Insect Problems
Winter Moth – click to read a UMass study on winter moth and treating them
Local experts are concerned that the Cape might experience record numbers of winter moth caterpillars this spring feasting on various deciduous trees and shrubs, including your oaks, maples, and more! Some scientists predict there may be nearly 250,000 winter moth caterpillars hanging out in each infested tree. As temperatures rise and trees continue budding, we urge you to monitor the foliage for holes where the caterpillars have chewed. Look for buds and leaf clusters where these small worms hang out and gorge themselves. In addition to oaks and maples, weeping cherry trees, crabapples, and blueberry bushes are also at high risk for damage.
These pests will nibble their way through your trees and bushes until late May or early June when they eventually will drop down to the ground just below the tree, and burrow into the soil where they’ll stay until they emerge in the fall. But how can you stop the cycle dead in its tracks?
Many agree that treating your winter moth-ridden trees with Bacillus thuringiensis (B.t) is the best springtime option. It’s a fatal insecticide for these caterpillars and not harmful to other organisms, beneficial insects, or the environment. Spraying trees on a cloudy day this May will prove most effective since sunlight breaks down the B.t. If the insecticide is applied while new buds are still expanding though, new foliage that emerges afterward won’t be properly treated and therefore not protected. Once the caterpillars ingest the B.t., it takes 1 to 3 days for them to die.
What do I do about Japanese Beetles?
Japanese beetles are typically found in Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, tall fescue and bent grass. You will see brown or dead grass. What to do? Apply grub control in May, June or July before eggs hatch and grubs start to feed. Look for brands such as Bayer, which have a double protection formula that controls both above- and below-ground insects with one application.
Got Grubs?
If you’ve noticed large, irregular shaped portions of your lawn that have turned brown where the turf will actually separate from the soil effortlessly, you probably have a grub problem. Grubs are actually beetles that go through several life cycle stages. Newly hatched grubs and larval grubs are the most devastating to your lawn as they feed on grass roots. These two life cycle stages occur from the end of the summer through the fall, which is why treating grubs in the fall is critical. Although you may see grub damage in the spring, most of it happened in autumn during the grubs’ feeding frenzy. Treating them in the spring might just be a wasted effort because the damage is already done. Plus, at this point in their life cycle the grubs are somewhat resistant to insecticides and new beetles are sure to come once the summer hits to start the cycle over once again. Treat the problem in early fall with insecticides, compensate for root loss by watering thoroughly, and re-seed areas where it is overly damaged. Where there are grubs there are animals that eat grubs, meaning skunks, moles, mice, and other small animals. Oftentimes these animals will tear apart your lawn digging and searching for grubs to munch on. get rid of the grubs and you shouldn’t have a problem with the other pesky critters destroying your lawn either. Source: Cornell University