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Plant Pests A - L listing of insect and other garden pests

Page 1 of 3 - A - L - with listing of all common garden and plant problems, pests and diseases.

Within the pest listing range, you will find some of the most common insect pest that affect many garden plants, including of course, the wide range of Aphids and other sap sucking insects.

Correct identification of your garden pest is very important before you start treating. Far better of course, to be aware of the pests that are prevalent in given seasons in order to use preventative methods before an infestation.

We have tried to provide photos of the main pests. These should help you to ascertain whether you actually have a 'pest' or it is in fact a disease.



A

Adelgid Aphids

Adelgid - white fluffy aphids that do a lot of damage

Adelgids are often mistaken for Mealy Bugs or woolly aphids. The Adelgid is a sap sucking insect – closely allied to the Aphid family – and is mainly a pest of conifers, for which reason they are often referred to as ‘Conifer Aphids’ – or ‘Wooly Conifer Aphids’.

The main difference between Aphids and Adelgids being that the Adelgid produces young by way of laying eggs. The true Aphids give birth to live young.

Adelgids are difficult to see on conifers until mid-summer when the normally black aphids, cover themselves in a white woolly fleece for protection. Young conifers can suffer a worrying degree of damage, but the Adelgids can also affect mature specimens if not treated.


Aphids in General

A crop of greenfly on a Honeysuckle

There seems to be an aphid for every occasion! Also known as 'blackfly', 'greenfly' or 'woolly aphids', they display a wide variation in colour and appearance.

Aphids overwinter as eggs on trees and shrubs. In Spring, as the weather warms up, the eggs hatch into aphids which then produce their own live young, (missing out the egg stage). Thus vast colonies can build up very quickly.

After several generations of wingless aphids, winged aphids are produced which can migrate to new host plants. Aphids feed by sucking out the plant's sap, causing deformed or stunted plant growth, damaged fruits and flowers, and curled leaves, sometimes with galls and blisters. Aphids can transmit viruses between plants, attract ants, and promote the growth of sooty mould.


Ants in General

An Ant on a leaf

Surprisingly, ants are not quite the friends we once thought. Although ants are often seen swarming over plants in the garden which are infested with aphids, attracted by the sweet honeydew, (produced by the aphids,) ants can actually promote the spread of aerial aphids, and increase the activity of root aphids when they have ants nests in the garden borders.

Garden Ants - like humans - have a varied diet, with distinct leaning towards things sweet and sticky! They are neither meat eaters or vegetarians exclusively - but omnivores, capable of eating most anything. Even the so-called meat-eating ants of warmer climates, will stop off at anything sweet and available.


General Apple Tree Problems

Wooly aphids are suckers of sap from affected plants

There are many small problems with apple trees that can easily be dealt with or even ignored!

Below, we list the problems that are normally associated with apple trees. You will be very unfortunate if you get too many of these, for growing apple trees is relatively easy and trouble free. Apple trees often get overlooked until near to harvest time. To keep your trees free of problems, a routing thorough weekly inspection should be carried out.

If you have a few spots on a few - or even all - leaves, then don't panic. You may never get to the bottom of it - but the tree will normally live on!


Apple Tree Pests Problems

Apple Maggot Flies

A pest is different to a disease! Apple tree pests are living insects, whereas disease of apple trees are normally fungus types. At one time - in the UK - it was possible to use a winter tar wash on trees, and this killed the overwintering apple tree pests for the following growing season. Tar oil wash has now been banned, though it is still possible to get other types of winter wash treatment for apple tree pests.

It is absolutely essential that you identify firstly whether it is a pest or disease causing problems, and then apply the correct treatment.


Apple Scab fungal disease - Venturia inaequalis

Apple Scab fungal disease - Venturia inaequalis

This Apple Scab fungal disease - Venturia inaequalis - does much more harm than is generally realised, for it affects the health of the whole tree. But apple trees are often neglected. They are simply admired for their blossom in the spring and again for their fruit in late summer. It is little wonder that apple scab disease is allowed to take hold, for it also affects the tree bark and foliage before being noticed on the fruit at or just before harvest time.

