Advice for the Home Gardener from the Help Desk of the
UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County
Help Desk Client: I think I have insects destroying my lawn. Would you please tell me what they are and what I can do to eliminate them?
reveal 2 masked chafer larvae on soil.
The drench test will not identify one common lawn grub that feeds on the roots of turf grasses—the masked chafer or white grub. For guidance on identifying and managing that pest, you will want to consult this UC website: http://ipm.ucanr.edu/TOOLS/TURF/PESTS/inchaf.html
I hope that this information is useful. I apologize that we didn't have time to deal with some of your other garden questions. As we discussed, a good way to communicate with us about those problems will be to send us an email or come visit us at our office (below).
Help Desk of the UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County (tkl)
Note: UC Master Gardeners Program of Contra Costa's Help Desk is available almost year-round to answer your gardening questions. Except for a few holidays (e.g., last 2 weeks December), we're open every week, Monday through Thursday for walk-ins from 9:00 am to Noon at 2380 Bisso Lane, Concord, CA 94520. We can also be reached via telephone: (925) 608-6683, email: ccmg@ucanr.edu, or on the web at http://ccmg.ucanr.edu/Ask_Us/. MGCC Blogs can be found at http://ccmg.ucanr.edu/HortCoCo/ You can also subscribe to the Blog.
Advice for the Home Gardener from the Help Desk of the
UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County
Client's Requests: I have these pests on EVERYTHING from my tomato plants to my Rose bushes & flowers to my Lambs Ear plant! I'm certain the green worms are eating these because I've seen them on the leaf undersides. However, I'm not certain if the beetles are eating as well. I have an infestation of both pests every year along with White Flies & Aphids!! 😬 We've sprayed with ALL the common treatments from Neem Oil to calling the pest control man. They continue to come back and destroy nearly every flower, or plant I have. Any thoughts??? Thank you, Very frustrated!
Help Desk Response: Thank you for contacting the UC Master Gardener Program Help Desk. You asked about insects in your yard. There aren't insects named green horned worm or red boxed beetles, but you probably mean the tomato hornworm (a green worm with a pointy "horn" on its rear) and possibly the box elder bug or the red-shouldered bug.
T

The insect you refer to as red boxed beetles could be either box elder bugs or red-shouldered bugs, also known as golden rain tree or soapberry bugs. Neither of these bugs does much damage to ornamental or fruit trees. You might be seeing the red-shouldered bugs right now. They are out in numbers in my yard. They eat the seeds of the golden rain tree or other related plants, but nothing else. Both of these bugs are more of a nuisance than a pest that needs to be controlled. Here is more information about box elder bugs: http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn74114.html.


You also mentioned problems with aphids and whiteflies which are very common pests throughout the County. The links below are to more information about both of these pests: http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7404.html and http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7401.html.
It is important to identify the pest before spraying. There are some pests that are controlled by natural predators that won't become more prevalent if the predators are indiscriminately killed by sprays. It is easier to deal with problems when they are caught early. As you notice something amiss, either damage from insects or disease, feel free to contact us. Photos of the problem/pest will help us diagnose it and enable us to send you information on what to do.
Please don't hesitate to contact us again if you have more questions.
Don't miss our 2019 Great Tomato Plant Sale - Walnut Creek 3/30, Richmond 4/6, Antioch 4/13. Click here for more information:http://ccmg.ucanr.edu/tomato/ |
Help Desk of the UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County (SEH)
Note: UC Master Gardeners Program of Contra Costa's Help Desk is available almost year-round to answer your gardening questions. Except for a few holidays (e.g., last 2 weeks December), we're open every week, Monday through Thursday for walk-ins from 9:00 am to Noon at 2380 Bisso Lane, Concord, CA 94520. We can also be reached via telephone: (925) 608-6683, email: ccmg@ucanr.edu, or on the web at http://ccmg.ucanr.edu/Ask_Us/. MGCC Blogs can be found at http://ccmg.ucanr.edu/HortCoCo/ You can also subscribe to the Blog.
