http://solutionsforyourlife.ufl.edu/map/

http://solutionsforyourlife.ufl.edu/map/

If you live outside of Monroe County (Florida Keys), but in the state of Florida your County Extension office contact information can be found at this web link.

Lawn & Garden - UF/IFAS Extension: Solutions for Your Life

Lawn & Garden - UF/IFAS Extension: Solutions for Your Life

The place to start in answering your Florida Lawn and Garden advice.

UF/IFAS Extension: Florida-Friendly Landscaping Program - Publications

The UF/IFAS Florida-Friendly Landscaping Book is online:
UF/IFAS Extension: Florida-Friendly Landscaping Program - Publications

Bagworms

Who would suspect that those funny little brown clumps of leaves and twigs we see around the exteriors of our homes are actually moths? The bagworm Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformis belongs to the Order Lepidoptera although the females never develop wings and spend their entire lives inside their cases.

Also known as the Evergreen Bagworm, this pest is a common problem in landscape plants and urban forests throughout the eastern and central states. Although they like to munch on evergreens, they are general feeders and can defoliate many types of plants and trees. In the Florida Keys bagworms are making their homes out of seagrape leaves, and palm fronds to name a few. They consume entire leaves, usually one branch at a time, and can strip a plant to death.

Bagworms begin constructing their cases shortly after hatching, starting with silk and adding sand, soil, droppings, leaves, twigs, bark, and other fibers. The completed bag is up to two inches long. They carry this covering with them throughout their lives, protruding from the end to feed, crawl, or make repairs. Only the mature males, which are black with clear wings, emerge to fly off to mate. A female will lay hundreds of eggs in her bag before she dies. When the larvae hatch they disperse by crawling and in the wind. They undergo a complete metamorphosis before starting the cycle all over again.

Bagworms are controlled to some extent by natural predators. In the landscape, picking off and destroying the bags, especially those containing eggs, is recommended. Insecticides such as Dipel or Thuricide with the active ingredient Bt (Bacillus thuringensis)are effective if applied while small larvae are feeding.

Remember bagworms stuck on the side of your house are not getting the food needed to survive, therefore will die but the bag remains. It is easy to remove by hand picking or a strong stream of water or pressure washer.

For more information:

http://ipm.ifas.ufl.edu/pdf/Bagworm.doc

http://entnem.ifas.ufl.edu/fasulo/woodypest/344.htm

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/IN033

Article written by Ellen Sculley, Monroe County Master Gardener and Kim Gabel UF/IFAS

Photo credits: Kim Gabel, UF/IFAS

Got Thrips?

Thrips are small insects that can cause big problems in the landscape. They attack a wide variety of ornamental plants and their numbers can increase rapidly if left unchecked. Although they may be present throughout the growing season, highest populations are in the spring.

These pests are slender and from 1/16 to 1/8 inch long. Adults may be yellow, brown or black.

They damage plants by sucking out the juices from the leaves, flowers, or fruit.

Indications of a thrips infestation include leaves that appear bleached, stippled or silver or that wilt, dry up, and drop prematurely. Brown specks of excrement are deposited on the undersides. Red-banded thrips - who love mango and avocado -produce a lot of honeydew, and Cuban-laurel thrips produce curling leaves with purple spots.

Buds may fail to open, or flowers may be deformed, streaked, or discolored.

To look for thrips in your garden, shake the foliage over a sheet of white paper and look at the fallout with a magnifying glass. You can also use a sticky trap to monitor them. See the websites listed below for descriptions and photographs of various thrips species.

Thrips can go through their entire life cycle in 11 to 21 days. Eggs are deposited in leaf tissue, and the insects go through four other stages before adulthood. Nymphs are very active.

A variety of beneficial insects such as lacewings and lady beetles help to keep thrips populations in check but pesticides, including insecticidal soaps, are also effective.

See the following publications for further guidance.

