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Comment by Vicky Myers on February 4, 2012 at 12:25pm

I just discovered this group and I'm sure I really late with my answers but the little spiders might have been red spider mites and those you don't want.

The black bugs from all I can find cause I have them too and are devouring my whole place may be strawberry weevils. That blast of water isn't the cure, squish squish squish is what I am doing at night with headlamp on and they are winning. They are horrible they eat strawberries, raspberries but only the plants producing berries that yr, succulents, lavender leaves, neighbor's flowering plum and what ever else they decide to move on to. Winter doesn't kill them as the grubs move deeper into the ground. When they come up they eat roots on the way, they don't fly they just crawl so when you knocked them off if they survived they just crawl back up.

Comment by Jan - Zone 3 and 4 on May 18, 2011 at 6:48am

Hi from Minnesota!  The biggest garden pests are the deer!  And just a couple of rabbits (so far).  I did have an infestation of the 4-lined plant bug on my tansy that covers my septic mound.  The defoliated all of them!!  First time in 12 years that I had something like that.  I do have tons of birds that help me in the garden, so I don't have too many bugs around here!  Good to see this group and so much to learn!!  Thanks! 

Comment by Janette B. on October 31, 2010 at 6:45am

Thanks, Loren. You might be right. I sprayed the plant with simple green and hosed it down and the pests are now gone and the plant has sprouted lots of new leaves!

Comment by Loren D Mannon on October 18, 2010 at 7:56am

I am having a problem with a bigger pest, Armidillos. I have used a 'Grub Killer' insecticide, but I really, really hate that. This is for paying clients, and they hate to see their newly planted bedding plants uprooted, laying on top of the mulch. I have some diotomatious earth, hoping it will irritate the armidillo's nose, but it gets wet from the irrigation system. I would love some suggestions. From what I have read, hot lead is the best cure, but not practical in an urban garden.

Comment by Loren D Mannon on October 18, 2010 at 7:49am

Janet B. Are you familiar with wooly aphids? It sounds like you might have some. Their honeydew will drop on foliage and stems and a black fungus will grow on that. My favorite remedy for aphids is high pressure-(thumb on waterhose)- water. Just blast them off. Hope that helps.

Comment by Janette B. on October 9, 2010 at 7:03am

Hello, I'm having a problem with my firebush. It is suffering greatly and I don't know what is the cause. It has black all over the stems and there is a small bug that looks like a piece of white fuzz that is living on it. When I investigated the white fuzz there is a small, yellow larva type bug underneath. Any ideas? I'll try to take a picture.

Comment by Kim Beall on September 1, 2010 at 10:32am

Kathy: Your picture is of an "evergreen bagworm" - the worm itself is inside a little sack it has made of silk and covered with cedar needles for camouflage. It sticks its head out the top and munches it's way along the branch as it eats. I had one cedar tree that was attacked by thousands of them, and they killed the tree before I realized what was going on. They didn't touch the other cedar tree a few yards away, though - not sure why.

Comment by Aleta Quejas-Gehrke on July 26, 2010 at 4:13pm

Thanks Kim, I'll do that.. it's nice to know there is such a website for insect identifications...

Comment by Kim Beall on July 26, 2010 at 1:54pm

Muriel and Aleta (and everyone!): Try whatsthatbug.com - you can do a search to try to find photos to identify bugs, or you can submit a photo and the bug-loving members will almost always be able to identify it. I have IDed every mystery bug I've ever seen thanks to that site, but sometimes I just go there 'cause it's just plain fascinating!

Comment by Aleta Quejas-Gehrke on July 22, 2010 at 12:04am

I just joined this forum and would like some help from you guys, I hope somebody can help me out. Does anyone know what these are? I found them in clusters on my artichoke plant. I sprayed them with water to get them off the plant, and I wish they're gone for good... but if not, what can I do to kill them? Is there any safe way I can eliminate them? I'm doing organic gardening so I'd like to use safe products for my plants. Any ideas please? Thanks so much.

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