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shive_gw

Photos from a garden under siege

shive
10 years ago

I have never seen so many different kinds of bugs devouring daylily buds and flowers. The aphids left my garden alone in the early spring. They must have been too confused by the temperature swings to hatch. But now I've got legions of thrips who don't respond to my usual arsenal of chemicals, and two new evil insects I've never seen before. If anyone knows what these are, let me know. The first was a small orange and black bug with a rectangular body about one-eighth inch long. These bugs eat buds, particularly buds of yellow and pink flowers. They got almost all my buds on Aztec Headdress. The buds they don't eat, they lay black eggs on. The other bug is black and looks round. It's about one-sixteenth inch. This one eats flowers in a matter of minutes. I call into evidence this bloom of Gilded by Grace.

The bug battle is why I haven't posted many garden shots. There were a few unmarred, unbitten blooms today here and there.

ARCTIC LACE

LORD OF THE WIND and PATRICIA SNIDER MEMORIAL

AWESOME APPLIQUE

ETHEL BUCCOLA looks perfect everyday. Not only is she immune from the bug infestation, the slugs leave her alone too.

WINTER TREASURE, so far so good with this one too.

Debra

Comments (20)

  • jean_ar
    10 years ago

    gee, they sure devoured that first bloom. am so sorry daebra the bugs are loving your blooms.I haven't been bothered a lot with bugs, the thrips got a couple of the purple blooms, but,I sprayed all the buds soon as they showed a little crack in the bud,I sprayed the buds and not the whole plantI ben using this ortho flower and rose spray on the buds. have sprayed them 3 times,and so far, had good luck for the most part.

    jean

  • Nancy Barginear
    10 years ago

    The ones the bugs have not attacked are certainly beautiful! Sorry to hear of your bug problem. Thrips are having a blast here, even though we have repeatedly sprayed for them.

    Nancy

  • shive
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Jean - I bought some of the Ortho Rose and Flower spray this afternoon. I used two bottles, but it wasn't enough to finish the garden. I had used a systemic in mid-May on about half my beds, but these two new bugs could care less. I have also been spraying with Spinosad to no avail.

    Nancy - Do you think these are new super thrips bred to survive even the harshest chemicals?

    Debra

  • mizellie
    10 years ago

    Well Debra, what you have is very beautiful. The thrips are going hog wild here too. I haven't seen the weird new ones yet. I have sprayed a couple of times but so far, it hasn't helped...Ellie

  • Nancy
    10 years ago

    Oh, that poor Gilded by Grace bloom. Knock on wood, I haven't been troubled by too many bugs here. Haven't even yet seen the (shush-evil Japanese beetles). No thrips yet, blooms are just starting. Early blooms are starting off perfect, opening nicely & not splotchy, even on the ones that are notorious for splotchiness here.
    Love your photo of Lord of the Wind with Patricia Snider Memorial

  • maximus7116
    10 years ago

    I can't identify your bugs, but I'd be breaking out the chemical weapons, too. I've never had to spray for any bugs here.

    Has Arctic Lace ever not looked perfect for a photo shoot? Both whites are beautiful.

  • flowergirl70ks
    10 years ago

    I think the tiny round black ones are what we call flea beetles here. So far I have found them on allysum and kohlrabi. As nearly as I know you have to get a direct hit to kill them. They have a hard shell.

  • houstmag
    10 years ago

    So sorry to hear about your problems with bugs but on the bright side you still have a lot of stellar looking blooms.
    Linda

  • marricgardens
    10 years ago

    Hi Debra. Do the orange bugs lay eggs in a slimy black mass? If so, it sounds like the lily beetle. I did not know they went after daylilies. As far as I know there is no remedy for them, we just till the ground to expose them to the birds or handpick. As for the black mass, if this is the lily beetle, it will be washed off with a strong jet of water. That's only if it is the lily beetle. We have a pesticide ban up here so there may be something you can get that would work. As for the flea beetles, a hand vac would work (my next plan). When you walk past the plant, just tap the foliage with your hand and they will attempt to fly away. They're hard to catch because they are fast so that's why I considered trying the hand vacuum. Another way to catch them is with sticky yellow stakes placed near the plants. Just smear the stakes with Vaseline and wipe off when it's covered with insects and reapply. Hope some of this may help. Marg

  • shive
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Marg - Sticky traps are one thing I haven't tried. Good suggestion! I've used them for aphids before. That will be my next weapon. Both of the new bugs like yellow.

    Debra

  • booberry85
    10 years ago

    Hello, sorry about your pest problems. I agree with the above about the small black bug. I think its a flea beetle. They would attack my eggplants. Rarely would they kill the plant but they'd leave the leaves of the plant looking like Swiss cheese.

    The other orange and black bug, is it striped or spotted? It could be a potato beetle or a cucumber beetle. I thought lily beetle were more red than orange. The only thing I found to kill cucumber beetles is Sevin dust. Hate using that stuff. It's bad for all insects & worms.

    As you may have guessed, I am very into vegetable gardening and just got into daylilies last year.

    This post was edited by booberry85 on Thu, Jun 13, 13 at 10:07

  • shive
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    The new bugs are not eating the foliage. They're eating buds and flowers.

    Marg and Booberry - The orange bugs are not lily beetles. I've had those before. The black mass of eggs will not wash off the buds. The orange bug is mostly dark orange with black on the edges of the wings and a small black head. I'll look up flea beetle to see if that's the round one.

    Debra

  • deangreen
    10 years ago

    that last picture is perfect. very nice!

  • shive
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Dean - I think you're really liking those near whites today.

    Marg, Booberry and all - 'I've identified the orange and black bugs. They're nymphs of the stink bug. I do think the round ones look like they could be potato flea beetles.Maybe Lowes will have some yellow sticky traps. If not, I'll have to make my own.

    Debra

  • jean_ar
    10 years ago

    Debra, That Ortho rose and flower spray also comes in a gallon jug with a battery operated sprayer on it.I didn't know that, and asked my daughter to pick up a bottle of it for me,and she came back with this gallon jug with the attached sprayer on it. I tried it, but, since I broke my right wrist in November and it didn't heal just right,I have no strength in my hand now to use that kind, at least not on this sprayer as it takes more hand strength then I have now, so we poured some in my empty spray bottle and I use it that way, sure hope it ends your bug problem.

    jean

  • shive
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Jean - Home Depot didn't have the gallon jugs when I bought the small spray bottles yesterday. I'm trying Lowes this afternoon. I need a lot of that stuff.

    Debra

  • avedon_gw
    10 years ago

    Debra, we are having the same problems. We have never seen so many insects and bugs on our plants, most of which we can't identify--they are brand new here. If you find a good remedy, please post and let us know what you used to get rid of the ugly pests. Now, your daylilies are beautiful, especially the pictures of PSM and Lord Of The Wind together. Avedon

  • newyorkrita
    10 years ago

    I hate it when the daylilies get slug eatten or thrip damaged.

  • Julia WV (6b)
    10 years ago

    Sorry to hear your garden is suffering but if you can get photos and post it on the GW forum for Pests and Diseases they can probably help.

    I love Winter Treasure and it does well here. I also have Awesome Applique which always puts out a beautiful bloom.

    Julia

    Here is a link that might be useful: GW Clinic: Pest & Diseases

  • Waitforspring
    10 years ago

    Debra,
    So sorry to hear about your pest problem. Since my daylilies aren't blooming yet who knows what will happen here.

    You do still have some beautiful flowers. Love Patricia Snyder Memorial every time I see it. Think my favorites today are Ethel Buccola and Winter Treasure.
    Val