegetables, flea beetles also are fond of Mexican primrose. %0A%0AI wish there was an easy way to control cucumber and flea beetles. Soap sprays don't seem to work very well. The best thing that I've found to use is the garden insecticide sevin'. I prefer the liquid form that can be sprayed on, but the dust is also effective. Sevin is a very mild insecticide and very safe to use. A few days should pass before harvesting and eating the vegetables. The label will tell you the exact number of days to wait before harvesting.%0A%0A%0A--------------------------------------------------------------------------------%0A%0AWritten by John Begeman, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the University of Arizona, 520-626-5161. %0AMaterial originally appeared in Arizona Daily Star gardening column, on June 15, 1997%0A|June 15, 1997|
14|1|White Fuzz On Prickly Pears|Ever wonder what the fuzzy white substance is on your prickly pear cactus. Many people don't know. Many others think they're patches of a strange fungus. But actually, underneath all that white fuzz you'll find hiding little red insects called Cochineal Scale.%0A%0ALike other scale insects, cochineal scale spends all of it's adult life securely attached to the leaf, or in this case pad. Here it feeds by piercing and drinking the plant juices. That's why on prickly pears were cochineal are feeding you'll notice the pads have turned yellow.%0A%0AThe white fuzz is actually a protective waxy coating produced by the scale to help protect itself from predatory insects and birds looking for a tasty meal. Young scale insects, called crawlers, are waxless. As soon as they hatch from eggs produced by the female cochineal, they crawl and disperse to other locations on the plant. They also crawl to the edges of the plant, spin a web-like filament, and let the wind carry them to a nearby prickly pear. Here they settle down, attach themselves to a spot, and begin forming their own wax covering.%0A%0AOne of the interesting things about cochineal (meaning scarlet-colored) is that they have been used since the early days of the Aztecs as a dye. Introduced into Europe by Cortez in the early 1500's, cochineal soon became favored as a red dye for everything from fabrics to paintings. %0A%0ALater cochineal was also used as a food coloring. Cochineal scale can kill pads of prickly pear that are heavily infested. Entire plants can be killed, but this usually happens after years of infestation. This is not a fast spreading insect, nor one that is difficult to control.%0A%0AThe easiest way to control the scale is to prune off heavily infested pads. Since these insects begin feeding on the outermost pads, generally few need to be removed. Prune where the joint of one pad meets another. Don't remove just part of the pad by cutting it in two.%0A%0AAn even easier way to control the scale is to knock them off with a strong jet of water from a garden hose. This will remove the waxy covering and kill most of the insects hiding underneath.%0A%0AChemical sprays are not recommended because they will also kill the beneficial insects, such as lady beetles, which feed on this scale. If you must spray, use a soap solution. Soap sprays are not harmful to beneficial insects.%0A%0ATo make a soap spray, mix 1/4 teaspoon of a liquid dish washing soap in one gallon of water. Most any brand will do, however Dawn has been found to have the best pest killing properties. Whatever brand you select, don't use the lemon-scented types. %0A%0AMany fascinating insects, such as cochineal, exist in the deserts of the Southwest. To find out more about them, I highly recommend the book "Insects of the Southwest". It's a great guide for identifying and learning about helpful, harmful, unusual, and venomous insects of Arizona. The author is Carl Olson, noted entomologist and faculty member of the University of Arizona. The book is published by Fisher Books and is available at local book stores and garden centers.%0A%0A%0A--------------------------------------------------------------------------------%0A%0AWritten by John Begeman, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the University of Arizona, 520-626-5161. %0AMaterial originally appeared in Arizona Daily Star gardening column, on December 8, 1996%0A|December 8, 1996|
15|15|Keep Ground Squirrels & Chipmunks Out of Your Garden|%0A	Several species of ground squirrels and chipmunks are commonly found here in Arizona.  All are cute, furry creatures, but unfortunately, can be quite destructive when it comes to garden and landscape plants.%0A%0A	Both ground squirrels and chipmunks are burrowing animals.   Their burrow entrances are always open, unlike those of pocket gophers who plug their's with soil.  In addition, there are no mounds of soil at burrow entrances as there are with pocket gophers.%0A%0A	Ground squirrels and chipmunks can be seen foraging for food during the day.  Although primarily vegetarians, chipmunks will eat insects and lizards.  In nature, they feed on green leafy material during the summer and switch to seeds and grains during the fall and winter.  However, if you have winter gardens of flowers and vegetables, they will not hesitate to devour them as well. %0A%0A	The first step in preventing garden damage from these little critters is to make your yard less appealing to them.  This means eliminating any sources of water and incidental food, such as seed from a bird feeder or open dishes of dog food.  %0A%0A	Fix any leaks in garden hoses and attachments.  Drain fountains and cover decorative garden pools with wire mesh.  Eliminate any standing water that may have collected in pots and saucers, bottles, tires or other materials that might hold water. %0A%0A	Fencing can be used to protect garden beds and individual plants.  Keep in mind however that ground squirrels and chipmunks are good diggers and climbers.  You'll have to line underneath garden beds with a layer of wire mesh fencing with one-half inch openings.  The top of the bed also should be completely covered with one-half inch wire meshing.  %0A%0A	An alternative to a complete cover is to construct a perimeter fence and attach a band of 24 inch wide band of sheet metal to the top of the fence.  The sheet metal provides a smooth surface that ground squirrels and chipmunks and are unable to scale.  The same method can be used to squirrel-proof, post-mounted bird feeders.  In place of sheet metal, you can use a cylinder of aluminum stove or vent pipe at least two feet long to wrap around the post.%0A%0A	Chemical taste or odor repellents are generally not effective against ground squirrels and chipmunks.  However, some success has been reported by spraying burrows and plants being damaged with cayenne pepper or tabasco.   Ready to use taste repellents containing capsaicin, the active ingredient in peppers,  can be purchased at garden and hardware stores.%0A%0A%0A%0A%0A	Trapping is also an effective method of control.  Squirrel-sized ‘Have-a-Heart' cage traps can be purchased at hardware stores.  The best baits to use for ground squirrels and chipmunks are peanut butter, oats, bacon, and apple slices.  The cage trap should be placed near the entrance holes of burrows or other areas in the yard frequented by the animals.  Locate the cage on flat ground to avoid motion when the squirrel or chipmunk enters.  Also, the cage will be more inviting if the floor is covered with dirt to hide the wires. %0A%0A	Check cage traps frequently.  Leaving a trapped animal out in the sun and away from water for too long will result in an inhumane death.  Relocate the trapped animal to an area in the countryside a minimum of 5 miles away from your home.   %0A%0A	Smoke cartridges can also an effective means to control ground squirrels and chipmunks.  Spring is considered the best time for burrow fumigation.  Smoke cartridges should be lit and inserted down into the entrance holes.  Soil should then be used to cover the holes.  If you notice smoke coming from the ground in other locations, you have found more entrance holes that must be covered to keep the smoke in.%0A%0A	Finally, if all these methods fail, consider putting out some cracked corn.  By providing them an appealing, alternative food source, they might just leave your garden alone!  %0A%0A	%0A%0AWritten by John Begeman, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the University of Arizona, 520-626-5161. |November 18, 2001|
