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Insect Management on Landscape Plants¹

Eileen A. Buss²

The urban landscape is a diverse area that includes many different plants, ranging from annual foliage plants to perennial trees and shrubs. It is a complicated system to manage because, unlike in agriculture, plantings are fragmented and separated by developed areas. Each home or commercial area is also maintained differently, and the owners or managers have different goals for their landscapes. Some may desire a perfect, well-manicured look, while others may prefer a more natural appearance that requires less work to maintain.

A lot of insects, mites, and other insect-relatives feed on ornamental landscape plants. Many are harmless, some are beneficial, and some are pests. Some pests may need immediate control, especially if present in great numbers, but others may not be worth the time, effort, or cost of control. Feeding by pests may cause real damage to the plants or just make the plants look bad or unhealthy. However, insects are only one of many potential causes for unhealthy-looking plants. Diseases, nematodes, drought, nutritional disorders, and improper chemical applications can also be damaging. Correct identification of the problem can save money and prevent unnecessary chemical use. After the pest is correctly identified, information can be found on its life cycle, food preference, and habits. It is important to understand these things to properly time any corrective measures.

Scouting or monitoring for damage or pests is an important part of plant health care. Examine plants weekly in the spring, summer and fall. Exactly how to monitor for each pest depends on where the insect lives or feeds. Look for pests under a few leaves and the stems or branches of each plant. If thrips or mites are suspected, hold a sheet of white paper under the leaves or flowers and shake the plant. Watch for moving specks on the paper and place them into a small jar or vial of rubbing alcohol for identification. Use a hand lens (10 or 15X) or magnifying glass to find tiny insects or mites on the foliage.

Pest Management on Ornamentals

Several options exist for managing insects and mites on ornamentals without the use of pesticides. These options include handpicking, knocking, or hosing pests off plants with water, and then destroying the pests. Removing infested plants or plant parts (e.g., pruning) and then burning or destroying them reduces the chance of pests moving among plants. Buying or using plants that are naturally resistant or tolerant to certain pests greatly reduces the need for future control. Any mechanical or cultural method that prevents or excludes pests from the plants should be attempted before using a pesticide.

However, if pesticide use is necessary to prevent economic damage to plants, consult Tables 1 and 2 . Most of these pesticides kill by either contact with the insect or as a stomach poison. Some may also exert a fumigating or vapor action under certain conditions. Products should be selected that will effectively control the pests without injuring the plant, result in another pest outbreak, or kill beneficials and other non-target organisms. Before using a pesticide, consider the following points:

• Select the right product. Only use an insecticide that is recommended to control the target pest and is safe on the host plants.

• Use the label rate or recommended amount. Too little won't control the pest; too much is illegal. Read the container label carefully.

• Apply it correctly. Thorough coverage of the leaves (especially the underside), stems, and branches is essential. The pesticide must reach the area of the plant where the pest is feeding. Most failures to control pests result from incorrect applications, not product failure. The addition of a spreader-sticker to the spray mixture is suggested when spraying ornamental plants. Spreader-stickers help the pesticide to adhere to the leaves and improve coverage for better control.

Groups of Pests

Pests of ornamentals may be divided into five groups according to how they damage plants.

1. Insects with Piercing-Sucking Mouthparts. These insects have general straw-like mouthparts, which pierce the plant tissue and suck out the plant fluids. Examples: Scales, mealybugs, aphids, whiteflies, mealybugs, lace bugs, spittlebugs, thrips.

2. Spider Mites. These pests are not insects, but are closely related to spiders and scorpions. They suck plant fluids with their piercing-sucking mouthparts.

3. Foliage-Feeding Insects. They may feed on leaves or flowers. Examples: Caterpillars, beetles, grasshoppers, katydids.

4. Leafminers. These are very small larvae of flies, beetles, or moths that tunnel between the upper and lower leaf surfaces. Examples: Blotch leafminers and serpentine leafminers.

5. Borers. There are many species of insects which bore into the twigs or trunks of plants and trees. These are usually the larvae of moths or beetles. Examples: Pine bark beetles, sea grape borer, carpenterworm, dogwood borer.

For a list of key plants and their associated pests see List 1 .

