Started showing up last season. Didn't realize it until the fall and almost lost 2 nice crape-myrtle because of it, leaves look moldy and fall off early at the end of the season. These buggies just started showing up this week, I have bombed all of the crape-myrtle with Spectracide Triazicide insect killer, I am not seeing much results, I just did a 2nd treatment 2 days later. Would a Malathion based spray be better? Should I do something with the mulch too (new mulch was just put down)?
Here is a pic:
i.imgur.com/7uozk.jpg
Thanks,
Chris
Bugs On Crape Myrtle
Filed Under: Insects, Diseases and Fungus · Keywords: Small, Green, Bugs, On, Crape Myrtle · 442 Views
2 Answers
Answer #2 · Brent Wilson's Answer · Those look like honeydew aphids to me. They hang out on the underside of leaves during the day and then move to the top of the leaves at night. The black sooty substance on the leaves and stems is the result of a sticky residue the aphids leave on the leaves. This residue then collects dust, dirt and pollution. This is a very common thing with crape myrtles that usually happens near the end of the warm season when leaves are about to fall off anyway. It's not necessary to spray because these aphids do very little if any damage to the tree. The sooty mold look is worse than anything. If you want to eliminate these bugs you could use malathion or a product containing Neem oil. You need to spray on both the top and underside of the leaves.
Hope this info helped.)
Hope this info helped.)
Additional comments about this answer:
Chris Schema · Gardenality Genius · Zone 8B · 15° to 20° F
We almost lost 2 out of 7 of our crape myrtle, and at least 2 became severely stunted, they was their 2nd summer in the ground from 15gal potted plantings. The lost all their leaves before the fall season last year and some of the 2" thick older growth completely died off.
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Answer #1 · Sandy McGinnis's Answer · I wonder if liquid sevin mixed up in a pump up spayer would do the trick?)
Additional comments about this answer:
Chris Schema · Gardenality Genius · Zone 8B · 15° to 20° F
[quote]The look like aphids.[/quote]
That is what my first guess was too. Could be white flies?
Either way I have a bottle of insect spray (Pyrethrins is primary Insecticide) that has aphids and white flies listed (along with a lot of other buggies).
Brent Wilson · Gardenality Administrator · Zone 8A · 10° to 15° F
Pyrthrin would work fine as well. If it's white flies, they will need to be sprayed again in precisely 72 hours from the initial spraying which only gets the adults. The second spraying gets the hatchlings.
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Copyright © 2008-2012 WYW Group, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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No text or images on this web site may be used without direct written permission from WYW Group, LLC. Terms and Conditions | Privacy Policy | Code of Conduct | Credits
Gardenality.com was designed and developed by web development firm, Dot Designers.
Gardenality's founders are proud servants of Jesus and our heart's greatest desire is to live for His everlasting renown.