If you are on my email list and wondering about the new format for the update email, I recently switched to using MailChimp as a hopefully more efficient means of sharing my blog articles than my excel list of emails. I welcome any feedback you may have on the format. Let me know what you like about it, what you don't like about it, and if you have any ideas for improvement, let me know. If you got to this blog from Facebook or Twitter, nothing should be different.
Recently I have been getting questions about Red Spotted Aster Mirids getting into potted plants and fall gardens. This insect looks very similar to the tarnished plant bug and the lygus bug. All of these insects fall into the mirid family. Mirids are plant bugs that feed by piercing the plant tissue, injecting a tissue dissolving saliva, and sucking the juice out. The damage caused by these insects results in a sunken lesion. These lesions can dry out and crumble as well, leaving the plant with holes in the leaves. If the insects are causing damage to leafy vegetables in a home garden, you may have to treat with an insecticidal soap or a horticultural oil. Those options tend to work better on nymphs than on adults, but if the population is mostly young nymphs, you can also try hosing the plants off with water to knock young nymphs to the ground. Contact and systemic insecticides are effective on this insect as well. Pyrethroids should be applied when nymphal feeding is noticed, but systemics often need to be applied before the problem arises as it can take several days for the plant to take up the insecticide. When your fall garden has died down, it's best to remove dead plant stalks to prevent reinfestation. Mirids lay their eggs in the plant tissue, and removing the leaf litter and plant stalks from the previous year can help prevent reinfestation.
As always, feel free to call the office or send me an email if you have questions or comments. Have a good weekend, everyone!
Sincerely,
Kate Harrell
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| Red Spotted Aster Mirid Photo: Debbie Davis, Insect ID Request |
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| Red Spotted Aster Mirid Pedro Garcia, Insect ID Request |
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| Lygus Bug Nymph Photo: Kate Harrell |
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| Lygus Bug Nymph Photo: Kate Harrell |