Additional Information

For additional information, please see these extension publications (http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu ):

Beneficial Insects and Mites (ENY-276)

Insect Attractants and Traps (ENY-277)

Microbial Insecticides (ENY-275)

Natural Enemies and Biological Control (ENY-822)

Featured Creatures (http://creatures.ifas.ufl.edu)

Plant/Pest Guide

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Tables

Table 1. Insecticides registered for use in Florida landscapes.¹

Insect	Chemical Name	Notes
Aphids	Abamectin Acephate Azadirachtin Bifenthrin Carbaryl Clothianidin Cyfluthrin Horticultural oil Imidacloprid Insecticidal soap Malathion Permethrin Pymetrozine	Treat when aphids first appear and retreat when needed. Do not use Malathion on ferns or Chinese elms.
Bagworm	Acephate Azadirachtin Bacillus thuringiensis k. Bifenthrin Carbaryl Cyfluthrin Lambda-cyhalothrin Permethrin Spinosad	Treat when bagworms are small. Remove and destroy bags from plants in winter.
Beetles (Leaf-feeding)	Acephate Azadirachtin Bifenthrin Carbaryl Cyfluthrin Deltamethrin Imidacloprid Permethrin Spinosad
Borers	Bifenthrin Carbaryl Imidacloprid Permethrin	Apply insecticide to plants before adults oviposit, eggs hatch, or larvae tunnel inside.
Caterpillars (e.g. oleander caterpillar , white marked tussock moth larva )	Acephate Bacillus thuringiensis k. Bifenthrin Carbaryl Cyfluthrin Deltamethrin Lambda-cyhalothrin Permethrin Spinosad	Treat when larvae are small.
Centipedes , Millipedes , Sowbugs , Pillbugs	Bifenthrin Carbaryl Clothianidin Cyfluthrin Deltamethrin Lambda-cyhalothrin Permethrin
Gall Insects	Abamectin Carbaryl Spinosad	Many gall-makers are present near bud break. Treat when insects are laying eggs or early in gall development.
Grasshoppers	Acephate Bifenthrin Carbaryl Cyfluthrin Deltamethrin Lambda-cyhalothrin	Treat when first noticed on plants. Retreat as necessary.
Lace bugs	Acephate Bifenthrin Carbaryl Cyfluthrin Deltamethrin Horticultural oil Imidacloprid Insecticidal soap Lambda-cyhalothrin Malathion Permethrin	Treat when lace bug numphs are first seen. Repeat as needed to protect foliage.
Leafhoppers	Acephate Azadirachtin Bifenthrin Carbaryl Clothianidin Cyfluthrin Deltamethrin Horticultural oil Imidacloprid Insecticidal soap Lambda-cyhalothrin Permethrin	Treat when leafhoppers are seen and repeat as needed.
Leafminers	Abamectin Acephate Azadirachtin Bifenthrin Carbaryl Clothianidin Imidacloprid Permethrin Spinosad	Standard contact insecticides may be used against adult leafminers at oviposition. Some systemic insecticides may be active against larvae in mines.
Leafrollers	Acephate Azadirachtin Bacillus thuringiensis k. Bifenthrin Carbaryl Lambda-cyhalothrin Permethrin Spinosad	Often not damaging enough to warrant control in the landscape. Time applications before leaf rolls are complete and insects are protected inside the plant material.
Mealybugs	Acephate Azadirachtin Bifenthrin Clothianidin Cyfluthrin Deltamethrin Imidacloprid Insecticidal soap Lambda-cyhalothrin Permenthrin	If mealybugs have formed ovisacs (cottony masses in which egs are laid), additional applications may be needed at 7-10 day intervals until no new mealybugs are found.
Mites	Abamectin Azadiractin Bifenthrin Bifenazate Cyfluthrin Dicofol Fenpropathrin Horticultural oil Insecticidal soap Lambda-cyhalothrin Malathion Neem oil Pyridaben Spiromesifen	Correct identification of spider mite species is essential in determining control timing. A spray probram is usually necessary. Apply miticide 2 or 3 times, at 7-10 day intervals. Do not use abamectin on conifers.
Scales (Crawlers)	Acetamiprid Azadirachtin Carbaryl Cyfluthrin Dinotefuran Horticultural oil Imidacloprid Insecticidal soap Malathion	Crawlers (nymphs) are most susceptible to applications, but timing of emergence varies by scale species. Some crawlers settle on plant foliage and others settle on branches and twigs. Armored scales are generally not susceptible to dormant oil sprays.
Slugs and Snails	Methiocarb Metaldehyde	Apply when leaf damage is first seen and reapply as needed.
Spittlebugs	Acephate Carbaryl Cyfluthrin Deltamethrin Lambda-cyhalothrin	Treat when spittle masses first appear.
Thrips	Abamectin Acephate Bifenthrin Carbaryl Cyfluthrin Fluvalinate Imidacloprid Malathion Methiocarb Spinosad	Treat foliage or flowers as soon as thrips are found. Weekly applications may be needed until control is achieved.
Whiteflies	Abamectin Azadirachtin Bifenthrin Carbaryl Clothianidin Horticultural oil Imidacloprid Insecticidal soap Lambda-cyhalothrin Malathion Pymetrozine Spiromesifen	Treat when first noticed and repeat in 5-10 days. Repeat applications as needed.
1 The pesticides included in this table have been listed alphabetically, and not based on their effectiveness of control. We do not have information on the effectiveness of each pesticide.