16|16|Eliminate Mosquito Breeding Spots in Yard And Garden|The outbreak of West Nile virus that has caused such concern in Louisiana is making it's way west.  Cases of the virus have already been reported in Texas, and health officials estimate that the virus could make it's way to Arizona as soon as November of this year.%0A%0A	The virus is carried by mosquitos, and although the desert environment doesn't provide the most fertile breeding grounds, standing water of any size can breed mosquitos!  That's why it's important to eliminate all possible breeding areas around the home.  %0A%0A	Even small spots where water collects can provide a location for hundreds of mosquito larvae to develop.  Mosquitoes can develop in any standing water lasting more that seven to ten days. Uncovered trash containers, cans, plastic containers, flower pots, and old tires can all hold water for considerable lengths of time.  If tires are used as children's swings, then drill holes in the bottom to keep water from collecting.  Check hidden locations as well.  Containers may be lying concealed in overgrown vegetation or behind walls and fencing.%0A %0A	Remove drainage saucers from pots sitting on the patio.  Place these pots on "pot feet" to allow the water to drain out and away from the pot.  Wheel barrows and garden carts stored in the yard should be turned over to prevent water from collecting. Remove water that collects in depressions in tarps covering boats and other equipment or objects.  %0A%0A	Some spots where mosquitos breed are not so obvious.  Bird baths for instance, can harbor mosquitos if the water is not changed on a weekly basis.  Swimming pools should be maintained with the proper levels of chlorine.  The water in children's wading pools should be changed weekly.  Fountains should be kept running.  If fountains are turned off, empty out the water.   %0A%0A	Water gardens are popular, but they are a major mosquito source if the water stagnates.  Provide aeration for these ornamental pools or stock them with mosquito eating  fish. %0A%0A	Rain barrels and other water harvesting containers must be sealed tightly to keep mosquitos out!  If rainwater storage containers are not sealed, place a "mosquito dunk" in the barrel or container.  Mosquito dunks are actually a special formulation of the often used garden spray BT (Bacillus thuringiensis), designed to control the mosquito's larval stage.%0A%0A	Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis or Bti, is a naturally occurring soil bacterium that is perfectly safe to birds and mammals.  Besides rain barrels, Bti mosquito dunks can be placed in bird baths, fountains, water gardens and ponds to prevent mosquito development.  They provide 30 days of protection before needing replacement.  Dunks are available at most garden center and hardware stores.%0A%0A%0A%0A	Gardeners and others venturing outside should consider applying protective sprays of  mosquito repellent.  Choose a repellent containing DEET.  Mosquitos are attracted to animal skin odors and the carbon dioxide from their breath.  When a mosquito gets close to a host, DEET jams the insect's sensors and confuses it so it is unable to find the host and land. %0A%0A	Read and follow instructions on the label to avoid excessive use and over-application.  In most cases products with 25 to 35 percent DEET provide adequate protection for adults.  Lower concentrations are used for children.  Do not allow children to apply DEET repellent themselves, and do not use DEET on infants.%0A%0A	DEET products usually repel mosquitoes for several hours.  However, repellents are effective only at short distances from the treated surface, so you may still see mosquitoes nearby.  As long as you are not being bitten, there is no need to apply more repellant.%0A%0A	In conjunction with mosquito repellent, wear appropriate clothing.  Shoes and shocks, and long-sleeved pants and shirts minimize exposed skin.  Pant legs can be tucked into shoes or socks, and collars buttoned for further protection.%0A%0A	Finally, avoid the "gimmick" devices advertised to control mosquitos.  Electric bug zappers and high frequency sound repellers neither control or repel mosquitoes.  Outdoor chemical foggers may keep mosquitoes away for a few hours, but once the chemical dissipates, the mosquitoes will return.  If the air is calm, citronella candles can be used to keep mosquitoes away from patios, porches and other outdoor activity areas. %0A%0A%0AWritten by John Begeman, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the University of Arizona, 520-626-5161.%0A%0A%0A%0A%0A%0A%0A%0A%0A%0A%0A|August 18, 2002|
17|17|What's That |Occasionally gardeners notice some pretty strange looking white stuff on their plants. It might look foamy white, or it could appear cottony or powdery white.  All this white ‘stuff' is actually produced by three distinct little insects that can, from time to time, find there way on your plants.%0A%0A	The first and probably most common is the white cottony substance, produced by cochineal scale.  The cotton is a waxy substance secreted by the insect underneath, a tiny, bright red soft-bodied scale.  It is exclusively found on prickly pear cacti. %0A%0A	Damage to the prickly pear is caused by the drawing out of fluids from the cactus pads by the scale insects.  The greater the number of scales, the more damage to the cactus.  Most of all, the globs of white cotton masses on the pads can become very unsightly.%0A%0A	If pads are heavily encrusted with the cottony wax, it's best to remove the pads by cutting them off at the base with a hand pruners.  In some cases this may require removing most of the pads and allowing the cactus to re-grow.  If the infestation of cochineal scale is light, you can save the pads by spraying away the protective wax with a hard spray from a garden hose nozzle.  After the pads dry, a soap solution can be sprayed on the now exposed scale to kill them.  An effective soap solution can be made by mixing two tablespoon of liquid dish washing detergent in one gallon of water.  %0A%0A	The second most common white stuff on plants is called "spittle".  As the name implies it is a white, foamy, frothy glob which looks like spit!  It is commonly found on rosemary, sage, and juniper, but can also appear on a host of herbaceous plants.  Numerous spittle globs can appear on an infected plant.  The spittle itself is actually a mixture of a liquid goo and air bubbles secreted by the underlying spittle bug nymph.  The spittle coats the nymph, providing protection from predators.  In time, the nymphs mature into small, winged adults that fly about looking for host plants to lay their eggs. %0A%0A	Although rather unsightly, spittle bugs do little damage to plants.  Nymphs and adults feed by drawing fluids out of leaves and stems, however, not enough to cause serious injury.  %0A%0A	In addition to providing protection from predators, the spittle provides thermal control for the nymphs.  The bubbles insulate them from heat and cold, and the goo protects them from moisture loss.  Hosing off the spittle will leave the nymphs unprotected and offers the best control.  Without the mass of spittle surrounding them, these insects will quickly dry out and die.  If new eggs hatch and nymphs develop, just hose off the newly formed spittle.%0A%0A	Finally, if the white splotches on your plants are not foamy or cottony, but white and powdery with a soft pink underbelly, then you have mealybugs!  Mealybugs are most commonly found on succulent houseplants like jade and kalanchoe.  Outdoors, they most typically show up on citrus and other fruit trees, and strangely enough, desert spoon.%0A%0A	Unlike cochineal scale and spittlebug nymphs, mealybugs move about on the plant, all- be-it slowly.  They often cluster together at the base of stems and along branches.  They are oval in shape, about one-quarter to one-half inch long, covered with white powder on top with white filaments radiating out from around their body.%0A%0A	Mealybugs can inflict serious harm to plants, so strong control measures are necessary.  One of the safest materials for control of mealybugs is Neem Oil.  It is a naturally occurring compound extract from the Neem tree that kills mealybugs on contact.  In additions, Neem Oil also controls other soft-bodied insects such as white flies.  A closely related product derived from the Neem tree, called Neemix, will also control mealybugs.  You can find either product at most places where garden supplies are sold.%0A%0A	"Getting Started with Bonsai" is the topic for this week's garden demonstrations. They will be presented on Wednesday at 9 a.m. at the Pima county Extension Center, 4210 N. Campbell Ave; and at 1 p.m. at the Wilmot Library, 530 N. Wilmot Road; and again on Thursday at 2 p.m. at the Marana Planning Services on the Northeast corner of Orange Grove and Thornydale. %0A%0AWritten by John Begeman, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the University of Arizona, 520-626-5161.|April 27, 2003|