Whilst the weather and general climate plays an important part in the spread of the disease, poor or careless care is also a factor. The appearance of scabs, brown spots or cracks in the fruit, are often the first signs for many gardeners - judging from my mailbox at this time of year. However, the fungal spores have probably been present on or around the apple tree since the previous winter. The fungal spores are not visible to the human eye, so it is generally a case if out of sight, out of mind!


Brown leaves and brown spots on Apple Trees

Apple leaf browning caused by over feeding

Apple trees seem to have a disproportionate share of problems relating to brown leaves and brown spots on leaves. Careful examination of the leaf often gives an insight as to exactly what the problem is, but sometimes we need to dig a bit deeper to find the cause of the browning of leaves or the different types of spots found on the leaves of apple trees.

Most of the problems relating to brown leaves and spots can be easily dealt with. However, there are a few which signify the impending death of the tree.

There are four basic causes of browning on apple tree leaves, being pests, diseases, cultural activities and environmental inputs. Of those four possibilities, insect and other pests are the easiest to correctly diagnose.


Brown Rotting Apples on Apple Trees

Brown rot of apples is the of the most annoying of all apple tree diseases and problems

Apples turning brown on the tree before ripening, or falling to the ground as rotten fruit, are classic signs of the fungal disease Monilinia fructigena.

Let's forget the scientific name for now, and use the common name of brown rot. It is a name that accurately describes how the fruit seems to be suffering.

If healthy apples are falling, this is probably fruit drop. Here in this article, we are talking of apples turning brown whilst still on the tree in the ripening stage. Fruit drop normally happens in early summer, brown rot of apples appears in late summer.

Brown rot of apples is the of the most annoying of all apple tree diseases and problems, though rarely fatal if dealt with.


B

Blackfly Aphids and How to Get rid of Them

Blackflys on a stem

The one good thing about Black Fly - or Blackfly - is that they are easy to see. Sometimes the other closely related aphid - the Greenfly, is not seen until it has taken a stranglehold on its plant meal.

As with all other Aphids, Black Fly is a sap sucker. It literally sucks the host plant to death. A little bit of exaggeration, in that it departs the plant that is giving it a feed, before it dies. A dead plant is of no use to this sap sucker!

As Black Fly are easy to see, we have the advantage of being able to deal with it - getting rid of it - before it can do too much damage. Even when we see the seemingly devastating effect of over-wintered broad beans, all is not lost. In this case, it simply puts the plant back a bit. kill the black fly, and the plant soon recovers.

There are three basic ways of dealing with a Black Fly infestation. Spray with an insecticide or puffer; using a biological control; or preventing them in the first place!


The Life Cycle of a Blackfly

Adelgid - white fluffy aphids that do a lot of damage

Garden pests and Aphids in particular, seem to just simply appear from nowhere. Most of them have a simply life cycle - or rather, they lead quite a simple life, which allows them to thrive - or at least survive.

The Blackfly Aphid - also known as the Black bean Aphid -is one such garden pest that regularly appears on certain plants at specific times of the year.

Knowing a little about how Blackfly lives its life, is useful in allowing us to be prepared for the invasion that so often happens, or even prevent the invasion of these sap sucking pests happening in the first place.


Stem Bark Problems on Garden Plants

Apple Tree Canker Wound

Problems on bark or inside plant stems can be caused by plant pests, plant diseases, malnutrition, physical aspects, frost damage, sun damage and many other things.

Plant stems are a good line of transport for garden pests that want to travel from leaf to leaf. Often the stem is simply used as a means of getting from point A to B. But there are a number of problems - generally associated with pests or diseases - that can cause problems directly to the plant stem. On the pest side, slugs are quite happy to chomp away at the more tender stems, whilst some fungal diseases cause problems with plant stems also. Blackleg fungus is one such disease which affects plant stems.

In some instances, plants seem to have simply 'collapsed' at or near ground level. This can be caused either by pests eating at the base of the stem, or by various fungi that cause problem. Damping off of seedlings, where many seedlings in a plant tray will simply collapse because of Pythium of Phytopthora fungal attacks .