Thrips on Ornamental Plants - http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/mg327

Thrips - General http://www.entnemdept.ufl.edu/fasulo/woodypest/thrips.htm

Specific thrips species - http://www.entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/

Article written by:
Ellen Sculley, Monroe County Master Gardener

Photo Credits:
UF/IFAS

Twospotted Spider Mites

The two spotted spider mite is oval in shape, about 1/50 inch long and may be brown or orange-red, but a green, greenish-yellow or an almost translucent color is the most common. Spider mite development differs somewhat between species, but a typical spider mite life cycle is as follows. The life cycle is composed of the egg, the larva, two nymphal stages and the adult. The eggs are attached to fine silk webbing and hatch in approximately three days. The length of time from egg to adult varies greatly depending on temperature. Under optimum conditions (approximately 80° F), spider mites complete their development in five to twenty days. There are many overlapping generations per year. The adult female lives two to four weeks and is capable of laying several hundred eggs during her life.



Looking for spider mites: For detection of spider mites, a 10X to 15X magnifying glass is a necessity. Examine the undersides of the leaves closely for mites, cast skins and webbing. A more efficient technique is to place a sheet of white typing paper beneath the leaves and strike the foliage sharply. The mites will fall onto the paper and can be more easily observed and identified than on the green foliage.

Spider Mite Control:
Beneficial Insects: Predators are very important in regulating spider mite populations and should be protected whenever possible. Important genera include the predatory mites, Amblyseius, Metaseiulus, and Phytoseiulus; the lady beetles, Stethorus; the minute pirate bugs, Orius; the thrips, Leptothrips; and the lacewing larvae, Chrysopa.

Least Toxic Pest Control: Insecticidal soaps and oils should be carefully considered when a pesticide is required. They are effective against mites and the least toxic to people, other non-target organisms and the environment. The effectiveness of laundry soaps, washing detergents, and vegetable oils is less consistent than with chemical pesticides. Although some growers have been quite pleased with the results of non-insecticidal quality soap and oil use, some have been disappointed. Also, plant varieties differ in their susceptibility to burning induced by soaps and oils. Environmental conditions, as well as micronutrients, fertilizers, and other additives may affect a tendency to "burn" foliage. At higher rates of application, (2%), burning and stunting are more likely.

The two spotted spider mite develops a resistance to most acaricides after prolonged use. Most miticides are not effective on eggs. Therefore two or more applications of the miticide will be required at five-day intervals during the summer or seven-day intervals during the winter.

This information came from the University of Florida fact sheet: Twospotted Spider Mite, EENY150/IN307
Thomas R. Fasulo and H. A. Denmark

For More information:
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/IN307
http://www.entnemdept.ufl.edu/fasulo/woodypest/mites.htm

Photo Credits:
University of Florida

Florida Keys Regional Plant Clinics

Florida Keys Regional Plant Clinics are a great place to bring your plant problems for identification and learning about the least toxic control methods to take care of the problem. They are held in Key West and Key Largo year round and in Big Pine Key and Marathon from October 2009 through April 2010. Check out the schedule dates and drop by with your plant and insect questions. You do not need to stay for the duration of the plant clinic. If you have any questions contact our office at 305-292-4501.

Upper Keys Plant Clinics
9 a.m. - noon
Murray Nelson Government and Cultural Center
MM 102.5, bayside
453-8748

First and Third Wednesdays of the month
October 7 & 21
November 4 & 18
December 2 & 16
January 20, 2010
February 3 & 17
March 3 & 17
April 7 & 21

Key West Plant Clinics
1 pm to 4 pm
Gato Building
1100 Simonton Street Suite 260

First and Third Mondays (except Holidays)
October 5 & 19
November 2 & 16
December 7 & 21
January 11 & 25 2010
February 1 & 22
March 1 & 15
April 5 & 19

Big Pine Key Plant Clinics
9 am to noon
Big Pine Charter School, look for the blue tent across from the Flea Market

Third Saturday (October 2009-April 2010)
October 17
November 21
December 19
January 16
February 20
March 20
April 17

Marathon Plant Clinics
9 am to noon
Marathon Garden Club
Third Saturday (October 2009-April 2010)
October 17
November 21
December 19
January 16
February 20
March 20
April 17