Monthly Help Desk Report by Kathy Love
Well over 50% of calls to the BCMGA Help Desk are tree and lawn concerns, but the runner-up to those two issues is insects, most generally insect identification.
December, 2021
Beneficial insects on Crape Myrtle bark scale, identified as Twice-stabbed Lady Beetle. Photo provided by Christy Reese.
Twice-stabbed Lady Beetle feeding on a bad infestation of Crape Myrtle bark scale. See link to article on Twice-stabbed Lady Beetle by the Galveston County Master Gardener program. For treatment of Crape Myrtle bark scale, see the link to Dr. Michael Merchant’s YouTube video on removal of the scale. Of course, the drench he uses imidacloprid, will kill the beetles as well as the scale, but without that treatment, these crape myrtles will likely die.
BCMGA Mission Statement
The Bell County Master Gardeners Association assists the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service in providing high quality, relevant, research-based horticultural education and service to the residents of Bell County and the state of Texas through outreach, teaching, and demonstration projects.
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