Released June 5, 2009
SEARCY, Ark. - In early spring, homeowners should inspect ornamental shrubs and trees for lace bugs, nasty little insects that can literally suck the life out of your precious plants.
"Lace bugs attack a broad range of evergreen and deciduous trees and shrubs and often go undetected until infested plants show severe damage," says Sherri Sanders, White County extension agent with the University of Arkansas, Division of Agriculture.
"Lace bug damage detracts from a plant’s beauty, reduces its ability to produce food, reduces its vigor and causes the plant to be more susceptible to damage by other insects, diseases or unfavorable weather conditions. Repeated, heavy infestations of lace bugs may kill a plant," Sanders warns.
Both adults and nymphs have piercing-sucking mouthparts that allow them to remove sap as they feed from the underside of a leaf.
How do you know if you have lace bugs?
Look under the leaf for the adult insect, which is flattened and rectangular shaped, about an eighth- to a quarter-inch long. The wings of most lace bugs are light amber to transparent in color. Lace bug nymphs are flat and oval shaped with spines projecting from their bodies in all directions.
Azalea lace bug eggs are football-shaped and are transparent to cream colored. Hawthorn lace bug eggs, like many Corythucha species, are barrel-shaped and dark brown. The eggs are found on the lower leaf surface, usually alongside, or inserted into, a leaf vein. Adult females secrete a varnish-like substance over the eggs that hardens into a scab-like protective covering, according to Sanders.
She advises homeowners to regularly inspect ornamentals in the early spring for overwintering lace bug adults and eggs. Mirid plant bugs can help keep lace bugs in check, so don’t kill them, if possible. Mirid plant bugs are about the same size as lace bugs, but are more narrow and are bright red and black.
If you see only a few lace bugs and little or no damage, wash lace bugs off infested plants with a strong stream of water from a garden hose. Repeated applications of insecticidal soaps or horticultural oils are also effective in controlling lace bug populations.
With heavy infestations, chemical control is often necessary. Products containing acephate (Orthene), dimethoate (Cygon), carbaryl (Sevin), malathion, imidacloprid, cyfluthrin or bifenthrin will provide effective control.
Follow all directions, particularly safety precautions on the insecticide label. Not all of these insecticides are labeled for use on all host plants. Choose a product labeled for lace bug control and for application to the host plant.
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http://www.uaex.edu/news/june2009/0605lacebugs.htm
Contact: Elizabeth Fortune, (501) 671-2120, efortune@uaex.edu
