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What Is Insecticidal Soap

July 15, 2009 by

Ask the Expert: What insecticide with soapy water do I need to use
My Scheffelera plant has black mites on it and I was told to use a soapy water insecticide. Becky

Plant Expert Reply:

You won’t need an insecticide in the traditional sense.  Insecticidal soaps don’t contain a traditional “insecticide”.  Instead insecticidal soaps are specifically chosen plant or animal oils that are refined into a soap with a similar consistency of liquid hand soaps and at a ratio safe for plants.  The active ingredients are the natural potassium salts and fatty acids of plants or animal oils.

Insecticidal soaps work by disturbing the cell membranes of the insects rather than attacking their neurological system like most insecticides. Insecticidal soap will get rid of several types of insects mostly soft bodied insects. So if you have a problem with aphids, spidermites, thrips or scale, insecticidal soaps are a safe and effective treatment.

You can use a mixture of water and household soap.  However, this method can cause issues for your plants if you don’t get the proper water to soap ratio or if your household soap is harsh.  Most local nursery garden centers will carry an insecticidal soap at a fairly resasonable price.  If you want to mix your own insecticidal soap, try a mild hand soap mixed at 1 part soap to 3 parts water. Spray the plant lightly.

Good luck and please keep me posted.

Filed Under: Plant Care Questions Tagged With: , , ,

What Are These Dark Bubbles On My Peace Lily

July 8, 2009 by Leave a Comment

Ask the Expert: Is my peace lily diseased or dying? My peace lily has little dark bubbles all the way up and down the flower stem and the leaves have a sticky substance on them. Jeanne

Plant Expert Reply:
Have you noticed any tiny insects on the back side of the leaves? Aphids usually attach themselves to the back side of plant leaves and suck the life out of them. During this process the aphids secret “honeydew” a waste product that presents itself as a sticky substance on the top side of the leaves. The dark bubbles could be an infestation of an insect called scale. If you can pick the bubble off and turn them upside down, you should be able to see that it is an insect. Both of these pest can be eradicated with an insecticide. Once the insects have been eliminated your Spathiphyllum (peace lily) will make a full recovery.

Filed Under: Peace Lily Tagged With: , , , ,

Cottony Webby Substance on Houseplant

May 29, 2009 by

Cottony Cushion Scale

Cottony Cushion Scale

Ask the Expert: what is the cottony/cob webby build up?
I have a Anthirium I have had it for a few monthes and it has been doing fantastic until i discovered That i was over watering it. I have now cut down on watering it and have been keeping a very close eye on it and it seems as though over night it has some sort of web like build up in the almost dead bloom. I guess it might be dust but it really doesn’t look like it and for it to build up that fast, I just want to know if this is normal, if i should remove it, or cut the bloom off altogether. Tiffany

Spider Mite Webbing

Spider Mite Webbing

Reply:

I am attaching pictures to help with identification.  If it looks like the first picture (from Arizona Cooperative Extension) which is cottony cushion scale, you will need an insecticide that is safe for houseplants.  Your local garden center should have Fetilome whitefly & mealbug killer for houseplant – or at least something similar.

The second photo (from CSU/Denver County  Extension Master Gardener) is caused by a spider mite. You will need an insecticide that will get rid of spider mites. Again, your local garden center should have this product.

Hopefully your problem looks like one of these.  There are many insects that can cause this problem.  This ususally happens when the plant has been in a stressful situation like over-watering.  Once you apply the proper insecticide and correct the water issue the plant will bounce right back.

Good Luck and keep me posted.

Filed Under: Plant Care Questions Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Kalanchoe Leaf Curl

May 26, 2009 by

Kalanchoe daigremontiana

Kalanchoe daigremontiana

Ask the Expert: Mother of Thousand Plant.
I have a Mother of Thousand growing in my home, but the problem I am having is that the leaves curl. Am I watering it to much or what. Would you please give me some helpful hints. Would greatly appreciate it     Thank you     Patricia

Plant Expert Reply:

I assume that your plant is a Kalanchoe diagremontiana (mexican hat plant or mother of a thousand – See picture).  These plants are susceptible to thrips, cyclamen mites, and leaf rollers which can all cause leaf curly.  If this is the problem you will need and insecticide or miticide to get rid of the problem.  Use a magnifying glass to verify that you have a insect problem.  Your local garden center should have a houseplant insectide/miticide that will be safe for your Kalanchoe.

These insect usually take over a plant when it is in stress.  Keep you Kalanchoe evenly moist at all times.  Do not keep it soggy this will cause root rot.

Good luck and keep me posted.


Filed Under: Plant Care Questions Tagged With: , , , ,

Magnolia Is Dying Why?

May 26, 2009 by

Ask the Expert: Magnolia Tree….leaves brown and dry
I live in PA.  I have a Magnolia Tree that is about 5 years old.  Last year it got a few flowers.  However, this year it looks dead.  All of the leaves are brown and hard.  We put holly tone fertilizer in the ground.  A few branches (on the lower half) of leaves turned really green after a week, but the rest still look dead and brown. The leaves were never spotted and I do not see anything growing on the trunk. Someone mentioned that there is some kind of worm that gets in the top of the tree trunk and kills the tree…is that a possibility?  If so, what is that called?  Thank you for any advice. Kelly

Plant Expert Reply:

They could be referring to scale or magnolia borers. If you had either there would be signs of it still on the tree in the form of things that looked liked raise bumps or oozing places on the stems or trunks.