18|18|Keep Good Bugs in Your Garden|If you see bugs on your plants, don't assume they're the bad guys. Less than 10%25 of all insect species are actually harmful plant feeders.  Many others are actually beneficial to gardens and landscapes as they devour aphids, scales, whiteflies, mealy bugs and other bad bugs.%0A%0A	Beneficial insects include some we are all familiar with like adult lady bugs, preying mantids, and spiders.  But others like lace wings, assassin bugs, big-eyed bugs and damsel bugs are not so recognizable. It's important to be able to identify these good guys so as not to apply garden sprays, even soap sprays, that could harm them.  There are many web-sites with color photos of most of the beneficial insects.  Reference books for identification are also available at libraries and local book stores.%0A%0A	The larval stage of some beneficials look much different than the adults. This is the case with lady bugs and lace wings.  The larvae of these insects are rather ugly and easily mistaken for something bad.   Lady bug and lace wing larvae look like little alligators, with numerous spines and wart-like structures.  Lady bugs are blackish with some red, orange or yellow spots or bands.  Lace wings, also called "aphid lions", are brown with cream-colored markings. The adult lace wing is light-green with a slender body about one half to three quarters inches long.  It's name comes from the prominent, large lacy wings that are considerably longer than the body itself.%0A%0A	The best way to ensure a good population of these beneficial insects in your garden is to limit spraying with insecticides.  Aphids and whiteflies, two of the most common garden pests can be easily controlled with soap sprays.  But even soap can kill some beneficials, so limit your spraying to spot applications and only as-needed.  Aphids can be controlled with a soap spray made by mixing one tablespoon of liquid dishwashing detergent in a gallon of water.  Whiteflies are more difficult to control.  They will require a mixture of two tablespoons of soap per gallon of water.  Water sprays along are quite effective on aphids and mites.%0A%0A	To encourage good bugs, provide them with an alternative food source when meals of pest insects are scarce.  Flowers produce nectar and pollen which are used as food by the adults of many beneficial insects.  Set aside an area of your yard for perennial and wildflowers. Composite flowers (sunflowers, desert marigolds, etc.) are favorites with insects.  Also attractive are plants of the Umbelliferae family, including carrots, celery, coriander, dill, fennel and parsley. Allowing these plants to flower will provide a good food source.%0A%0A	A source of water will also help attract insects.  This is especially important during dry weather.  Bird baths and other small, shallow containers are best suited for this purpose.  Sticks or rocks placed in the water will serve as perches for insects to access the water.  Keep in mind that standing water will also attract mosquitos.  Either change the water twice-weekly or place a mosquito dunk (Bt) in the water to prevent mosquito breeding.%0A%0A%0A%0A	If you have one of those Bug Zapper lights for attracting and electrocuting insects, turn it off!  Bug Zappers are known to kill more (60-70%25) beneficial bugs than pests.  People like the Zappers because they can see and hear them working.  Most often they are purchased for mosquito control.  But relatively few mosquitos are actually caught by these devices.  Studies have found that populations of mosquitos in a typical yard are relatively the same with or without a Zapper.%0A%0A	Our recent rains have helped to cut down on the number of garden and landscape pests.  Rains wash off most of the aphids, mites, and lace bugs (not to be confused with lace wings) from plant leaves and stems.  Once dislodged, these bugs seldom find there way back onto the plants.%0A%0A	Finally, there is one beneficial insect that does seemingly eat plant leaves.  It's the leaf-cutter bee, a great little plant pollinator.  The leaf cutter doesn't actually eat the leaves, but rather uses the leaf pieces to construct her nest where she deposits her eggs.  The cut is very precise in a half circle along the edge of the leaf.  The favored nest building material comes from roses, bougainvillea, red bud and other soft-leaved plants.  No real damage is done to the plants, just a little cosmetic injury that can serve as an interesting point of conversation with visitors.%0A	%0AWritten by John Begeman, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the University of Arizona, 520-626-5161.|August 10, 2003|
19|19|What's Bugging Your House Plants|	There are a few common insects that attack house plants.  If detected early, they can be controlled with little effort.  However, because these insects are rather small, and hard to see, they may not be noticed until they have caused serious injury to your plants.  Here are the ones to be on the lookout for, and what to do if you find them.  %0A%0A	Spider mites are tiny creatures that love many types of indoor plants.  They are especially fond of palms, schefflera, spider plant, ivies, and weeping fig.  The first indication of the presence of mites is a dusty appearance to the leaves.  Upon closer examination a fine webbing is often found on the underneath surface of the leaves.  With good eyes, mites can be seen as small, moving specks resembling dust particles.  They are easier to see with a magnifying glass.  Mites feed by sucking out plant fluids.  As a result, the leaves become speckled and yellow.  Eventually, the leaves will begin dropping off.%0A%0A	Mites can be controlled with a soapy spray.  You can mix your own by adding one teaspoon of liquid dish washing detergent in a 32 ounce plastic spray bottle filled with water.  Be sure and spray the underside of leaves as well as the top.  It will be necessary to apply a second spray 7 days after the first.  The second application kills any mites that have hatched from eggs after the initial application.%0A%0A	Mealybugs, another common type of house plant pest, are oval-shaped insects about one-quarter to one-half inch long.  They are covered with a white powder on top with white ‘spiky' projections coming out from their body.  Most often they are found at the base of the leaves or on the stems.  Mealybugs do crawl, but most times they stay fixed in one spot.  They are commonly found on African violet, begonia, schefflera, jade plant, dieffenbachia, and peperomia.  When newly hatched, mealybugs are very small and are hard to detect.  If you see white specks that look like cotton, these are the young mealys.  %0A%0A	 Like mites, mealybugs are sucking insects and will cause leaves to drop off.  They can do serious damage and require strong control measures.  Fortunately, one of the best controls for mealybugs is a very safe product called Neem.  It is a naturally occurring compound extracted from the Neem tree that kills mealybugs on contact.   A closely related product also derived from the Neem tree, called Neemix, will also control mealybugs.  Both sprays can be found at most garden and home supply stores.  Because sprays can damage African violet leaves most violet growers treat them with a systemic insecticide placed in the soil.%0A%0A	Although not as common as mites and mealybugs, I am seeing more and more plants with hard shell scale insects.  In some cases these insects are probably coming in on plants directly from the wholesale growers.  Scales are typically flat and round, some barely visible, others as large as one-half inch across.  