Table 2. Chemical names, trade names, formulations, and manufacturers of landscape pesticides.

Chemical Name	Florida Registered Products	Chemical Class	Signal Word
Abamectin	Avid 0.15 EC	Avermectin	Warning
Acephate1	Acephate Pro 75 Orthene Turf, Tree & Ornamental Spray	Organophosphate	Caution Caution
Acetamiprid	TriStar 70 WSP	Neonicotinoid	Caution
Azadirachtin	Azatin XL	Botanical	Caution
Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki1	Dipel DF Safer Caterpillar Killer XenTari	Microbial	Caution Caution Caution
Bifenazate	Floramite	Miticide/Pyridinecarboxylic acid	Caution
Bifenthrin1	Talstar Lawn & Tree Flowable Onyx Insecticide	Pyrethroid	Caution Warning
Carbaryl1	Carbaryl 4L Sevin SL Sevin 80 WSP	Carbamate	Caution Caution Warning
Clothianidin	Arena 50 WDG	Neonicotinoid	Caution
Cyfluthrin1	Tempo 20 WP Tempo SC Ultra	Pyrethroid	Caution Caution
Deltamethrin	DeltaGard T&O	Pyrethroid	Caution
Dicofol	Kelthane 35	Miticide	Warning
Dinotefuran	Safari 20 SG	Neonicotinoid	Caution
Fenpropathrin	Tame 2.4 EC*	Miticide	Warning
Fluvalinate	Mavrik Aquaflow	Pyrethroid	Caution
Horticultural oil1	Sunspray Ultra Fine Ultra-Fine Oil	--	Caution Caution
Imidacloprid1	Merit 75 WP / WSP	Neonicotinoid	Caution
Insecticidal soap1	M-Pede Safer's Soap	--	Warning Caution
Lambda-cyhalothrin	Scimitar CS	Pyrethroid	Caution
Malathion	Malathion 5 EC	Organophosphate	Warning
Metaldehyde	Deadline Bullets Metaldehyde Granules 3.5	Molluscicide	Caution Caution
Methiocarb	Mesurol 75W *	Carbamate	Warning
Neem oil1	Triact 70	Botanical	Caution
Permethrin1	Astro Permethrin Pro Termite-Turf-Ornamental	Pyrethroid	Caution Caution
Pymetrozine	Endeavor	Feeding blocker	Caution
Pyridaben	Sanmite 75 WP	Miticide	Warning
Spinosad1	Conserve SC	Miticide	Caution
Spiromesifen	Forbid 4F	Ketoenoles	Caution
* Restriced Use Pesticide 1 Some products exist for homeowner use

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Footnotes

1. This document is ENY-338 (IG013), one of a series of the Department of Entomology and Nematology, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. Date frist printed: October 1993. Revised: September 2007. Please visit the EDIS Website at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu.

2. Eileen A. Buss, associate professor, Entomology and Nematology Department, Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, 32611.

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The use of trade names in this publication is solely for the purpose of providing specific information. UF/IFAS does not guarantee or warranty the products named, and references to them in this publication does not signify our approval to the exclusion of other products of suitable composition. All chemicals should be used in accordance with directions on the manufacturer's label. Use pesticides safely. Read and follow directions on the manufacturer's label.

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U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A. & M. University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. Larry Arrington, Dean.

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Copyright Information

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