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Home: Treat Diseased Bonsai White PinesHow to detect pest damage: All sorts of little bugs roam outdoors and many are attracting to aromatic plants and trees. The bugs will feed and nest on plants and trees, which is their role in nature. The problem is the pests over do them selves? This brings in humans, which it is our role to minimize or eliminate bug damage and decay. When we think of caterpillars often, we consider harmless creatures that grow as beautiful butterflies. The facts however is that these harmless creatures rarely nest or damage Scot pine, yet it will damage other plants. Caterpillars are sometimes called moth larvae, which these pests will feed on plant tissue and weaken the tree. Caterpillars can also cause decaying. The caterpillars are grouped, i.e. you have the bombycoid moths or sponge caterpillars, and the leaf rollers. In addition, you must consider the leaf miners, goat moth, leopard moth, geometer moth, small ermine moth, and so on. The bombycoid often causes damage to plants and trees. You will notice the damage by spotting silky threads between needles or leaves. Look in the foliage also to spot spongy-like nests. If you notice, damage caused from caterpillars immediately use contact insecticides to eliminate or minimize the problem. Otherwise, the caterpillars will continue feasting on the leaves and needles until the plant is destroyed. The leaf rollers will feed on buds, flowers, leaves, and youthful shoots. You will notice damage, such as silk threads that wrap about the leaves. The wraps resemble a cigar. Caterpillars will often feed at night. To stop damage and or decaying spray the plant in the spring, spraying it with parathion-based insecticide. Parathion is colorless toxic oil, which is often highly concentrated. The insecticide will kill any bugs crawling or nesting in your plants. Leaf miners can be treated with organophosphate insecticide. You will notice symptoms or signs of leaf miners by spotting tunnels around the tissue. Holes will appear in the leaves. If you notice dark specks around the cavity, or if carbohydrate production, which uses light and chlorophyll, i.e. photosynthesis interruptions appear, you will need to spray your plant. If the photosynthesis is interrupted and treatment is not available, thus the process of producing basic carbohydrates from carbon dioxide, hydrogen, etc, is minimized which energy will cease and result to fatality. Pine weevils often nest in the roots of plants and trees. If you notice chewed areas at the chief branches and/or collar of your plant, then you will need to spray the growth with pesticide. Spray the tree or plant at the start of April and at the last day of March. You can cut, remove, and destroy any sections of your bonsai that is infested. If the trees are young, use plant oils to minimize infestation. If the needles appeared chewed and the branches have undesired shape, likely your bonsai has been infested with galerucid beetles, leaf beetles, or chysomelid. If the plant slows growth and shows, the latter signs spray your bonsai with insecticides. If the branches and leaves appear chewed or distorted you will need to spray insecticide on your plants, since it has likely been attacked by the pine chafers. The bonsai will show signs, such as slow growth if the pine chafers have attacked your plant. NOTE: Chafers are large flying scarab beetles. The beetles move slowly. Sometimes the beetles are called the cockchafer.
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