They look like scabs, mostly brown in color.  The actually sucking insect can be found under it's protective scale covering.  Although scales can be located on any part of the leaves or stems, they are most commonly found attached to the leaf veins on the undersides of leaves.  %0A	There are two effective means to control scale.  The first, is to spray the plant with an oil spray formulated just to control scale on plants.  The two garden oils I recommend are ‘Sun Spray' and ‘Saf-T-Side'.  Both are refined oils, safe to spray on most plants.  The oil coats the scales, and kills them by suffocation.  To be safe, test the oil by spraying a few leaves and wait 3 or 4 days to see if there are any adverse reactions.  Alternatively, a systemic insect killer, such as Isotox, may be applied to the soil.  It is taken up by the plant's roots and up into the leaves and then is ingested by the feeding scales.%0A%0A	Springtail, a common pest found in the soil of indoor plants, is a tiny wingless insect about 1/16 to 1/8 inch long.  The name comes from their ability to catapult themselves through the air three or four inches, by a spring-like mechanism in their tail.  When soil containing springtails is disturbed, they can be seen flitting about.  Although they most commonly feed on decaying organic matter (moist peat), they can also feed on plant roots.%0A%0A	Safer's Insecticidal Soap is registered for control of springtails in and around the home.  A soil drench of this product is the most effective way to eliminate these pests.  Follow label directions as to the amount to use and the method of application.  Plants may also be repotted in new, well-drained potting soil.  The old soil should be washed from the roots of the plant and discarded, to dispose of springtails and prevent their transfer to the new soil.  If a pot is overrun with large numbers of springtails, it's best just to get rid of the plant, soil and all!  %0A%0AWritten by John Begeman, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the University of Arizona, 520-626-5161. |December 21, 2003|
20|20|Fuzzy White Lines on Plant Stems|White fuzzy lines or patches on stems of many types of herbaceous and woody plants is not powdery mildew fungus or some type of mold growth.  It is the secretion of a small insect called a plant hopper.%0A%0A	Plant hoppers are small sucking insects, usually too small to be easily seen.  They feed by sucking the fluids out of leaves and stems.  Unlike aphids, mealy bugs and other types of sucking insects, their feeding causes no detectible damage.  What is notable and noticeable is a white wax or flocculent they leave behind on the stems of a wide range of soft-stemmed garden plants and the new shoots of many trees and shrubs.  %0A%0A	The white wax secretion of plant hoppers runs in lines along the stems of effected plants.  If you were to pull back this wax and look at the stem under a magnifying glass you would see a small cut or cuts made in the stem.  These cuts are made by the female plant hopper into which she lays her eggs.  Then to seal and protect the eggs until they hatch, she produces a white wax to cover and seal the cuts.  It's this wax that's apparent on many plants from spring through fall.  The eggs eventually hatch and the young nymphs set out to feed on leaves and stems, eventually to mature, breed and lay more eggs.%0A%0A	The stems of flowers and vegetables are a favorite of the egg laying female plant hoppers, but almost any type of soft stem that can be easily cut is fair game.  Plant hoppers prefer herbaceous plants; flowers, vegetables and herbs.  Desert plant varieties are not usually effected.  It's mostly the lush introduced garden and landscape plant species that are flocked by plant hoppers.  %0A%0A	Since they don't do any real damage to plants, no control of plant hoppers is recommended.  In a short period of time the white wax on stems wears away or is washed off by monsoon rains.  %0A%0A	The large masses of white wax that appears on the pads of some prickly pear cactus is not the flocculent of plant hoppers, but it too is insect related.  In this case the wax comes from an insect common to the Sonoran desert called cochineal scale.%0A%0A	Cochineal is a tiny red sucking insect that draws the fluid from pads of prickly pear.  As the feed, they produce masses of a white waxy material as a coating to help protect them from predatory insects and birds looking for a tasty meal.  If you pull through the wax with a pencil or ice pick you'll encounter the red cochineal scale insects.%0A%0A	Unlike plant hoppers, cochineal scale can do significant damage to the prickly pears they are feeding on, so control measures are advised.  Pads that are heavily covered with wax and scales should be pruned off and removed.  Prune where the joint of one pad meets another. Don't remove just part of the pad by cutting it in two. In some cases this may require removing most of the pads and allowing the cactus to re-grow.%0A%0A	If the infestation of cochineal scale is light, you can save the pads by spraying away the protective wax with a hard spray from a garden hose nozzle.  After the pads dry, a soap solution can be sprayed on the now exposed scale to kill them.  An effective soap solution can be made by mixing two tablespoon of liquid dish washing detergent in one gallon of water.  %0A%0A	Of special interest about the cochineal insect is the fact that it was used by the early Aztecs as a dye.  In the1500s Cortez introduced cochineal dye to Europe and it soon became the favored red dye for everything from fabrics to paintings.  Cochineal remained the primary source of red dye until the 1850's when synthetic dyes began to be produced. %0A%0A	In the 1970's concern over the safety of synthetic red dyes used in food products led to a revival of the use of cochineal.  Today cochineal extract, also referred to as carmine, is utilized as an organic food coloring in many products from fruit juices to ice creams and yogurt.%0A%0A%0A	%0AWritten by John Begeman, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the University of Arizona,%0A520-626-5161.|June 27, 2004|
21|21|Whiteflies Attacking Acacia Trees|Sweet acacia trees in the Tucson area are being attacked by a tiny sucking insect called the acacia whitefly.  As the name implies, the adults are tiny white winged insects covered with a white powdery substance.  Many acacias are so heavily infested that shaking the limbs results in a white cloud of the insects hovering through the trees.   %0A%0A	The adult acacia whiteflies lay eggs on the acacia and the eggs hatch into an immature form of the insect called a nymph.  These nymphs are black in color, about the size of ground pepper, and are attached to the upper side of the leaves.  Under magnification, these nymphs resemble small rounded black shells with white fringe protruding out from the edges of the shell.  %0A%0A	The nymph develops into a pupa within the shell or case.  The pupa develops into the adult whitefly that emerges from a slit cut in the case.  The adult whiteflies mate and lay eggs which begins the process all over again.%0A%0A	All stages of acacia whitefly, from nymph to adult, suck fluids from the leaves and secrete a sticky substance known as "honeydew".  The honeydew looks like clear, shiny varnish coating the stems and branches.  Over time the insect feeding causes leaves to appear dull green, then yellow in color.  As the feeding continues the leaves turn brown and die.  %0A%0A	The attack of whiteflies on acacia will not kill the trees, but it will cause them to be unsightly and partially or totally defoliate.  This could cause problems, especially if shade requiring plants are growing underneath the acacias.%0A%0A	It is possible to control whitefly and lessen their damage by spraying trees with a soapy spray using dish washing detergent.  Mix up a soap spray solution by adding two tablespoons of liquid dish washing detergent in one gallon of water.  Do not use lemon-scented soaps as the fragrance can be harmful to some plants.%0A%0A	Apply a fine mist of spray to the leaves.  Be sure to spray the underside of leaves as well as the top.  It's a good idea to come back a week later and spray the tree again.  The soap residue should not to be rinsed off the leaves.  