Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
imagardener2

what is this bug and how to kill it organically?

imagardener2
12 years ago

{{gwi:290128}}

This white bug is eating my rose leaves to skeletons. also found on rudbeckia and blackberry leaves but not nearly as much. I prefer organic solution. Tried Organicide and no improvement. I've been picking them off but there are too many and they drop off or fly away.

Thanks

Denise

P.S. I tried to email jbuss@ufl.edu but it came back undeliverable.

Comments (20)

  • ariel73
    12 years ago

    I do not know the name of the bug, however I have had a similar beetle in my garden. I have found that walking around my garden in the morning and dropping or shaking the bug into a bucket of water to be pretty effective. I do this in the morning because their wings are wet from the dew and they can't fly away.

    Good luck

  • gatormomx2
    12 years ago

    From UF:
    Little Leaf Notcher - Artipus floridanus (Horn)
    Little leaf notcher was first reported in Florida in 1876 and is found mainly along Floridas east coast from Volusia County to the Keys. This species is the smallest of the weevils, measuring about 0.2 to 0.25 inch in length.

    They are grayish-white in color, flightless, and all female
    The life cycle is 60 to 120 days with 3 to 4 overlapping generations per year. The female lays an average of 1,220 eggs during her life span.

    This species has a wide host range of approximately 150 plant species. These weevils disperse by crawling or by passive movement on plants or equipment.

    Look for photos half way down the link.

    Here is a link that might be useful: A Guide to Soil Insect Pests Identification

  • imagardener2
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Thank you gatormomx2

    This is bad news since this weevil feeds on many, many plants including citrus and there is no known pesticide and I would only use bee-friendly anyway. It comes from Sri Lanka. Strange thing is I've gotten no new plants for many months and neighbors never buy plants for it to ride in on. Maybe it's been here for a while but in smaller numbers.

    ariel
    I've been removing by knocking into a cup but hoped for something easier and more efficient. bleh.

    Thanks for your help all.

    Denise

  • imagardener2
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    OK I read a little more and mine is NOT the Sri Lanka weevil (which has a yellow head). My critter is a FL native, they look almost identical except for the head.
    They are both bad news.

  • carolb_w_fl_coastal_9b
    12 years ago

    Not trying to be flippant, but there's 1 organic 'treatment' that works on every insect I know of - squishing!

  • gatormomx2
    12 years ago

    My favorite environmentally friendly method as well Carol.

    Good advice!

  • imagardener2
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    these are small, mobile, flying or dropping to the ground bugs. Not slow like hornworms. Quite a challenge.

    One good thing is that they are white and do not camouflage well. The bad thing added to above is that they seem smart. When they spot me they hide and if I move a leaf they either fly or drop and burrow FAST.

  • abnorm
    12 years ago

    Suggestion from the Stink-bug-thread....

    I tried a vaccuum and artist brush and was amazed at the number of stinkbugs I was able to eliminate QUICKLY !

    doug

  • scents_from_heaven
    12 years ago

    A tea made of boiled habanero peppers seems to work on almost any bug.

  • julieyankfan
    12 years ago

    Lou, as always, you made me laugh.

    If you don't know where the Sri Lankan weevil came from, just go shopping and look at where the clothes are made. They probably came in a container with the other imported items.

  • imagardener2
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    I have graduated to finger crunching after several days and several dozen weevils plopping into cuppa neem mixture. Sometimes the cup works better though if they're in a place I can't reach.

    ariel is right-morning is the best time but being obsessive I do it every time I'm in the garden. weevils be gone!

    Denise

  • tangerine
    11 years ago

    I do this every morning. My Loquat tree is loaded with these bugs. So I hosed them and the fall to the ground. Then I release my chickens from the chicken yard and boy what a feast they have. All my trees and shrubs are looking better for the effort. Just so you know. My grandson tried picking these off the leaves and putting them in a jar but the little buggers bite. So beware.

  • subtrop
    11 years ago

    I have those evil weevils,too. They are very mean, so I spray them with rubbing alcohol and I'm starting to try DM earth in my yard as well.

  • slopfrog
    11 years ago

    They're in my lychee tree bad and have been for months. I squish several every day.

    One thing I've found is that their instinct is to drop when cornered. So always cup your hand underneath them when grabbing at them and they will drop right into your hand. Then I just smash them. Never had one bite me.

    You can also shake them out of the trees. Put down a dark colored sheet under the tree and start shaking. They drop because they're scared and then are easy to smash or hit with malathion or something else you wouldn't want to spray on everything.

  • Catherine8
    10 years ago

    Ok. Simple solution. Fill large spray bottle with: 1 cup alcohol, 2 cups water, squirt of cheap dishsoap. Spray entire lychee tree including undersides of leaves quickly before the bugs see you. Wait 5 minutes. Spray entire tree off with hose. Rinse well. Doesn't harm tree, kills bugs, alcohol evaporates, bugs die from alcohol poisoning. lol. Use non-phosphate detergent, very small amount. Makes it stick to them using the surface tension of the soap. Works great for citrus trees (small) as well. Used it on my honey tangelo. Also may want to consider spraying other nearby plants. Check weekly for new arrivals. Or you can do what my grandmother did. Peel @ 5 cloves garlic,slice up, boil in water for 2-3 minutes, pour contents at base of tree. do weekly. Just don't stand too close for a day.

  • Catherine8
    10 years ago

    Ok. Simple solution. Fill large spray bottle with: 1 cup alcohol, 2 cups water, squirt of cheap dishsoap. Spray entire lychee tree including undersides of leaves quickly before the bugs see you. Wait 5 minutes. Spray entire tree off with hose. Rinse well. Doesn't harm tree, kills bugs, alcohol evaporates, bugs die from alcohol poisoning. lol. Use non-phosphate detergent, very small amount. Makes it stick to them using the surface tension of the soap. Works great for citrus trees (small) as well. Used it on my honey tangelo. Also may want to consider spraying other nearby plants. Check weekly for new arrivals. Or you can do what my grandmother did. Peel @ 5 cloves garlic,slice up, boil in water for 2-3 minutes, pour contents at base of tree. do weekly. Just don't stand too close for a day.

  • bamboo_rabbit
    10 years ago

    You could drown the bug in crude oil that is organic? You could use arsenic that is organic.

  • gnappi
    7 years ago

    While this is an old post I thought I would revive it.

    My two lychee, and three pineapple guava have been decimated by these weevils.

    After reading articles on how hard they are to control, a couple of months ago I decided to go out every evening and early morning to do battle armed with needlenosed pliers and a bright white LED flashlight.

    The bright light seems to stun or immobilize them long enough to crunch them. At first I was getting several dozen per day and now I am down to well less than 10 nightly.

    It's a pain but it only has taken me 3 or so forays per night at around 5 minutes each and my trees have rebounded nicely.

    I figure I am seruously interrupting their reproductive cycle, I have actually "interrupted" many pairs in what appeared to be the act of mating.

    What is not clear from what I read is WHERE their eggs are deposited. I read both in the ground AND on leaves but many agree that the young go into the ground to mature. So I recently sprinkled sevin dust at the base of the trees to see if I can get the cycle broken for good.



  • carolb_w_fl_coastal_9b
    7 years ago

    I've had good results using Organocide horticultural oil spray. It's mostly sesame oil.