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What is this stuff?

User
10 years ago

My picture shows something I thought at first was white paint from my DH's paint job. But when I reached to touch it, some of it flew away, and the rest was like butterfly wing, not much substance.

Should I be worried about this? Does it indicate too much moisture? What brings these white jumping things to the stems of the hosta? Should I spray or just douse with Sevin? Or that Bayer rose and flower product I got for sawfly larva?

This makes the 3d or 4th plant seen with the highly mobile little jumpers on a stem or two.

Thanks for any help dealing with them if there is a problem.

Comments (12)

  • ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
    10 years ago

    wholly aphids..

    this years second plague ...

    spray them with water.. as you would treat all aphids ...

    ken

  • monet_g
    10 years ago

    Wooly aphids aka mealybugs - nasty little buggers. I personally use BATS on them and as a preventative. I don't want them in a ten mile radius as they can readily move to my other outdoor and indoor plants. Once they take hold, they can be difficult to eradicate.

  • User
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thanks, Ken.
    You know, I thought aphids were simply green. Never saw any other color, until I went north to Massachusetts, and saw what I thought was black mildew on the stems of my nasturtiums. My surprise, they were gummy millions of black aphids....and I was told by Mr. Jones at Jones Farms and Nurseries (Chelmsford MA, great nursery and farm store, highly recommend their breads and local items.)......that nasturtiums were usually planted as the sacrificial crop to lure aphids away from the "good stuff." Sigh......well, they did a good job of that.

    Now I see wholly aphids, with white wings no less, like powdery bird wings. At least I can spot em.

    But where are my wild birds when I need them? It is time for them to pay me back for all the free meals and living accommodations while they raised their clutches.

    Thanks for the ID on those suckers. Treatment will begin with the next dry spell....it rained all day off and on. Sort of drizzling right now even. Love a rainy night.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Eddie Rabbitt live performance video

  • User
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    And thanks too, Monet. We must have posted in passing, and I saw it just now. Mealy bugs...are those the same as mealy worms? From flour I think? They are sold as food for canaries and small caged birds. Had no idea they had this life form.

    Appreciate the input. But what is BATS? Not familiar with that acronym.

  • WILDernessWen
    10 years ago

    Hi Moccasin, I don't even want to say the A__id word because I may have won the battle this year and I don't want to jinx things. I may actually get to see some of my astilbe and coral bells bloom this year. I did spray all my companion plants with insecticidal soap and sprayed my hosta with lots of water. Now I have sooty mold on my hosta, but I've been washing an area at a time with water. The Farmers Almanac says to start spraying for A----s in May. Next year i will be ready with the BugBlaster that Babka recommended? Good luck GWF friend. BTW, I love the pics of your house and your pots, and pots, and pots of hostas. Take care, WW

  • User
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thank you, WW, I appreciate that.

    It's been a while since I had to deal with a____s, and the black mold is about as bad a problem to deal with, can't win for losing.

    But we'll prevail, just wait.

  • monet_g
    10 years ago

    BATS stands for Bayer Advanced Tree and Shrub and I should have made myself more clear. I use it on the house plants that go out for the summer. Some species that I collect are considered mealy magnets.

    I don't believe that mealybugs are the same as mealy worms, though I prefer not to have either. ;-)

  • gogirlterri
    10 years ago

    Mealy bugs and mealy worms are totally different I think. Or is it just meal worms, that are the larval form of a type of beetle. Maybe mealy worms and mealy bugs are the same and just plain meal worms are different.

    HELP! This is what I get for thinking out loud.

    LOLAM

    Theresa

  • ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
    10 years ago

    i have bats ... and i had no clue you were referring to bayer... what a hoot ... i was wondering how aggressive flying bats could be with things hiding under leaves ... lol ... double hoot ...

    and now moc is linking to music... boy.. she learns everything.. fast... lol ...

    ken

    Here is a link that might be useful: link

  • User
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Ken, learning from the master himself......
    Thanks for the link.

    Used to have bats around where we lived on the river. Great skeeter catchers. But so are purple martins.

    And, I have some BATS. That's what I use for sawfly larva. When I see lots of sawflies on my hosta leaves, out comes the spray bottle of BATS. I'm adding some crushed crab shell to the potting mix these days, and other than things smelling like the beach at low tide, it might be keeping down the slugs and the nematodes. Plus wooly aphids. Time will tell. Got a 50 lb bag of it, the UPS guy said it made his truck smell like dead fish. hehehehe.....

    That bag came from Glouster MA, and it said on the bag, PRODUCT OF CANADA. I have some Canadian crab shell in my flower pots!

  • Steve Massachusetts
    10 years ago

    Using Bayer Advance Tree and Shrub insecticide is way overkill for aphids. The active ingredient is Imidocloprid a synthetic chemical that is systemic. That means it translocates throughout all parts of the plant including the flowers and the pollen. Bees collect the pollen and bring it back to their hive. Imidocloprid acts like mustard gas on bees. It's a nerve agent. The result is that Imidocloprid as well as other neonicotinoids are a contributing factor to colony collapse disorder in honey bees.

    Aphids, including Wooly Aphids are easily controlled with insecticidal soap or neem oil. Both of these are much more benign and have less effect on non target species. The point is to use the least intrusive method that will work on the problem. Please read the link below.

    Oh yeah, I know people do it, but using a product "off label" is against Federal law.

    Steve

    Here is a link that might be useful: UC-IPM online Wooly Aphids

  • User
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thanks for the information, Steve. I prefer the less intrusive and deadly solution to garden problems. Will save the information in my clippings.