/table>Advice for the Home Gardener from the Help Desk of the
UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County
MGCC's Help Desk Response: Thank you for contacting the UC Master Gardener Program Help Desk with a question about your elm tree. Thanks also for sending good photos of the leaves, and especially of the insect. The insect is an elm leaf beetle, and it chews small round holes in elm leaves. A heavy infestation of the beetles can actually defoliate a tree, and multiple years of this will weaken the tree and cause its decline.
Managing elm leaf beetles will require an integrated program that includes good cultural care, conservation of natural enemies, regular monitoring, and possibly insecticides and bark banding by a licensed tree care company.
Cultural care: Elm trees are native to areas with summer rainfall, so you will need to give them adequate irrigation during our dry months. Pruning should be done just to remove dead branches. Avoid unnecessary pruning.
Preserving natural predators: Predators of elm leaf beetles include earwigs, lacewing larvae, some ground beetles and several others. To preserve these in your landscape, minimize pesticide application on surrounding areas and use less-persistent products, or apply pesticides in a band on the trunk (this will kill larvae when they crawl down the tree to pupate, thus reducing next year's problem). Bark banding, while it can be effective, may require application by a licensed pest control operator because the chemicals are not available for home use. Short-lived contact sprays of oils such as Neem oil or horticultural oil, or Spinosad can work, but only if the tree can be thoroughly sprayed, which is unlikely in a tree as large as yours.
Systemic insecticides can also be used for control of elm leaf beetles. These are applied to one area of the tree (bark, roots, etc.) and are moved to other parts of the tree (leaves). These pesticides when injected into the tree, or into the soil, minimize environmental contamination. Because elms flower before leaves come out, and are wind pollinated, the risk of harming beneficial pollinator insects is low when using a systemic insecticide on elms.
This link will take you to more information about elm leaf beetles: http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7403.html.
There are other things that can cause problems for elm trees. The dead and dying branches at the top of the tree may be from a lack of water, but could be from a disease such as verticillium wilt which typically shows with dying branches at the top of the tree. Keeping your tree happy with adequate irrigation is probably the best thing you can do. For more information on elm tree pests and diseases see: http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/GARDEN/PLANTS/elm.html.
I don't know specifically how large your tree is (e.g., width), but it can take up to 200 gallons of water a week appropriately applied to keep a large elm healthy. Elms are listed as needing moderate water (in a range of very low to high). To calculate how much water you should be applying each month, go to this website: http://www.waterwonk.us/how-much/ where you can input the size of the tree (and that is how wide do the branches spread tip-to-tip) and the month. It will calculate the amount of water needed for optimal care.
Please let us know if you have more questions.
Good luck!
Help Desk of the UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County (SEH)
Note: The UC Master Gardeners Program of Contra Costa's Help Desk is available year-round to answer our gardening questions. Except for a few holidays, we're open every week, Monday through Thursday for walk-ins from 9:00 am to Noon at 75 Santa Barbara Road, 2d Floor, Pleasant Hill, CA 94523, although we will be moving this spring. We will notify you if/when that occurs. We can also be reached via telephone: (925)646-6586, email: ccmg@ucanr.edu, or on the web at http://ccmg.ucanr.edu/Ask_Us/ MGCC Blogs can be found at http://ccmg.ucanr.edu/HortCoCo/ You can also subscribe to the Blog (http://ucanr.edu/blogs/CCMGBlog/)
Help for the Home Gardener from the Help Desk of the
UC Master Gardeners Program of Contra Costa County
Client's Request: Thank you for contacting the UC Master Gardener's Help Desk. I researched the problem as you described it to me via phone, i.e., that there are numerous holes in your lawn that are not gopher tunnels but something else, some other kind of animal perhaps.
MGCC Help Desk Response: I reviewed other call-ins that may have a similar problem and also researched the UC ANR Pest Notes for likely causes. Numerous holes in the lawn are usually signs that animals are digging for grubs or insects living in or just below the turf. It is common for Raccoons, Opossums, and Skunks to forage in this manner.
