HI guys, my Honeysuckle is a major aphid magnet! Since I bought it, it's been struggling with "something"...i spray and spary with the Safer stuff, remove the damaged leaves, etc...But I constantly find those yellow/burned leaves...
Could it be something else in addition to the aphids?
Thanks, I don't know what else to do! Oh, and FYI it's a potted plant.
This is an overall pic of the Honeysuckle...
Is it a sort of stippled yellow pattern on the leaves? If so it might be spider mites. I can't quite see clearly enough in your picture, but what I can see reminds me of spider mite damage more than aphids. With them I'd start by hosing off the undersides of the leaves, then you can use neem or insecticidal soap (or your pesticide of choice, as long as it's labelled that it kills spider mites) The Safer product you've been using probably kills spider mites, but you need to make sure and get it on the underside of the leaves and I would guess you've mostly been hitting the tops.
I couln't really tell you if there is a stippled pattern...I would have to look again (my eyes are not yet trained!). Here is a closeup maybe it helps...
It seems to me that the affected leaves kind of "dry up" before turning to yello, then brown....then......argh!!!
This message was edited Mar 28, 2008 2:23 PM
It's still really hard to tell. Try looking at the underside of the leaves...spider mites would show up as little teensy, teensy brownish/reddish dots. It could just be damage from the aphids, if sucking insects suck too much life out of a leaf it'll tend to dry up and fall off eventually, often a while after you've killed the insects. I just wanted to make sure there wasn't another problem going on that you hadn't taken care of yet.
Tap a leaf on a white piece of paper, if you have spider mites you'll see them on the paper. If they're broad mites then you'll need a microscope.
If there are in fact spider mites, how do I treat it? I'm so desperate I called the SD Master Gardeners hotline yesterday...they suggested I use Bayer tree/shrubery insect control to soak the soil...
My plant is really sick! And the aphids really do not go away no matter what I do!
I have something like this on my lonicera and other plants in the garden. Are thrips and aphids different stages of the same insect? I took out my garlic a couple of years ago. I was using it to control aphids but I was concerned about the effect on the butterflies. Does anyone know of another organic measure that will get rid of these two pests? I The garlic worked the first time. There haven't been many butterflies around here for a while anyway.
BTW, I released three thousand Lady Bugs to see if this would work but I found out the neighbors on all sides have these pests worse than I did. The Lady Bugs ended up going to my neighbors' yards.
Thanks,
Chuck
No, thrips and aphids are two different things (although I think they can be controlled by some of the same pesticides...check your labels) Insecticidal soap and neem are both organic and both work on aphids, I'm not positive about thrips since I haven't had those, but I suspect at least one of them would work for thrips as well. I think lacewing larvae also eat aphids, and they're a little less mobile than ladybugs so you might try those instead. The biological controls tend to be more selective though so I'm not sure if they'd work on thrips or not.
the best way to get rid of spidermites is to mist the plant (especially the undersides) every day for a week and then at least once a week after that. spidermites thrive in dry, windy conditions. mix up an alcohol spray with water and use that for the really stubborn aphids. a plant that is in a weak condition is not a suitable subject for any kind of bayer's treatment (imho).
That's why I was hesitant on using the Bayer, the plant really is in a weak condition...
Chuck, I got some ladybugs this weekend too...I was SO thrilled to see them chew up those *^%$^%$^%$# aphids!!! I was told at the nursery to release them at night, when they are less mobile...did you do that?
I released mine last night and this morning they were still busy munching the aphids.....huummmm!
good for you. personally, i do not like the bayers systemic at all. i had some perfectly healthy plants and it almost killed them. from what i've heard on different forums, it really doesn't work all that well anyway and it's expensive to boot.
Yeah, especially since they didn't seem absolutely positive on what I should do, you know? I have my fingers crossed. I really want to stay away from chemicals because my backyard is home to many wild birds...
i ditched all my chemicals too. live and let live (and kill the nasties with home recipes!) another thing that really works well for many insect problems is diatomaceous earth. i have a "puffer" thing with a hand pump for spraying dry materials. it cuts the little beggars up to shreds. garden grade/not pool grade it won't work if it gets wet though.
I've heard that's the best thing for slugs...but how do you use it ? I water these plants everyday (the ones affected bu slugs), so would I need to re-apply everytime? Would love to use that, sluggo is so expensive!
robcorreia,
Honeysuckle will regrow quickly if pruned. If your plant is very weak you would have nothing to lose. I'd prune it, close all the pruned parts into a Zip Lock bag and throw them away, and then try babying the roots. It should benefit your plants root system if it doesn't have to support all the damaged leaves and it might surprise you with healthy new growth.
if you don't have a puffer/duster, you can just scatter it on the plant but you want to throw upwards to get it on the undersides too. it rains so much here, i don't use it very often. lowes carries it now and it's not as pricey as it used to be.
Ok guys....you won't believe this. I bought 1500 lady bugs for the honeysuckle. A few days later, all the ladybugs are gone...AND THE APHIDS ARE STILL THERE! I am not joking!!! I think I got ladybug- eating aphids!!!
i believe it. ladybugs are notorious for hot-winging it away the second they are turned loose! can't you just spray those aphids with some alcohol/water mix? or blast them off with the hose!
Yes, ladybugs unfortunately don't like to stay where you put them, even when you offer them a nice tasty meal of aphids. You might try lacewing larvae instead, they can't fly yet so there's a better chance they'll stay where you put them. I'm pretty sure they eat aphids too.
I gave up releasing ladybugs in the garden. Instead, I have been spraying once a week with Neem II. So far it has been really effective although a little expensive.