The recommended amount of soap is so mild that it won't hurt your tree, unless your spraying constantly. At this time of year, only spray in the early morning between 4:00 and 8:00 a.m. when temperatures are at there coolest. %0A%0A	Soap spray will not eradicate the whiteflies, but it will kill a substantial number of them, enough to keep the damage to a minimum.  If rain occurs the day that the soap spray was applied, spray the tree again the following morning.  To keep the whitefly in check may require periodic spraying.  After the two initial spray, monitor the tree(s).  If whiteflies numbers build up again, resume spraying.%0A%0A%0A	A different type of whitefly attacks many types of flower and vegetable plants.  It's called the greenhouse whitefly and is also present in the Tucson area at this time of year.  Soap spray is also recommended for the control of greenhouse whitefly.  But unlike the temporary damage inflicted on trees by the acacia whitefly, the greenhouse whitefly can kill flower and vegetable plants if left uncontrolled.  %0A%0A	Greenhouse whiteflies can be difficult to detect in the early stages.  Unlike the acacia whitefly, nymphs of the greenhouse variety are not black, but transparent to light green in color and blend with the color of the leaf itself.  But the whitefly adults are white and are easily seen when disturbed, flying about the infested plants.%0A%0A	Finally, if frequent rains occur this monsoon season it will help control certain insect pests such as whitefly.  In addition, spider mite, aphid and leafhopper populations will be held down.  Inspect plants on a regular basis to determine if pests are present and doing injury to your plants.  Soap sprays will effectively control most of these sucking insect pests.   %0A%0AWritten by John Begeman, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the University of Arizona,%0A520-626-5161.|July 11, 2004|
22|22|Ants in Your Plants|Having ants in your plants isn’t as bad as it may seem.  Ants are, for the most part, very beneficial insects  in our gardens and landscapes.  They help till the soil, decompose dead plant and animal matter and even destroy some small insect pests.%0A%0A	Ants are literally everywhere outside, and their ground nesting habit creates beneficial cracks and crevices that improves our soil by loosening it.  Water flows more easily into the ground where ants have been working.  Oxygen from the atmosphere, also has an easier time diffusing into the soil, and this oxygen is also critical to healthy plant growth.   Plant roots also use these ant created soil ‘channels’ to grow in and through.%0A%0A	In addition to controlling some small insect pests of gardens and landscapes, ants are excellent indicators of the presence of pesky garden aphids.  Many ant species feed on the sticky-sweet secretions of aphids called ‘honeydew’.  If you see large numbers of ants crawling up your roses, oleander, bougainvillea, flowers or vegetables, chances are they’re slurping up the honeydew from active aphids.  Follow the ants and you’ll find the aphids.  Then you can spot treat the aphid populations with a simple soap spray made by mixing one teaspoon of liquid dish washing detergent in one pint of water. %0A%0A	Contrary to popular belief, ants do not eat plants!  They cannot digest the cellulose in plant tissue.  There is one kind of ant that seemingly eats plants - but really doesn’t.  It’s the leaf-cutter ant, and it cuts leaves of various plants to grow it’s ant garden.  These interesting little creatures use leaf pieces to grow a specific type of fungus underground in garden cells they create.  They paste the leaf pieces with their saliva to grow a special fungus that converts the plant cellulose to form of carbohydrate the ants can eat.  The ants actually tend their garden by destroying other fungi and pests that would compete with or damage their food fungus.  As new leaf pieces are brought into the nest, they are cut up, pasted and “seeded” to grow more fungus.  %0A	As leaf-cutter ants feed specifically on this fungus, they will not take ant baits.  The only way to prevent the damage caused by the leaf-cutters stripping plants bare of their leaves is to create a physical barrier.   But, contrary to the advertisements, sticky, vaseline-like products pasted on the trunk base will not work!  The leaf-cutter ants simply build bridges using their stuck friends to cross over the sticky goo.%0A%0A	To prevent ants from climbing your plants, try a barrier of a slick, smooth material like sheet metal or aluminum foil.  This will prevent the ants from being able to grasp onto something to climb.  Place a 4 inch band of metal or foil around the trunk or stem at the base, just above the ground.  If you choose foil it must not be smooth, not crinkled, as the ants will use the creases for traction.  Secure the bottom and top of the barrier band so that ants can’t crawl between it and the bark.  The edges of sheet metal can be caulked.  Aluminum foil may be secured with rubber bands or tape.  	Keep the band clean by spraying it off with water now and then.  If dust and dirt accumulates on the band barrier, the ants will be able to grab on and crawl across the band.  %0A%0A	For the most part, plants stripped of their leaves will leaf back out in a relatively short period of time.  Most trees and shrubs can handle being defoliated several times before real injury develops.  Just make sure these plants have adequate water.  A small amount of nitrogen fertilizer will also promote the growth of new leaves.  %0A%0A	Numerous ant species will be attracted to moist, shaded conditions underneath potted plants setting on patios.  This is a particular problem on patio pavers set in sand.  The ants come up through the joints, directly from the ground and may begin nesting inside your pots.  To prevent this, simply place your pots on “pot feet”.  These little clay devices can be found at most garden supply stores.  They elevate the pot an inch or two off the patio surface.  This provides an air barrier under the pot and keeps the patio surface dry, thus eliminating the dark, moist conditions ants love.%0A%0AWritten by John Begeman, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the University of Arizona, 520-626-5161. |October 17, 2004|
23|23|Eucalyptus Insect Pest Cause Unwarranted Concerns|Many Eucalyptus trees around Tucson have been dropping leaves this spring due to the presence of tiny little insects with a strange-sounding name: Red Gum Lerp Psyllids.  These small insects suck sap from Eucalyptus leaves, and like the Eucalyptus, they’re native to Australia.  They have shown up from time to time here in Tucson, but this year they’re appearance is more widespread and on a larger number of trees.  Still, their presence is more of a nuisance than a real threat to the health of our Eucalyptus.%0A%0A	Lerp Psyllids can be identified by the presence of white crystalline, scab-like dots that spot the leaves.  These dots are called lerps, and under each lerp is an insect - the Psyllid.  You can see the Psyllid nymph (immature stage) by simply pulling off the protective Lerp covering with your fingernail.  They resemble small Aphids and are reddish bronze color in color. Adults are yellow to green in color and are winged.%0A%0A	Both Psyllid nymphs and adults feed by sucking out plant fluids from the leaf.  Heavy populations of psyllids secrete copious amounts of honeydew.  It is this secreted and dried honeydew that form the protective ‘lerp’ over the insect.  Trees in some parts of Tucson were heavily infested earlier this spring, however, the rains we experienced in May washed most of the insects off the leaves, killing them.  Some Eucalyptus did loose lots of leaves, but have begun putting out new growth.  Too my knowledge, no trees have suffered serious injury.%0A%0A	Although several species of Eucalyptus can be attacked, the Psyllid’s favored host is the Red Gum Eucalyptus (E. camaldulensis), thus the name: Red Gum Lerp Psyllid!  %0A%0A	In California, the Lerp Psyllid has been a serious pest, causing defoliation of many Eucalyptus.  In their weakened sate, these trees are susceptible to other more serious insect pests, such as wood-boring beetles.  In California, injections of systemic insecticides into the trunks of infected trees has been used to provide some measure of control.