Box Tree Caterpillar – (Cydalima perspectalis) Problems on Garden Plants

A Box tree caterpillar

It seems that the UK is becoming a much sought-after residence for a number of plant insect pests and diseases. One such pest is in the process of devouring many of our manicured Box (Buxus) topiary features and trimmed – or informal – box hedges; The Box Tree Caterpillar. The moth is also present of course, but in itself is relatively harmless – other than the fact that it needs a host for its clutch of minute eggs.

The moth has been visible for a number of years, but the effects of its offspring – the caterpillars – only since year 2011. It would have been present since first reports of moth sightings of course, but the increasing damage to Buxus shrubs makes it more evident now. The moth is capable of three hatchings – generations – a year, so the spread of this pest is a foregone conclusion.

You may well have other plants being chewed by similar caterpillars, but they will probably be the caterpillars of the cabbage White butterfly. As the name suggests, the Box caterpillar feeds exclusively on box trees, hedges, shrubs and topiary specimen.


Bark Beetles or Shot Hole Borers

A Box tree caterpillar

When we talk of boring beetles, we are not referring to general demeanour, but of the nasty habit they have of boring into plant stems to obtain shelter and food! They are grouped together as ‘Bark Beetles’ or Shot Hole Borers’. Bark Beetles are a serious pest as they cause damage - often death - to a wide spectrum of tree types.

Bark Beetles main claim to fame was as a result of the Dutch Elm Disease infestation. This was essentially a fungal disease that was spread from tree to tree – rapidly – by the Elm Bark Beetle. There are many others which are specific to tree types – such as the Ash, Sycamore and Spruce Bark Beetles.

Shot Hole Borers is the generic name, as they leave a trail of small holes in the bark of trees, resulting from their boring into the bark layer in order to get at the soft tissue underneath – the cambium layer – where they feed and lay their eggs – unseen for the most part until the tree limb – or the whole tree starts to wilt – normally early to mid summer.


A Big Bud Mite Infestation

A Box tree caterpillar

Big Bud Mite infestation is best seen in mid-winter on both Blackcurrants and Hazels, with the affected buds being swollen and rounded - rather than the norm of pointed buds. (Black Currants more noticeable than Hazel - Cobnuts). It is not as ‘visible’ in the growing season owing to the foliage. You will not see the Big Bud Mite – simply the ‘evidence’ of their presence, by way of the rounded – rather than pointed – flowerbuds.

The Big Bud Mite is itself microscopic, entering the healthy buds in summer, then feed upon the sap in the healthy bud, causing the visible effect of the big rounded buds. The mites are generally invisible to the human eye – being fraction of a mm long.

The infected buds normally fail to open in the spring owing to the fact that they would have been populated by many hundreds of the larva which feed on the developing leaves within the bud. This leads to a general lack of foliage on the shrub – without which the Black currant cannot properly develop – and a general lack of vigour – affecting cropping and ultimately the death of the black currant bush.


Gall or Leaf Midge of Blackcurrants - Shrivelling and twisted leaves

Black Currant Leaf Gall

Galls on the leaf – normally regularly shaped domes above and sometimes below the upper surface – can be caused by a number of pests and diseases. Here we are interested in the ‘midge’ that causes galls on blackcurrant leaves. Galls sometimes materialize as larges round growths – such as the common Oak Apple gall. Cutting one of these open will reveal the maggot of the Oak Leaf Wasp, which lays its egg, then to develop into larva which causes the large gall.

Black Currant Leaf Gall

The Leaf Midge lays eggs which develop into small maggots on the Blackcurrants. These then find their way to the leaves for food, causing the young foliage to become distorted, twisted, and then turning black. The Blackcurrant Leaf Gall Midge is NOT the same as the Big Bud Mite


C

How to stop Caterpillar Damage on Garden Plants

A caterpillar eating a Leaf

Caterpillars are the young of either butterflies or moths. many are pests in the garden, so by killing the caterpillar pest which is often a voracious feeder on plant leaves and flowers, you are potentially decreasing your butterfly population in months to come!

