Canadian Chelsea
Ontario, Canada
Posts: 252
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| Posted: Sun Jun 14, 2009 3:00 am Post subject: Lady Bug, Lady Bug, Fly Away Home... |
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Is it because our spring season has been so cold that there is no ladybugs around? I haven't seen any yet or is it too early for them?
Well, right now I need them asap. Much to my surprise, my Goldflame Spirea shrubs are covered/infested with aphids. Lots of aphids. Too many aphids. 
Tomorrow I am going to spray the Spirea with dishsoap and water. Spraying them with water does nothing.
Yuck. I really dislike aphids.
Where are the ladybugs?
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daisybeans
annapolis md
Posts: 3675
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| Posted: Sun Jun 14, 2009 3:09 am Post subject: |
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The other day I was getting ready to trim my honeysuckle bush and it was covered with lady bugs (and aphids). So I put it off so that I wouldn't disturb them. I'll trim it tomorrow.
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Daisybeans/MaryAnn
"Once the relation between poetry and the soil is well established in the mind, all growing things are endowed with more than material beauty." -Elizabeth Lawrence
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Canadian Chelsea
Ontario, Canada
Posts: 252
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| Posted: Sun Jun 14, 2009 3:15 am Post subject: |
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You have ladybugs, daisybeans? Lucky you!
Where are mine?
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toni
 Administrator
Plants Moderator
Regular Plants Contributor
North Texas, Zone 8a
Posts: 11251
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| Posted: Sun Jun 14, 2009 3:15 am Post subject: |
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They are dependent on warmer temps....ideally temps between 61-82F will inspire them to create off-spring become very active.
Anything under 55F and they don't fly.
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To be interested in the changing seasons is a happier state of mind than to be hopelessly in love with Spring ----
George Santayana
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petunia
northern michigan
Posts: 2246
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| Posted: Sun Jun 14, 2009 3:16 am Post subject: |
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I haven't seen too many ladybugs here either. only a few. The only problems we're having are those caterpillar wprm bugs with their web houses eating away at our trees.
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Petunia
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Canadian Chelsea
Ontario, Canada
Posts: 252
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| Posted: Sun Jun 14, 2009 3:16 am Post subject: |
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I just had a thought.
Actually, you gave me the idea, daisybeans.
Maybe I should give my Goldflame Spireas a haircut to get rid of the aphids.
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daisybeans
annapolis md
Posts: 3675
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| Posted: Sun Jun 14, 2009 3:23 am Post subject: |
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Sounds like a good idea.
I have a giant spirea that needs a serious haircut too. I know it's not the perfect time, but I've been too busy and it must be done.
I remember I didn't trim it last year at all becasue on the day I hauled my trimmers, bags and clippers out to do the trim, there was a darling fledgling hanging out in there... so I put it off so as not to disturb him, and never got around to it. I'm sensing a theme.
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Daisybeans/MaryAnn
"Once the relation between poetry and the soil is well established in the mind, all growing things are endowed with more than material beauty." -Elizabeth Lawrence
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Canadian Chelsea
Ontario, Canada
Posts: 252
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| Posted: Sun Jun 14, 2009 3:25 am Post subject: |
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Petunias, we had those tent caterpillars around here a few weeks ago. What I did whenever I spotted one is I sprayed some hornet spray foam into the webs. They instantly died.
Last year I cut a branch off that had a huge tent caterpillar web on it. My plan was to burn the web with a small blow torch. (insert evil grin here)
Instead of the branch falling to the ground, it and the tent landed on my head in my hair.
Eww.....ewww.......ewww.....yuck!
Hornet spray is the only way to go afer that little incident.
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toni
Administrator
Plants Moderator
Regular Plants Contributor
North Texas, Zone 8a
Posts: 11251
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| Posted: Sun Jun 14, 2009 3:49 am Post subject: |
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If you break the webbing open as soon as you see it, the tent caterpillars (webworms) the birds can get to the caterpillars and there is a wasp that takes care of the larvae....then you don't have to trim the tree.
We get them both in spring and fall, different types but same result.
We just cut some down that were hidden from view, opened them up and sprayed the heck out of them with Raid.
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To be interested in the changing seasons is a happier state of mind than to be hopelessly in love with Spring ----
George Santayana
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Netty
Regular Plants Contributor
Southern Ontario zone 5a
Posts: 9959
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| Posted: Sun Jun 14, 2009 11:24 am Post subject: |
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I've noticed a ton of Aphids too Chelsea, and not a Lady Bug to be found anywhere! There are lots of ants this year and they seem to be "farming" them. Maybe the ants are keeping the Lady Bugs away?
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Canadian Chelsea
Ontario, Canada
Posts: 252
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| Posted: Sun Jun 14, 2009 12:35 pm Post subject: |
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Those BIG black ants are everywhere here too, Netty. They form their nests not only in the gardens but in the lawn too. Whenever we see one, we put a few drops of 'Liquid Ant Killer' around them and that seems to do the trick. But then again, another nest seems to pop up in another part of the yard.
Toni, I didn't know that about ladybugs. We have had cold weather up until now.
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cajunbelle
zone 8b Louisiana
Posts: 3256
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| Posted: Sun Jun 14, 2009 1:18 pm Post subject: |
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Has your spirea bloomed yet. If it hasn't and you trim it now you will not get any blooms this year.
I saw aphids here this year for the first time ever. Just sprayed them with the hose.
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Sharon
Phil. 4:13
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petunia
northern michigan
Posts: 2246
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| Posted: Sun Jun 14, 2009 1:58 pm Post subject: |
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I've also noticed how the ants have moved in this year. there must be 3-4 holes of them in my new corner flower bed. I've also seen a type of black ant with red in the middle. There has been more of them this year also.
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Petunia
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daisybeans
annapolis md
Posts: 3675
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| Posted: Sun Jun 14, 2009 2:20 pm Post subject: |
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CB -- the spirea bloomed quite a while ago, about a month or 6 weeks ago. Better if I'd gotten it earlier but ... it has to be trimmed. It is crazy overgrown. Same with my forsythia -- has to be trimmed because it is blocking traffic view at the corner... I even still have to cut a couple of the oldest stalks out of my lilac ... Hate doing it in June... but just didn't get to it earlier.
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Daisybeans/MaryAnn
"Once the relation between poetry and the soil is well established in the mind, all growing things are endowed with more than material beauty." -Elizabeth Lawrence
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