Common Insects and Mites: Pear slug categories: Common Insects & Mites Common Problems revision date: 2022-11-22 03:42 Pear slug and damaged leaf from feedingPhoto by: R.D. Akre Biology These bizarre creatures are not really slugs. They are the larval form of a sawfly, a primitive group of wasps. They typically skeletonize the leaves of such […]
Common Insects and Mites: Root weevils categories: Common Insects & Mites Common Problems revision date: 2022-11-22 03:38 Black vine weevil adult and leaf damagePhoto by: A.L. Antonelli Biology Several species of root weevils can be serious pests of landscape plants including azalea, rhododendron, rose, and strawberry. The black vine weevil is perhaps the most common. […]
Common Insects and Mites: Sapsucker damage categories: Common Insects & Mites Common Problems revision date: 2022-11-22 03:31 Sapsucker damage on birchPhoto by: C.R. Foss Biology Rows of horizontally oriented holes in trunks and branches of various types of trees are typical feeding sites for sapsuckers (woodpeckers). Mild to moderate damage usually has little long-term impact […]
Common Insects and Mites: Shothole borer categories: Common Insects & Mites Common Problems revision date: 2022-11-22 03:25 Shothole borer infestation holesPhoto by: A.L. Antonelli Biology Shothole borer is one of several bark beetle species that attack trees in stress due to disease, injury, etc. It is a small, black, stout, but somewhat elongate, beetle. The […]
Common Insects and Mites: Skeletonizers categories: Common Insects & Mites Common Problems revision date: 2022-11-22 03:22 Apple-and-thorn skeletonizer caterpillar feeding on leafPhoto by: A.L. Antonelli Biology Of the many species of skeletonizers, most are caterpillar types. Skeletonizers devour leaf tissue, leaving only leaf veins or “skeletons” behind when they feed. These pests frequently create webbing […]
Common Insects and Mites: Slugs categories: Common Insects & Mites Common Problems revision date: 2022-11-22 03:14 Brown slugPhoto by: C.R. Foss Biology Slugs damage a number of ornamental and garden plants. Older leaves may be raggedly chewed, while young tender plants may be partially or completely consumed. Slug damage, unless you catch slugs in the […]
Common Insects and Mites: Sowbugs, pillbugs, and millipedes categories: Common Insects & Mites Common Problems revision date: 2022-11-22 03:12 SowbugPhoto by: A.L. Antonelli Biology Sowbugs (Porcellio spp.) and pillbugs (Armadillidium spp.) are not insects. They are crustaceans and thus are more closely related to crabs and shrimp. Sowbugs are grey and prefer very damp areas. […]
Common Insects and Mites: Spider mites categories: Common Insects & Mites Common Problems revision date: 2022-11-22 03:09 Spider mites under microscopePhoto by: L.K. Tanigoshi Biology Several species of spider mites may become significant pests on ornamental plants. Spider mites are very small, eight-legged arthropods that damage foliage with their piercing mouth parts. They are usually […]
Common Insects and Mites: Spotted wing Drosophila (SWD) categories: Common Insects & Mites Common Problems revision date: 2022-11-22 03:06 Spotted wing drosophila larva and fruit damagePhoto by: W. Hoashi-Erhardt Biology Spotted wing Drosophila (SWD) resembles other Drosophila species (fruit flies or vinegar flies) in appearance, but unlike other members of the family which attack only […]
Common Insects and Mites: Tent caterpillars categories: Common Insects & Mites Common Problems revision date: 2022-11-22 02:56 Tent caterpillars on tent at branch tipPhoto by: S.J. Collman Biology The most common tent caterpillar in home landscapes is the western tent caterpillar. It typically has a dark body with white and orange or yellow markings and […]
Common Diseases: Armillaria root rot categories: Common Diseases Common Problems revision date: 2022-11-04 03:04 White fungal mat of Armillaria root rot infecting trunkPhoto by: C.R. Foss Biology Armillaria root rot is a fungal disease transmitted between plants by root contact. It is also spread by rhizomorphs. Armillaria is often found in newly cleared soils. Symptoms […]
Common Diseases: Botrytis blight (Gray mold) categories: Common Diseases Common Problems revision date: 2023-01-10 12:00 Botrytis sporulating on alder seedlingPhoto by: R.S. Byther Biology Water-soaked lesions appear and quickly become covered with a gray-brown mass of fungus and spores. Infection often occurs at injury sites. After initial infection, gray mold can spread into the adjacent […]
Common Diseases: Cankers categories: Common Diseases Common Problems revision date: 2022-11-04 02:56 Black canker and peeling bark on madronePhoto by: R.S. Byther Biology Cankers are localized wounds or necrotic lesions, often sunken beneath the surface of the stem of a woody plant. Cankers can be caused by fungi, bacteria, or winter damage. Determining the cause […]
Common Diseases: Crown gall categories: Common Diseases Common Problems revision date: 2022-11-04 02:47 Crown gall on rootsPhoto by: R.S. Byther Biology Crown gall is found on many ornamental plants, fruit trees, and caneberries. It is most commonly found on cherry, apple, peach, pear, plum, euonymus, rose, raspberry, and blackberry. Crown gall is caused by a […]
Common Diseases: Damping-off categories: Common Diseases Common Problems revision date: 2022-11-04 02:44 Damping-off of cucumber seedlingsPhoto by: R.S. Byther Biology Damping-off is caused by fungi that remain in the soil for long periods of time. Infected seeds decay without germinating. Seedlings may be infected and fail to emerge from the soil. Emerging seedlings are also […]
Common Diseases: Dead roots categories: Common Diseases Common Problems revision date: 2022-11-04 01:41 Dead roots and healthy roots in nursery plantsPhoto by: R.S. Byther Biology A plant showing symptoms of off-color, stunting, wilting, and death may be suffering from a root problem. Dead and discolored roots result from factors such as fungal root rot disease, […]
Common Diseases: Dodder categories: Common Diseases Common Problems revision date: 2022-11-04 01:39 Dodder entwining fuchsia stemPhoto by: R.S. Byther Biology The parasitic flowering plant dodder (Cuscuta spp.) attacks living plants by entwining them in its slender stems. Dodder is characterized by its tangle of leafless, yellow to orange threadlike stems. The stems encircle host plants […]
Common Diseases: Downy mildew categories: Common Diseases Common Problems revision date: 2022-11-04 01:36 Lettuce leaf infected with downy mildew fungusPhoto by: R.S. Byther Biology Downy mildew is a fungal disease of tender green tissues including leaves and shoots. Infected leaves show areas of slightly chlorotic to purplish red to dark brown discoloration on the upper […]
Common Diseases: Dwarf mistletoe categories: Common Diseases Common Problems revision date: 2022-11-04 01:32 Dwarf mistletoe in coniferPhoto by: R.S. Byther Biology Dwarf mistletoe is a parasitic plant that grows on the branches or occasionally on the trunk of a host tree, such as Douglas-fir, true firs, larch, pine, and junipers. It is yellow-green, olive-green, or […]
Common Diseases: Galls categories: Common Diseases Common Problems revision date: 2023-01-09 12:00 Camellia leaf gallPhoto by: R.S. Byther Biology A gall is a swelling or overgrowth produced on a plant as a result of infection by certain pathogens or physiological stress. Galls may be found on leaves, stems, trunks or roots. They can be caused […]