Week 14

Happy Easter Friday! Check out what we found while scouting this week!

Soft Brown Scale on Birds of Paradise: Like aphids, scale is a sap-sucking insect that will secrete honeydew and leave a sticky mess all over the crops it is affecting. This pest can be difficult because it is often hard to find as it blends in to the plant well and does not really look like an insect. Unless you've seen it and dealt with it before you may not know that it is a pest until it becomes obvious. It can be difficult to treat as it is able to spread fast and remain inconspicuous.
Two-spotted spider mite affecting Hydrangea blooms: Spider mites in hydrangea can be tricky because they often remain unseen, building up their populations under the leaves while leaving minimal damage on top for scouts to see. When the plant begins to bloom they are drawn to this area and can quickly populate the entire bloom - leaving the plant unable to be sold. To avoid loss it is important to;

a) treat all plants with preventative bio controls before spider mites appear.

b) routinely scout the crop, flagging TSSM hotspots to alert workers and provide heavier treatments to affected plants

c) ensure your scouts are trained to find TSSM infestations at the earliest stage possible