Some caterpillars have the odd nibble - or are present in small enough numbers as to not be a severe problem. A case in point for me, would be the caterpillar of the Elephant Hawk Moth in the image above. This little beast was around 8cm long. The parent being the beautiful Elephant Hawk Moth seen in the image below...

Caterpillars come in many forms, some feeding upon foliage and flower petals, some feeding from the inside of fruit, others living their life underground and feeding upon roots of plants - the latter often known as cutworms. At least one type of caterpillar actually lives within the leaf of the plant - the Pyracantha leaf miner - a caterpillar!


How to stop CaPerennials, Annuals, Shrubs, Trees, Fruit and Vegetables

A butterfly eating a Leaf

Caterpillars generally live on vegetable matter - ie leaves, flowers, stems, roots, tubers etc. So for practical considerations, caterpillars are seen as severe garden pests that have to be controlled.

However, against that, bear in mind that some caterpillars are the young of beautiful butterflies and moths. This being the case, it is a little hypocritical to plant insect attracting plants and shrubs such as the Buddleia - butterfly bush - in order to attract butterflies to your garden, then destroy the offspring - caterpillar.

The other side of the argument would come from a vegetable gardener who has had Brassica crops decimated – almost overnight – by the caterpillars of the common Cabbage White Butterfly. Damage to Brassicas – the Cabbage family – is probably the greatest threat. This is certainly the case in commercial crops.


Box Tree Caterpillar – (Cydalima perspectalis) Problems on Garden Plants

A Box tree caterpillar

It seems that the UK is becoming a much sought-after residence for a number of plant insect pests and diseases. One such pest is in the process of devouring many of our manicured Box (Buxus) topiary features and trimmed – or informal – box hedges; The Box Tree Caterpillar. The moth is also present of course, but in itself is relatively harmless – other than the fact that it needs a host for its clutch of minute eggs.

The moth has been visible for a number of years, but the effects of its offspring – the caterpillars – only since year 2011. It would have been present since first reports of moth sightings of course, but the increasing damage to Buxus shrubs makes it more evident now. The moth is capable of three hatchings – generations – a year, so the spread of this pest is a foregone conclusion.

You may well have other plants being chewed by similar caterpillars, but they will probably be the caterpillars of the cabbage White butterfly. As the name suggests, the Box caterpillar feeds exclusively on box trees, hedges, shrubs and topiary specimen.


Clearwing Moth on Blackcurrants, Redcurrants and Gooseberries

A Box tree caterpillar

Clearwing moths - Synanthedon tipuliformis Clerck - are normally noticed on Black Currant, red Currants and Gooseberries as a result of dead or dying shoots. It is one of the smaller moths, with a total wingspan of no more that 18mm. As the wings are transparent – other than a dark orange leading edge, but also with some black markings, and it flies by day, it is not too easy to spot.

It is said to affect raspberries, but we have found no evidence of this.

The body is quite distinctive – if rather small – generally dark brown with three narrow yellow girth rings. This sometimes leads to a mistaken identification of wasp or hover fly.


Codling Moth Caterpillar is a pest of fruit trees

The Adult Codling Moth

The Codling moth and its larvae are severe pests to Apples, Plums and Pears. The larvae burrow into the center of the fruit and eat out channels within the fruit which makes them inedible - or for commercial growers - unsalable. They drop from the maturing fruit late summer, leaving deposits in their tunnels that they have bored and fed from in the fruit.

The Codling Moth is a small moth for the amount of damage it can do, being 1 – 2 cm long at most. It has grey wings with mottling, the length of their small bodies and almost wrapped around as a cover or shroud. A good camouflage as it blends in with tree bark admirably.

It is the larvae or grub that does the damage, and it is important to understand their relatively simple lifestyle or life cycle in order to combat this troublesome pest of fruit – and nut trees.


A Chafer Grub Damages Roots on Garden Plants

Chafer Grubs damage roots and underground stems of many plants during the winter and spring months as they overwinter in the soil

The Chafer grub causes a lot of root damage – mainly to lawns. However Chafer Beetle grubs can also cause limited damage in borders and the vegetable plot. In the borders, they are happy to eat the roots of younger plants, and the damage can often be mistaken for the similar symptoms of vine weevil beetle. The foliage of young plants wilts, quickly followed by the death of the rootless plant!