You may test your lawn for the presence of these subsurface pests with a simple soak test. Mix 2 Tablespoons of dish soap with 2 Gallons of water and soak one area 3' x 3'. The mixture will cause insects to move to the surface and you can identify and count those that emerge. You can use the IPM website to identify the insects or grubs and learn what to specifically apply to control the pests at http://ipm.ucanr.edu/QT/lawninsectscard.html. Even more detailed information on controlling pest in your lawn can be found at http://ipm.ucanr.edu/TOOLS/TURF/.
Whether you have Raccoons, Opossums, or Skunks, there are some measures that can be taken to make your lawn less attractive to them, such as removing any wood piles, scrap piles, pet food, and fallen fruit. Screening off ground access under porches and decks and other areas they can use as habitat. The pest note page at http://ipm.ucanr.edu/TOOLS/TURF/PESTS/vertrac.html will show you how to identify and mitigate these problems.
Hopefully, this has been helpful in getting you started on finding the source and fixing the problem. Should you need more input, contact us by phone or email at the contacts listed below.
Help Desk of the UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County
Note: The UC Master Gardeners Program of Contra Costa's Help Desk is available year-round to answer your gardening questions. Except for a few holidays, we're open every week, Monday through Thursday for walk-ins from 9:00 am to Noon at 75 Santa Barbara Road, 2d Floor, Pleasant Hill, CA 94523. We can also be reached via telephone: (925)646-6586, email: ccmg@ucanr.edu, or on the web at http://ccmg.ucanr.edu/Ask_Us/ MGCC Blogs can be found at http://ccmg.ucanr.edu/HortCoCo/ You can also subscribe to the Blog (http://ucanr.edu/blogs/CCMGBlog/).
/span>Help for the Home Gardener from the Help Desk of the
UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County
Help Desk Response: Thank you for contacting the UC Master Gardener Program Help Desk with your request for advice and tips on eliminating voles in your garden landscape.
Voles, also known as meadow mice, can be quite prevalent in home gardens. They have above-ground tunnels or pathways through vegetation, as well as underground tunnels. Entrances to their tunnels are small (1 1/2 to 2 inches) and are left open, not plugged. There may be many open tunnels within a small area. Voles are active both day and night, and emerge from their holes to forage for food.
Voles can cause damage to plants in your yard, as you've already experienced. They eat grasses and many landscape and vegetable plants, and can also damage trees by eating the bark. If trees lose their bark all the way around the trunk, it can kill the trees. So it is worthwhile to begin eliminating the voles now, before they do too much damage.
It is important to modify the habitat in your yard so that the voles do not have places to hide from predators. Keep your lawn mowed short to prevent them from forming above ground tunnels in the grass. If possible, mow or remove other nearby ground covers such as ivy. Voles don't like to be exposed on open ground where predators can attack them.
When the vole population is concentrated in a small area, trapping can be effective. For a small garden, consider using using at least 12 traps. You can use a simple, wooden mouse trap baited with a peanut butter-oatmeal mixture or apple slices. Place the traps near the tunnel entrances with the trigger end and bait near the opening. Check the traps daily and keep setting new traps until you no longer find them triggered. Use gloves when removing the voles from the traps, and either bury them or bag them and discard in the trash.
Once the voles are gone, destroy their tunnels by digging. This will discourage others from repopulating the tunnels from outside your yard. Additional specific information about managing voles can be found at this University of California website:
http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7439.html
If you have fruit trees or other prized trees, you can protect their trunks with plastic cylinder barriers as shown and described in the link above, or with metal roof flashing. Voles are not skilled at climbing, so the barrier does not need to be higher than 12 inches.
We hope that this information will help you to control your vole population. Please let us know if you need additional information.
Help Desk of the UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County (SLH)
Note: The UC Master Gardeners Program of Contra Costa's Help Desk is available year-round to answer your gardening questions. Except for a few holidays, we're open every week, Monday through Thursday for walk-ins from 9:00 am to Noon at 75 Santa Barbara Road, 2d Floor, Pleasant Hill, CA 94523. We can also be reached via telephone: (925)646-6586, email: ccmg@ucanr.edu, or on the web at http://ccmg.ucanr.edu/Ask_Us/ MGCC Blogs can be found at http://ccmg.ucanr.edu/HortCoCo/ You can also subscribe to the Blog (http://ucanr.edu/blogs/CCMGBlog/).
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