%0A%0A	Here in Southern Arizona no control measures for the Lerp Psyllid are warranted, according to Entomologists at the University of Arizona.   Although these insects do show up from time to time, weather conditions, namely our Summer Monsoon rains, prevent the insects from developing. %0A%0A	Unlike Arizona, California summers are dry, enabling populations of Lerp Psyllids to build unabated.  Their continual feeding for months on end, can cause continued defoliation and resulting injury to California Eucalyptus.  However, recently a natural enemy of the Lerp Psyllid has been introduced from Australia to California.  It’s a tiny parasitoid wasp that lays it’s egg n a suitable psyllid nymph.  The egg hatches and consumes the Psyllid from within.  The presence of this little wasp is already having an impact on the Psyllids reducing their populations and lessening the damage to Eucalyptus.%0A%0A%0A	Rather than the Lerp Psyllid, Eucalyptus here in Southern Arizona are most at risk from extremely hot, dry conditions.  Like all large trees it’s important to give them extra water in this extremely hot weather.  %0A%0A	Once or twice monthly, deep water Eucalyptus and other large trees.  The most effective method is to use soaker hose spread out under the tree, starting near trunk and spiraling out 10 or 15 feet  beyond the spread of the branches.  Open the hose bib to allow a slow flow of water through the soaker hose.   Let the hose trickle out water for 6 to 8 hours overnight. %0A%0A	Water should penetrate the soil to a depth of 3 feet.  A metal rod can be inserted into the soil to measure the depth of wetting.  The probe can be easily pushed through wet soil, but will stop when dry soil in encountered.  If the moisture hasn’t penetrated down 3 feet deep, then water longer.%0A%0A	Finally, if your tree looks thinner due to an earlier infestation of Lerp Psyllids, you can add some fertilizer at the time of watering to encourage new growth.  Apply one-half pound of ammonium sulfate or other high nitrogen fertilizer for each inch of trunk diameter.  Spread the fertilizer out under the tree and water to move the nitrogen into the soil.%0A%0AWritten by John Begeman, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the University of Arizona,%0A520-626-5161. %0A|July 3, 2005|
24|24|*Rabbits Running Rampant*- Coming to a Garden near You this Fall -|Abundant rainfall has provided for the growth of lots of desert vegetation - resources for an explosion in the population of rabbits and other wildlife.   As our summer rains come to an end and the dry season begins, grasses and other seasonal vegetation will die.  As a result, all those rabbits will be looking for new sources of food - namely your garden and landscape.  So, now is the time to make preparations to protect your valuable plants.%0A%0A	The most effective way to ward off rabbits is with fencing.  Physical barriers such as chicken wire and other types of wire mesh are very effective in keeping rabbits out.  You can encircle and entire garden bed or make small cylinders of wire to protect individual plants.  The minimum height of the wire fencing should be 24 inches.  %0A%0A	As rabbits have the ability to dig, the fencing should be buried an inch or two into the soil.  Rabbits may also try pushing the fencing down, so if you have a run of fencing around a garden bed, support the wire with stakes placed every 3 feet.  Individual plant cages can be supported using a single stake.  The most durable and easiest stakes to install are cut pieces of concrete reinforcing bars.  These bars are available in 2 and 3 feet lengths at area home supply stores.  Rolls of wire are also sold at home supply and hardware stores in two foot widths.%0A%0A	Chicken wire fencing with one-inch mesh openings is adequate for rabbits.  But if you have problems with our ‘chipmunk-like’ ground squirrels, you use the finer wire mesh of hardware cloth (also called woven wire) which comes in one-half and one-quarter inch openings.  This thicker hardware cloth will stand on its own without staking, when circling individual plants. %0A%0A	I’m often asked if there are rabbit-proof plants.  Actually there are a few that rabbits will rarely touch.  Plants like Rosemary, Lantana, Lavender, Jojoba and Texas Ranger are not on most rabbits grocery list.  Leafy greens are the food of choice.  However, most garden and landscape plants will be attacked if rabbits are hungry enough.  Besides vegetables and flowers, tender young shrubs and the bark of young trees are also rabbit favorites.  %0A  %0A	In addition to fencing, many home gardeners use taste repellents to ward off rabbits.  Unfortunately, taste repellents are not reliable. Some people have reported good success using hot pepper sauce diluted in water and sprayed on the plants. Try one tablespoon per gallon and include a small amount of spreader sticker to keep it on the plant. Commercial, ammonium based, taste repellents are also available from garden centers and nurseries. These provide mixed results. Again, if rabbits are hungry enough they’ll overcome the bad taste.%0A%0A	One product that has been very successful against rabbits is an odor repellent called ‘Liquid Fence’.  It’s a garlic based product that is harmless to humans, pets and wildlife, but it does stink!   The smell is so foul that you’ll need to roll down the windows in your car when taking it home from the garden or hardware store.  Liquid fence is sprayed on or around the plants you want to protect.  If can be applied directly to garden vegetables without contaminating the fruit.  Sprays must be repeated every month or so to maintain the odor barrier.  An added bonus - Liquid Fence also repels those pesky javelinas!%0A	%0AWritten by John Begeman, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the University of Arizona, 520-626-5161. |Sept. 18, 2005|
26|26|Organic Control of Garden & Landscape Insect Pests|As the weather warms and plants begin growing again, so do the insects that feed on them.   But in nearly all cases, it’s not necessary to use harsh chemical sprays to keep the population of harmful insect pests in check.  Most problems can be dealt with using safe organic or biological controls.%0A%0A	Certain insect pests require no control measures at all!  Thrips, tiny flea-like insects that feed on flowers and in leaf buds can disfigure petals and leaves but have no effect on the overall health of plants.  They are most common on roses and citrus where they cause a curious cupping, puckering and streaking of flower petals and leaves.  Aphids are also common garden insects requiring no control.  They too cause cupping and curling of new leaves.  %0A%0A	Aphids are small, soft-bodied insects, usually green or yellowish-green.  They secrete a clear, sticky substance called ‘honeydew’, the presence of this varnish-like substance on leaves of plants is an indication of their presence.  Although the sucking damage of aphids causes no real injury to plants, they can be eliminated by simply using a strong spray of water from a garden hose to wash them from the leaves. %0A%0A	One garden pest that does warrant control measures is the cutworm.  This 2 inch long, dull grayish-brown worm crawls on the ground cutting off the stems of young vegetable plants it comes in contact with, killing them.  The best way to prevent cutworm damage is to provide a physical barrier around young vegetable transplants.  Remove the bottom from a paper or styrofoam cup and place the cup over the young seedling, pressing it down into the soil and inch or so.  The cup will provide a barrier to keep the crawling cutworm away from the stem.  After the plant has grown for a couple of weeks the stem will be to tough and large for the cutworm to damage and the cup can be removed. %0A%0A	Other worms feed on various garden and landscape plants.  They include tomato hornworms, orange dog citrus caterpillars, grape leaf caterpillars and Texas mountain laurel caterpillars.  Tomato worms and orange dog caterpillars are rarely numerous enough to require anything more control than hand picking and disposal in a plastic bag.  But Texas mountain laurel and grape leaf caterpillars are numerous and persistent.  Fortunately there’s an organic control for both!  It’s a product called ‘BT’, a bacteria deadly only to leaf-feeding caterpillars.  BT (Bacillus thurengensis) has no harmful effects on birds, wildlife, pets or humans.  