In the vegetable garden it will feed upon roots and also gnaw into tubers and bulbs. Potatoes in particular can be affected. In this instance there will be no visible above-ground symptoms until the crop is harvested.

A tell tale sign that Chafer Grubs are in attendance, is the presence of larger birds – crows in particular – pecking away at the soil. In rural areas, foxes sometimes cause problems by digging deep especially in the winter months, in search of the nutritious grub!


A Chafer Beetle Damages Leaves on Garden Plants

an adult Chafer Beetle

There are several types of Chafer Beetle that cause damage to plant leaves. And, of course there is the cockchafer Beetle grub, which causes severe root damage. All Chafers are members of the Coleoptera family, and known by various names - 'Maybug' being one.

They fly at night, and have often been the cause of concern when flying into windows - attracted by the light.

The Cockchafer shown in the image can grow to a size of 4cms. Some of the smaller chafer beetles to just 1cm. The cock Chafer beetle causes damage to leaves - biting out irregular shaped holes in foliage - sometimes the edges - sometimes holes in the leaf itself.


Cutworms are caterpillars that live just below the soil surface

an adult Cutworm

Cutworms emerge from beneath the soil in the evenings to feed on the surface. They often cut off young plants by cutting through the stems at ground level.

They are the caterpillars of the Cutworm Moth and primarily do damage in early season as the young plants are tender and easy to eat.

Some cutworms are darker brown. Some cutworms also climb up the plant and damage leaves and flowers, but most serious damage is done with the cutting off of young plants.


Clay-Coloured Weevils are small beetles that feed on leaves

an adult Clay Coloured Weevils are small beetles that feed on leaves

Clay Coloured Weevils are small beetles that feed on leaves and bark, causing problems on tough leaved plants such as Rhododendrons, Camellias, Azaleas and Laurels. They also feed on emerging buds - flower and foliage. In the shrub area, they seem to affect those with leathery leaves most – such as the Camellias and Rhododendrons.

They differ in many respects to the Vine Weevil Beetle, but the main difference – other than visual – is that they feed on the bark of ornamentals as well as the leaves mentioned above.

Clay Coloured Weevils also feed on fruit, in particular Raspberries, causing damage to the canes overall and also directly affecting the fruit, and are normally active through from spring to early autumn.


How to control and kill Capsid Bugs

Capsid bugs are not too particular in which plant they feed on

Typically, the Capsid Bug attacks young shoots of plants, leaving the growing tip distorted and normally full of small holes. Further damage is caused by the fact that as the Capsid Bug sucks the sap, it also leaves a toxin behind.

The generic name of Capsid Bug covers a number of different species, but all have the same characteristics as far as the gardener is concerned. They are small beetle-like insects, with long jointed legs and very visible feelers or antennae.

Flowers are often affected, with resulting flowers being peppered with small holes or with damage to the edges of flowers from emerging flower buds.

It is more likely that you will notice the damage caused by the insect - rather than the Capsid Bug insect itself. They normally attack in single or small numbers, rather than the typical greenfly onslaught.


Is Cuckoo Spit a Problem to Plants

The cuckoo spit 'nest' together with the disturbed Froghopper

Unsightly but not really a problem is the best way to sum up Cuckoo spit, or Froghopper if we are talking of the adult form. (Scientifically is goes under the name of Philaenus spumarius.)

The small adult insects that are subject to the name Froghopper, because of their jumping prowess – especially when threatened – lays its eggs on plant stems in May –June. Grassy plants on thee edges of woodland are a favourite habitat, but it also enjoys areas of the garden where perennials and grasses with long stems are growing.

The emerging larva then cover themselves in a frothy coating giving it the other name of Cuckoo Spit. The ‘Cuckoo’ part probably as a result of it appearing at the same time as the sound of the first cuckoos! (That’s the theory anyway!) In reality it is a concoction of plant sap and natural ‘excretion’ from the cuckoo spit larva.