Magnolias are susceptible to a few pests and diseases such as baterical leaf spot, magnolia boreres, spot anthracnose, canker, dieback, butt rot, powdery mildew, anthracnose, fungal spots, snails, weevils, scale insects, planthoppers, and thrips.

I believe in your case dieback is probably the culprit.  Dieback is cuased by a freezing injury to the plant.  This usually occurs when the winter has extreme flutuation in the winter temperatures and condition.  The tips or tops of plants usually are effect by dieback.  You will need to prune out all of the dead limbs and branches.

It could be a result of anthracnose, fungal or bacterial problems.  However, normally fungua will present themselves with discoloration on the leaves, trunk or branches.  Since you didn’t see any of these signs, dieback seems to be the isssue.

If it was insect damage, you would see evidence of the insects.  Again since there is no evidence of insects, dieback seems to be the problem.

I would take one more careful look at all parts of the tree.  If you see anything out of the ordinary, send me a picture and I will identify what it is.  In the mean time, you will still need to trim out the dead.  Cut branches back until you find live green wood.

Good luck and keep me posted.

Filed Under: Plant Care Questions Tagged With: , , , , ,

What Is this White Bug With Antennas?

March 30, 2009 by Leave a Comment

Ask the Expert: a friend of mine has 2 plants botha different kind they both have a lotof these bugs on them the bugs look like real small they have antennas on them like a long but not to long round body like a white body if any one can tell me i would appricate it thanks dee

Reply:

Whitefly

Whitefly

It sounds like your friends has an infestations of whiteflies. Do they look like the picture to the right?  Although these insect can fly, they often are found on top of the soil.  They can do severe damage to your plants.  I would recommend using an insectide with resmethrin that is safe for housplants to get rid of them.  Fetilome has a product called whitefly & mealybug killer (the main ingredient is resmethrin)  that does a good job of killing them.  You should be able to find it at your local garden center.

Of course, this is just my first thought.  If you can take a picture of them I could give it a positive identification.

Good luck and keep me posted.

Filed Under: Insect Identification Tagged With: , , ,

What Are These White Bugs In My Plant

February 5, 2009 by

Ask the Expert: Why are there little bugs in my houseplants?
I have many house plants.  In three of them, there are these little, white-ish bugs living in them. I noticed them a few years ago.  I have since tried re-potting, but they are still there.  I even got some insect spray and sprayed it on the plant.  Neither bugs nor pesticide is killing the plant.  It is just gross to see hundreds of little bugs, the size of a tiny spec.  Erin

Reply:

There are several types of white bugs that could be the problem.  For identification purposes we need a picture.  I did a search for the insect which I know might be the problem.  Take a look at the pictures and tell me if they match.

aphid

aphid

I found this aphid picture on www.insectsimages.org and the Photographer was Whitney Cranshaw, Colorado State University, Bugwood.org.

Mealybug

Mealybug

I found this picture at www.insectimages.org and the photographer was United States National Collection of Scale Insects Photographs Archive, USDA Agricultural Research Service, Bugwood.org

Softscale

Softscale

This is another picture from www.insectimages.org with the photographer United States National Collection of Scale Insects Photographs Archive, USDA Agricultural Research Service, Bugwood.org

Thrips

Thrips

Photographer David Cappaert, Michigan State University, Bugwood.org.

Let me know which one you think matches your and we’ll come up with a way to get rid of them.

Filed Under: Plant Care Questions Tagged With: , ,

Lucky Bamboo with Webs and Bugs

September 2, 2008 by

Ask The Expert: I have a Lucky Bamboo plant that is accumulating small webs and bugs on it.  What is the best treatment for that? Sheri

Filed Under: Lucky Bamboo, Plant Care Questions Tagged With: , , , ,

Insects The Uninvited Houseplant Guests

June 10, 2008 by

Ask the Expert: insects in my houseplants

Hello,
I’ve noticed an insect infestation in all of my houseplants (I think it started in one by a window, and has spread). The insects are small, dark, and fly. Their head is much smaller than their thorax, and they look tiny and thin. They are a bit smaller than fruit flies, almost like a flea, and though I see them flying when the plant is moved or blown on, they also crawl and run. I see them mostly on the soil surface. I can’t discern symptoms with the plants (they don’t maybe seem as healthy as before, but there are no holes in the leaves or anything).

Could you tell me:
1. what these are?
2. how to get rid of them?
3. how to prevent them in the future?

I tried taking a photo (I caught one in a bug jar), but it’s really too small to focus on.

Thanks!

Fungus Gnat fungus gnat

whitefly white fly

ThripsThrips

Spidermite Spidermite

Filed Under: Plant Care Questions Tagged With: , ,
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