Just ask for BT at local garden stores. %0A%0A	A great organic control for a large range of insect pests is a product called Neem.  It’s a natural extract from the Neem tree, indigenous to India, and discovered to have excellent natural insecticidal properties.   Neem oil is effective in the control of soft bodied insects such as aphids, whiteflies, and mealy bugs.  Another material derived from the Neem tree is a type of growth regulator effective in the larval control of moths, butterflies, beetles, flies, true bugs.  In addition, it contols aphids, thrips, mealybugs and leaf miners.  Neem growth regulator  is sold under several brand names including; Neemix, Bionim, Neemazol and Neemactin.  Most garden centers have some form of Neem available.  %0A	In it’s native land, the stems of neem trees are used my millions of Indians as an antiseptic tooth brush.  It’s oil is used in the preparation of toothpaste and soap.  An assortment of it’s parts including; bark, leaves, flowers and fruits are used to treat a wide range of diseases.	%0A	%0A Written by John Begeman, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the University of Arizona,%0A520-626-5161. %0A%0A%0A%0A%0A%0A%0A%0A%0A %0A%0A	%0A	 |March 12, 2006|
25|27|Inspect Plants for Spring Insect Pests|In the spring when garden and landscape plants put forth their new growth is the time when plant-damaging insects are at their peak.  Getting the jump on these pests is the most effective way to ward off any potential injury to plants.%0A%0A	The most common garden and landscape insect pests out at this time of year are mites, aphids and thrips.  Mites are primarily pests of needled-evergreen plants such as Italian Cypress, Arbor Vitae, Juniper and Cedar.  Besides needled-evergreens, Pyracantha are also commonly attacked by mites.%0A%0A	Because mites work from the ground up, the place to look for them is at the bottom of the plant.  Dry, brown needles with a dusty appearance indicate the presence of mites.  On Pyracantha leaves turn an unusual coppery color.  To be sure mites are present, the easiest test is to hold a white sheet of paper under suspicious branches and tap them firmly against the paper.  If small dust-like specks are seen crawling against the white background, mites are present.  %0A%0A	The easiest way to control mites is to spray infested plant with a strong jet of water from a garden hose attachment.  The spray will knock off a large percentage of these sucking pests and prevent further injury to the plant.  Repeat water sprays on an as-needed basis.%0A%0A	Aphids are another common insect pest found on a variety of garden plants including all types of flowers and vegetables, roses, citrus, deciduous fruit trees.  Most aphids are green or greenish yellow in color and can be seen without magnification.  But some aphids, like the wooly aphid found on Arizona Ash are white or gray in color.  %0A%0A	Regardless of the type, aphids feed almost exclusively on the soft, new growth of plants.  Their sucking of plant fluids causes young leaves to twist and curl.  In addition, aphids secrete a clear, sticky substance called honeydew.  If walking through the garden, you see plant leaves coated with a clear varnish-like substance, that’s honeydew, and you’ve found a colony of aphids!  To control them, as with mites, you can spray them off with water.  One spray should do it, and don’t worry, once they’ve been knocked off the plant, they won’t crawl back. %0A%0A	Thrips are small, thread-like insects that damage a number of plants including citrus and roses.  On citrus, thrip feeding causes leaves to be cupped and curled much like the damage caused by aphids.  But in addition, the leaves of citrus appear to be streaked with silvery lines.  On roses, damage from thrips appears on the flower petals.  They too appear streaked and blemished.  Although thrips don’t do any real damage to plants, many rose growers use systemic insecticides to prevent thrips from damaging rose petals.%0A%0A	Most damaging insects including aphids and thrips are attracted to the color yellow.  So one of the best ways to monitor for these pests is to set out yellow sticky trap cards.  If insects inter the area they will be attracted to and stick on the cards.  Sticky cards can be purchased at many garden centers or you can make your own by coating yellow construction paper with corn syrup.  By checking the traps daily, you can determine when insect pests make their first appearance in the garden and then use selected control measures.%0A	 %0A%0AWritten by John Begeman, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the University of Arizona,%0A520-626-5161. |April 16, 2006|
27|28|Choosing and Using Garden Sprayers|From time to time, every home gardener needs an effective sprayer to deal with garden and landscape pest problems.  Soap and oil sprays, weed killers, insecticides, and fungicides must be applied with the right tool to be effective.%0A%0A	The best types of garden sprayer are those that can be pressurized to apply a fine spray mist.  It’s the fine mist that provides the best and most uniform leaf coverage and thus the best control of insects, weeds and disease.%0A%0A	For small jobs, like the spraying of houseplants and small patio plants, a quart-sized misting bottle works just fine.  The pressure is applied by pumping the trigger, and the nozzle can be adjusted to provide a fine mist.  These are the least expensive type of sprayers.%0A%0A	Small non-aerosol plastic pump sprayers are best for spraying larger potted plants, flowers, vegetables and small shrubs.  They’re pumped up to build pressure and operated by pressing down on a thumb trigger to release the spray.  Ideal for small jobs, they’re light enough (even when filled) to hold and operate with one hand.  Small pump sprayers hold up to two quarts of spray material, with adjustable spray nozzles for settings from coarse to fine. %0A%0A	Large pump sprayers for home use range in a size from one-half to three gallons spray capacity.  They’re best for spraying medium to large shrubs and small trees up to 15 feet high. Pressurized sprayers have a spray wand with adjustable nozzle connected to a tank pressurized with a hand pump.  You can purchase replacement parts for the more expensive models, should the need arise.%0A%0A	Whatever the size, I recommend sprayers made of plastic.  Their less expensive, lighter and more durable than metal sprayers.  And because they’re relatively inexpensive, you can purchase separate ones dedicated to applying a specific type of pesticide be it insecticide, fungicide or herbicide.%0A%0A	It’s important to note that sprayers used to apply weed killers should not be use to apply other types of sprays.  For instance, if you mix an insecticide in a sprayer formerly used to apply weed killer, any residual herbicide in the tank, no matter how slight, can harm desirable plants!  So, dedicate one sprayer for the task of weed control and mark it in bold print with a permanent marker: “Weed Control Only”.  If you apply both post-emergent (contact) weed controls, such as Roundup, and pre-emergent (preventative) materials such as Surflan, it’s best have a separate sprayer for each. %0A%0A	To keep your sprayer working it’s best, rinse it out after each use.  Operate the sprayer with clear water to rinse the tank supply tube and nozzle of all soap, oil or pesticide in the sprayer.  To reduce wasted spray material, first spray all or a portion of the plants or area to be sprayed with clear water.  This will give you a good idea of the amount of spray material needed to be mixed to do the job.%0A%0A	When applying soaps, oils and insecticides adjust the nozzle of your sprayer to deliver a fine spray mist.  This will be more effective in covering both the top and underside of plant leaves, important in controlling insect pests.  Use a slightly coarser spray when applying contact herbicides such as Roundup.  These products are most effective when enough spray is applied to thoroughly wet the leaf surface of the weeds.%0A%0A	Coarse, solid stream sprays, with the nozzle turned wide open, should only be used when a longer spray stream is needed to reach up into small and medium-sized trees.%0A%0A%0AWritten by John Begeman, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the University of Arizona,%0A520-626-5161. |January 14, 2007|