D

Are Dragonflies Bad for my Garden?

Dragon Fly Lavae

No. Dragonflies are not harmful to plants, in fact they prey on most insects which are bad for your garden.

The Dragonfly Larvae are dangerous to your fishpond though. They will eat anything and everything up to their own size including baby fish. This can make the natural chemical balance of your pond go from good to bad and will need treating. Best to remedy as soon as detected.

As intimidating the Dragonfly maybe, they are also totaly harmless to humans, so Dragonflies are the gardeners friend, where as their Larvae are not.


E

The Eelworm Nematode

Nematodes sometimes cause growth on roots of some plants

Unexplained damage to foliage and flowers. Chrysanthemum, Phlox, Penstemons, Oenothera, Gypsophyla, Aubretia and bulbs.

Eelworms are a pest, but for practical purposes, they can be treated like an incurable disease of plants.

The Eelworm Nematode is invisible to the human eye - in most cases. It is only the result of their damage that we actually see, and there is no treatment available to the amateur gardener, so best to remove the infected plant and burn. In many instances it also means no planting of the same type of plant in the same area for many years.


How to kill and control Earwigs

An Earwig

Earwigs can run quite quickly, so that would suggest that they are 'hunters' rather than vegetarians! They do in fact like a feast of aphids, so might not be totally accepted as a garden pest. Much depends upon your tolerance level of things creepy-crawly!

The main damage caused to plant by Earwigs, is small holes in foliage and flowers of some plants. Dahlias and Chrysanthemums in particular. The type of flowers associated with these plants, makes for a good hiding place for the long bodied insects. Earwigs have a nasty habit of dropping out of cut flower arrangements!

Affected blooms will have ragged edges where the Earwigs supplement their aphid meal with a 'veggie' course - not good for those wishing to grow prize blooms.


F

How to Kill Flea Beetles

A Flea Beetle

Flea Beetles are little black beetles that eat the leaves of Brassica plants - Cabbage, Cauliflower, Wallflowers, Stocks, Alyssum etc.

The jump - just like fleas - when they are disturbed, are normally black, but can also be brown and just visible, being a few millimetres long.

Different types of Flea Beetles attach a specific plant range. The most troublesome for the gardener, are the ones that enjoy the Brassica family!


How to Kill Fruit Slugworms

A Fruit Slugworm

As the fruit Slugworm name suggests, this sawfly larvae pest looks halfway between a slug and a worm - Even leech-like. It feeds upon the upper surface of leaves from a wide range of fruit trees and ornamentals, such as apples, pears, plums, Cherries, Crataegus and Sorbus varieties.

Damage normally becomes visible from June until October (Leaf fall) and is apparent with the lace like skeleton or brown patches often left behind.


G

Gooseberry Sawfly Damage

Typical sawfly damage - here seen on an azalea

The small caterpillars of the Gooseberry Sawfly can soon ruin a plant if not spotted and treated in good time. Small, black-spotted green caterpillars - up to 2.5cm long get to work and can strip a Gooseberry bush of leaves in just a few days. it can also attack currants with the same devastating effect.

With around three generations in a year, the sawfly is a serious pest, and unless close watch is kept, can be a very serious problem. The common name is the very descriptive, Spotted Gooseberry Sawfly caterpillars.

As soon as the foliage breaks in early April, do regular checks for this pest. If just a few are noticed, then they can be picked off by hand. However, Provado is a good systemic insecticide to use, or Bifenthrin can be used as a contact spray.


Greenfly, Blackfly and Woolly Aphids Damage

A crop of greenfly on a Honeysuckle

There seems to be an aphid for every occasion! Also known as 'blackfly', 'greenfly' or 'woolly aphids', they display a wide variation in colour and appearance.

Aphids overwinter as eggs on trees and shrubs. In Spring, as the weather warms up, the eggs hatch into aphids which then produce their own live young, (missing out the egg stage). Thus vast colonies can build up very quickly.

After several generations of wingless aphids, winged aphids are produced which can migrate to new host plants. Aphids feed by sucking out the plant's sap, causing deformed or stunted plant growth, damaged fruits and flowers, and curled leaves, sometimes with galls and blisters. Aphids can transmit viruses between plants, attract ants, and promote the growth of sooty mould.