Thanks,
Chuck
Trackinsand, the problem with the hose is that the plant really suffers from the jet, I have broken numerous flowering branches already....(and I end up all wet, lol) I had been using the Safer stuff which is totally useless...Chuckl what is Neem, is that the brand name or a substance?
Neem II is a solution that already comes prepared. It is pretty well point and shoot every week for three weeks. However, I haven't used it this week. I have been bombarded by little bee-like creatures that are pretty well taking care of all the aphids and whiteflies. I don't know if they have been released by neighboring farms and gardens.....all I know is that everywhere we have travelled in the last couple of weeks locally has had whiteflies. Now we have a few whiteflies and aphids in the front yard but not as many as what we had. The backyard is (at least for the moment) clear. I trimmed the honeysuckle back to a few woody stalks about a foot tall. It is already getting new growth.
Thanks,
Chuck
more good info on neem oil. i buy the kind you mix with water. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neem_oil
and http://www.planetnatural.com/site/neem-oil.html
i get mine at ace.
This message was edited Apr 16, 2008 10:15 PM
Thanks so much! This seems like a great product to use, AND its not harmful to birds and ladybugs which I am always worried about. I will get Neem ASAP!!! Seriously, I have NEVER seen that many aphids in my life, it gives me the creeps!
I would tend to disagree about it being safe for ladybugs, just because it's natural and it's approved for use in organic gardening doesn't mean that it's not going to kill some beneficial bugs as well as the nasty ones. I don't know about the impact on birds, but it kills enough types of insects that I doubt if the ladybugs are particularly safe from it. It's a fairly broad spectrum insecticide.
The article at wikipedia said you could even cook with it!
When I looked at the article, I saw it say that it was not used for cooking purposes, but it is used in cosmetics and things. It also has some older medicinal uses. (the stuff smells pretty bad, I can't imagine wanting to cook with it!) To be perfectly honest, I've never really dug into whether or not it kills ladybugs or not, but there's nothing in the above references that would make me feel think that it wouldn't harm them since it kills a fairly wide range of other types of insects. If you dig into it a little further and find some other references, you may find info that says it's OK for them, but I wouldn't make that assumption just based on those articles above. I'd do some more searching for info if that's something that's really important to you. The majority of chemical based insecticides (organic or otherwise) kill some beneficial bugs along with the bad bugs. Biological controls like parasitic wasps, Bt, nematodes, milky spore, etc are more selective than the chemicals, although still not 100%.
i was always under the impression that neem would kill all or most insects. sorry if i led you to believe otherwise.
I don't think it was anything you said, I think it was just the general impression that things that are organic are safer and then by extension since they're "good" products, that they only kill bad bugs not good ones.
if you want to be totally safe in the chemical content, soapy water (like castile soap) and a little canola oil mixed up in it will smother the aphids. granted, it will smother other stuff too, but it will kill them. i like alcohol and water too.
But I have NINJA APHIDS! lol!!! NOTHING kills them! The 1500 ladybugs I released are gonners, and the ninjas are still there!!! I'm willing to try anything at this point!
In the beginning I was pretty grossed out and wouldn't dare even touching them, now I pick them one by one and smash them against the wall and scream die little monsters, diiiiiiiiiie!!! lol! (my son loves it when I do it, haha)
Sorry to stick my nose in at this late date, but if it were my plant - I would do as suggested earlier and cut it back and toss the cuttings in a trash bag so they can't escape. Then I would spray the spray with a soapy mixture - about 2 Tablespoons dish soap to 1 gallon of water, saturating the plant. Repeat in another week. (Aphids have very vulnerable bodies and soap dessicates them. They also reproduce at a fantastic rate, so if you miss even one, you'll get another buildup.)
If it is spider mites, you'll see webbing on the leaves and twigs.
I am also wondering if you may be overwatering. Those yellowing leaves that then turn brown is a typical symptom of too much water. It is very easy to over water plants in pots. Stick your finger down into the pot to check. Don't water until the soil is dry and the leaves start to wilt - from lack of water, not from root rot. Having said that, it might be a good idea to take the plant out of the pot and check its roots. I'll bet the soil is wet and roots are rotting.
If your problems continue, I would toss it and start fresh.
Really? I might be overwatering then...I think I am in generall overzealous with watering, you have a point there! I don't have the heart to toss the plant. It has flower buds now...I will try the soap spray and Neem though!
leave it to ceejay to put a fresh light on things. i re-read the top posts and looked more closely at the pictures and it's possible the safer was burning some of those leaves too. remember that anything with any oil content can easily burn leaves when in full sun. maybe the plant is od'ing on too much loving care! i had some roses that arrived from california last year (purchased online) that had some big old honkin' ninja aphids. never seen anything like them and they were a devil to get rid of, i will say.
I think the ninja aphids ate the ladybugs!
Hi trackin....How ya doin'?
rob - I would still cut it back, and repot. It is not healthy. You'll get new growth and lots of buds soon. And a much better looking plant. By leaving it like this you'll have an ugly plant with a few flowers. One that might be dying from root rot.
hi back! doin' pretty good these days. hope you are too.
rob, if you do re-pot, make sure you use a good, light potting mix, nothing heavy and soggy. i use Jungle Growth Professional Veggie and Flower Potting Mix, available at lowes.
Actually there are aphids and whiteflies all over the communities that we have visited in the last three weeks. I am not so sure if they are just in So California or what!! If you live in So California and you haven't seen lots of aphids and whiteflies, let us know.
Thanks,
Chuck