28|29|Protect Plants from Mites and Other Spring Insect Pests|Spring provides the ideal environment for a number of common garden and landscape insect pests.  Warm weather promotes lush, succulent plant growth that serves as food for new generations of insect pests.  So, be on the look out for mites, aphids, thrips, and caterpillars doing harm to your plants.  Here’s what to look for:%0A%0A	If some of your plants have a dusty appearance, maybe with a brown or gray cast, they may be infested with spider mites!   Rosemary (rosemary), pyracantha (pyracantha), Italian cypress (Italian cypress) , juniper (juniper), arbor vitae (arbor vitae) and cedar (cedar) are a few of the favorite plants for these tiny sucking pests.  %0A%0A	Because mites work from the ground up, the place to look for them is at the bottom or interior of the plant.  The easiest way to test of spider mites is to hold a white sheet of paper under suspicious stems and tap them sharply against the paper. If small dust-like specks are seen crawling against the white background, mites are present.  A simple 10 power magnifying lens also is helpful in detecting mites using the white background.%0A%0A	Mites are best controlled by spraying infested plants periodically with a strong jet of water from a garden hose attachment.  The water literally knocks them off!  They rarely crawl back, but repeated weekly spays with water are recommended to eliminate any newly emerging mites.   When our monsoon rains arrive, sprays can be curtailed.%0A%0A	In addition to controlling mites, water sprays are great for eliminating another common garden and landscape pest - the aphid.  These green soft-bodied insects once called plant lice, are similar in size to lice; small but visible.  They congregate and feed on the soft new growth of most flower and vegetable plants, roses (roses), citrus (citrus), and oleander (oleander).  Oleander aphids are orange!  All suck fluids from leaves and in the process, secrete a sweet, sticky substance called ‘honeydew’.  One of the tell-tale signs of aphids is this honeydew.  It resembles shiny varnish on leaves underneath the feeding aphids.  If you see these varnished leaves - look for aphids.  %0A%0A	Aphids can do serious harm to young flower and vegetable plants.  On roses and other larger woody-stemmed plants the damage is mainly cosmetic.  As aphids feed they cause the leaves to cup and curl.  Leaf yellowing may also develop.  Water sprays do a great job of control!  On young plants to tender for harsh water sprays, apply a mild soap spray made by mixing one tablespoon of liquid dish washing detergent in one gallon of water.  One or two applications will be sufficient.%0A%0A	In addition to mites and aphids, thrips are also common spring visitors on a number of plants, most notably citrus (citrus) and roses (roses).  These tiny thread-like insects cause cupping, curling and silver streaking of leaves on citrus.  On roses, damage from thrips appears on the flower petals. They too appear streaked and blemished.  Although thrips don’t do any real damage to plants, many rose growers often use systemic insecticides to prevent thrips from damaging rose petals.  Systemic insecticides  cannot be used on citrus, nor would they be warranted if they could be!  No real damage to citrus will result- so not control is necessary.%0A%0A	 Finally, caterpillars have begun to show up on Texas mountain laurel (Texas mountain laurel) and citrus (citrus) trees.  Inspect these plants for signs of feeding.  On citrus, hand picking and disposal of the orange dog caterpillar is all that’s needed.  However, to control Texas mountain laurel caterpillars, I recommended periodic sprays of BT (Bacillus thuringiensis), a safe biological control product available wherever garden sprays are sold.%0A%0A%0A	%0AWritten by John Begeman, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the University of Arizona,%0A520-626-5161. %0A%0A%0A%0A%0A%0A%0A%0A|April 22, 2007|
29|30|Arsenal of Organic Pest Control Products|Today we have many weapons to fight common garden and landscape pests.  Fortunately there’s a good selection of safe, organic control products for the home gardener to choose from.  Here are my top choices: %0A%0A	Yellow sticky paper is a simple and safe way to trap many common insect pests in the home garden.  Aphids, thrips, and whitefly are all attracted to the color yellow.  Yellow flowers in particular, but also yellow paper.  If you coat yellow construction paper with a clear sticky substance, I suggest either tangle foot or corn syrup, you’ll catch a number of pest insects.  But more importantly by checking the yellow sticky traps in the garden on a regular basis, you’ll know when the bugs first appear and can then consider control measures.%0A%0A	Water is one of the best organic controls for bad bugs.  A strong spray of water from a garden hose attachment directed at a bug infested plants works wonders.  The water spray knocks off aphids, mites, spittlebugs, cochineal scale and even mealybugs!  Just be sure to spray with cool water and get both the upper and lower leaf surfaces.  Bugs aren’t too smart, so they won’t figure out how to crawl back up on the plant.  But if spider mites are the problem, spray on a weekly basis for three or four weeks.  The additional sprays will catch the newly hatched mites before they mature and lay more eggs.%0A%0A	Sometimes, water may not be enough to thoroughly rid your plants of mites, whitefly and cochineal scale.  So the next step is to use a mild soap spray.  Any liquid dish washing detergent will work, but the household brand with the best insecticidal properties is Palmolive.  Mix one tablespoon of liquid detergent in one gallon of water.  Or, for smaller jobs mix one-half teaspoon of soap  in a pint-sized spray misting bottle of water.%0A%0A	A great organic control for a large range of insect pests is a product called Neem. It’s a natural extract from the Neem tree, indigenous to India, and discovered to have excellent natural insecticidal properties. Neem oil is effective in the control of soft bodied insects such as aphids, whiteflies, and mealy bugs.  Neem also acts as a growth regulator, effective in the larval control of moths, butterflies, beetles, flies, true bugs. In addition, it controls aphids, thrips, mealybugs and leaf miners. Neem growth regulator is sold under several brand names including; Neemix (Neemix), Bionim (Bionim (Bionim), Neemazol (Neemozol) and Neemactin (Neemactin).  One or more are available at most garden centers.%0A	%0A	Just a mention of B.T. which has been used by home gardeners for the past 20 or so years.  Bacillus thuringiensis (Bacillus thruiingiensis) (BT) is a great, non-toxic material for the control of leaf feeding caterpillars including; tomato horn worms (tomato horn worms), orange dog caterpillars (orange dog caterpillars), cabbage loopers (cabbage loopers), cutworms (cutworms), Texas mountain laurel caterpillars (Texas mountain laurel caterpillars), and grape leaf skeletonizers (grape leaf skeletonizers).   The bacteria in this product is toxic only to caterpillars and other leaf feeding insects and has no harmful effects on beneficial insects, birds, wildlife, pets or humans.  %0A%0A	Oil sprays, such as ‘Sun Spray’ (Sun Spray) and ‘Saf-T-Cide’ (Saf-T-Cide) are excellent products for the control of hard shell scale insects.  Both of these products are highly refined summer oils that can be applied to plants in temperatures up to 90 degrees without damage to the plant.  Hard shell scales are sucking insects who hide under a shell covering.  They are frequently found on citrus (citrus), pittosporum (pittosporum) , Indian hawthorn (Indian hawthorn), and roses (roses).  The oil spray coats the bugs and suffocates them.  %0A%0A	Finally, before using any of the above mentioned controls, determine whether control is even necessary!  Aphids (aphids), thrips (thrips), spittlebugs (spittlebugs), orange dog caterpillars (orange dog caterpillars)and leaf miners (leaf miners) cause little or real plant injury.  There are also a number of types of beneficial insects out there preying on %0Athe bad bugs, keeping them in check!%0A%0AWritten by John Begeman, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the University of Arizona,%0A520-626-5161. |October 21, 2007|