H

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 K

L

Plant Leaf Problems and Damage in General

leaf scorch

The leaves of a plant are usually the first indicators that there is a problem somewhere with the plant. Often, what you see on the leaf is not the real problem, but simply shows up as an indicator that all is not well somewhere in the plant.

In terms of water provision and nutrients, the leaf is usually at the furthest point away from the source - the roots. But many problems at the roots of the plant will tend to show up firstly in the foliage of the plant.

Leaves are invariable the lushest, tastiest and most nutritious part of the plant - easy to chew and digest - so apt to be on the food menu for a whole range of insect pests as well as for us humans. Leaf chewers, sap suckers, and all manner of vegetarians of the insect world find what they need to sustain themselves in the foliage of plants.


Damage caused by Leaf Cutter Bees

leaf scorch

Leaf Cutter Bees are similar in size to the ordinary honey bee - but usually more hairy. They are solitary living bees and do not swarm or gather in groups. They are darker coloured than ordinary bees, but with bright yellow banding of the abdomen.

The damage they do to leaves is normally semi-circular chunks cut out of the leaf edges. They carry the cut out bit to make their nests - not simply eating the foliage.

They are harmless unless handled - rarely stinging unless severely provoked.


Leaf Rolling Sawfly on Roses

sawfly eating a rose leaf

Leaf Rolling Sawfly damage is easy to see. The leaf rollers literally roll up the leaves - often on rose bushes - and lay their egg inside the cosy little nest they have formed. The egg hatches out into a grey green grub - caterpillar - that feeds on the sap from within its home.

The rolled up leaf normally shrivels and dies.

Damage starts in late spring, as leaves at the tips of new growth are drawn down to form a circular 'enclosure' for the eggs to be laid and resulting grubs to feed on the leaves and sap.


Leaf Miner Damage

Leaf Miner | If you hold an infected leaf up to the light, then you may see the larvae inside its tunnel

Leaf Miners - descriptively named because of their 'mining' action in leaves - are the larvae of several different types of moths, flies etc. The Leaf Miner larvae dig themselves into the very heart of the leaf, between the top and bottom layers, and then burrow along inside having a nice meal, and leaving a rather unsightly 'trail' behind them. Sometimes known as Leafminers.

They are particularly troublesome on some plants - Chrysanthemums, Nasturtiums, Hollies, Cinerarias, Gerberas and Pyrethrums to name the most affected.

As the little bug is well and truly inside the leaf, spraying is not normally the best option. If you have a bad infestation, then spray with a systemic insecticide or Malathion. (NOTE Malathion cannot be used on certain plants!) Imidacloprid is a good spray to use at the start of an infection. It is marketed in UK under name of Provado.


Leaf Weevil damage

The green Leaf Weevil is a common pest of Oaks, Birches, Sorbus and Beech

Leaf weevils come in many different colours and shapes. Basically they are all slow moving beetle type insects. In UK, The green Leaf Weevil is a common pest of Oaks, Birches, Sorbus and Beech - causing damage to leaves. The Green Leaf Weevil can be present in large numbers, but rarely stay around for long after they have caused the initial damage (Which can happen quite quickly).

Edges of leaves are mostly damaged, though sometimes with holes in the leaf. It is normally active in late spring early summer. Its damage is not confined to those trees listed above. Other trees can also have leaf damage. As with the Vine Weevil Beetle - a far greater pest in the garden - the larvae feed on roots during the winter months.


Leafhopper damage to Chrysanthemums and other garden plants

There are several different types of leaf hoppers

Leafhoppers - as their name suggests - will hop about when disturbed on plants.

The classic symptoms of leafhopper damage, is pale flecks on the leaves of Chrysanthemums, Pelargoniums and Primulas. Other plant may also be affected. The damage caused is insignificant, though the little bugs are capable of spreading viruses from plant to plant - especially the case with Chrysanthemums and Pelargoniums and increasingly, a fungal disease to rhododendrons and azaleas.

