Last week’s article covered Integrated Pest Management practices for gardens and landscapes. One component of IPM is to scout your plants looking for pests and good bugs all over the plant, even on the undersides of leaves to determine what level of control is needed.
Therefore, I thought I would print the pest scouting calendar to help you know when to look for common pests before they become a problem. Keep in mind the times are approximate. Pest emergence also depends on weather temperatures and conditions.
Here’s a list of pests and the approximate time you should check and treat your plants:
- Aphids: early May to September, adults and nymphs
- Bagworm: late May, early June
- Borers: mid-May to mid-June, larvae
- Caterpillars: May to September, larvae
- Cutworms: mid-April to early June, larvae
- European Pine Shoot moth: April, larvae; mid-June, larvae
- Japanese beetles: mid-April to mid-June, larvae; late-June to mid-August, adults; mid-August to late-September, larvae
- Lacebugs: early May
- Leafhoppers: mid-April to early June, adults and nymphs
- Leafminer: early spring, eggs; April to June, larvae; autumn, eggs
- Nantucket Pine Tip moth: early April to August, larvae
- Scale: early March-April, female eggs (adults); May-early June, crawlers
- Spider-mites: March-April, eggs; May to September, adult
- Tent caterpillars: early-April to mid-May
- Thrips: May to June, adults
- Whitefly: early May to September, adults
- White grubs: mid-April-mid June, larvae; late June-mid-August, adult; mid-August-late September, larvae
For more information on any of these pests, call your local extension office.
Don’t forget: there will be an Integrated Pest Management for Landscape Plants Workshop from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, June 22, at Delaware State University’s Smyrna Outreach and Research Center on Smyrna-Leipsic Road.
For more information or to register, call 857-6424.