Small green bugs - quite lively when disturbed - often found on the underside of leaves and their cast of skins are often mistaken for whitefly cast-offs.


What Causes Brown Patches to a Leylandii Conifer Hedge?

The Cypress Aphid attacks a Leylandii Hedge

The scourge of neighbours and gardeners alike is seemingly under attack - literally, from a small bug - The Cypress Aphid!

It is causing severe damage and even death to Leylandii hedges throughout the UK.

Love them or hate them, the Leylandii conifer is under threat - certainly for the short to medium term. Prolonged spells of mild weather has led to a dramatic increase in population of this insect, and as many will be aware, there is a plentiful food source, with Leylandii hedges aplenty!


Leather Jackets Damage Plant Roots

The adult Cranefly emerges from the soil

Leatherjackets - the larvae of the Cranefly - are normally associated with damage on lawns. However, they can also be a root eating pest on other crops in borders or vegetable plots. Old un-tended allotment plot are particularly vulnerable, though it seems that the adult cranefly prefers an interrupted approach to the soil or grass where the eggs are to be laid.

Leatherjackets are the larvae of Craneflies and they feed upon roots or underground stems such as corms and tubers. They can create havoc with root crops or seedlings in the vegetable garden and also different types of borders.

Nemasys - a biological control - can be used but the leatherjacket grubs can best be dealt with by ordinary cultivation procedures such as digging and hoeing. there are no soil insecticide treatments available.


How to control and kill the Lily Beetle

a Lily Beetle

Lily beetles are quite attractive and sometimes even mistaken for ladybirds. Not so! The bright red beetles can cause a lot of damage with a wide range of plants in the Lilium family and also on Fritillaria imperialis - Crown Imperials.

Whilst the adult Lily Beetle might look attractive, its larvae has the disgusting habit of covering itself in its own excrement in order to avoid detection and therefore being a meal for birds etc!

The tell tale signs are the chunks eaten out of the leaves of lilies and Fritillarias. Both the adult beetle and also the larvae are voracious feeders ion the foliage and also the flowers of such plants. The larvae in particular can strip a plant of foliage and flower within a couple of days if unchecked.


Are Lacewings Garden Pests or Garden Pets

Lacewing adult, that eats aphids - so do their young lavae

Lacewings are insects with wings, extremely common, we have all seen them in the garden throughout the summer months. They have long slender bodies with are around 2cm in length and have a 4cm wing span. They have bright green bodies on most of the 18 species, some are brown, they all have transparent fairy wings with delicate lime green veins running through them. Really quite beautiful insects, but are they a garden pest? or a garden pet?

Lacewings and especially their larvae, gobble up Aphids as though there were no tomorrow. You will probably find lacewings indoors during autumn and winter; leave them to over-winter in the comfort of your home, if they are not an eyesore.

The larvae of the lacewing also eats greenfly and blackfly, and consumes many times its own body weight each day. This makes the lacewings and their larvae a good friend in the garden. However, the larvae can actually look a little bit like an 'enemy'. Please study the image, and get to know this little insect as a friend. It will repay you handsomely by feasting on your aphids - as can be seen in the image.


Is Lichen in the Garden Trees, Walls and Paving a Problem?

Lichen on the Bark of a Tree

Lichen is a complex organism, sometimes referred to as a fungus; sometimes algae; sometimes moss. Two of those descriptions are nearly right for lichen is a combination of two separate and unrelated forms of plant life - being part algae and part fungus. The two parts combine together to make up the organism that we refer to as lichen.

Whilst Lichen is a combination of two different organisms of fungi and algae, it is dissimilar in many respects to either if its component parts. Lichen is its own thing! It is a quite an interesting relationship, that only thrives as lichen if both component parts are present - a symbiotic relationship, where each of the two need the other to combine into lichen.

Lichens are not parasites. If they were, they would not live happily on inert materials such as stone walls and patio paving. There are many different types of Lichen, some of which seem happy on either stone surfaces or tree trunks. They do not need their hosts for food and neither do they have root systems that search for food.


Page 1 of 3 with listing of all common garden and plant pests.





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