Q: I have all these black gnats or some kind of small fly in my house and I did not have them before I brought some of my plants in for the winter, they are driving me crazy but are they some thing that I need to be concerned about for my plants and if so what do I need to stop them?
A: What you have are called Fungus Gnats and the adults that are what you are seeing and are so annoying. The adults are of no danger to the plants and are only a nuisance for people. The larvae are the problem. The adults fly around looking for moist wet soils to lay their eggs in that then hatch into tiny larvae that feed on organic mater in soils and sometimes plant roots. The most effective treatments that I can recommend are to water only as needed, allow soils in plant containers to be almost dry before watering. Check the soil with your finger to a depth of several inches into the container before just pouring the water on. There are some houseplant sprays that you can use on or around your houseplants if you have a major infestation. Also there is a product called Systemic Insecticide Granules that you can sprinkle onto the soil in the containers and as you water it dissolves and will help to kill the larvae in the soil before they can develop into the adult gnat.
Getting Rid of Grub Worms
Q: When we were dethatching our lawn and pulling weeds from the beds we found lots of grub worms, what can we do to get rid of them and when?
A: The best time to kill grubs in Texas is from March to August. Look for a product containing IMIDACLOPRID, an insecticide that should not harm beneficial insects in the soil. Read the label carefully. The insecticide attaches to the roots of the grass and shuts down the grubs ability to feed. The ability to kill the grubs depends on how deep they are in the soil, how much it is watered in and the amount of clay in the soil. As with the any product it will not wipe out every single grub. In the average lawn there will be grubs at any time of the year, if you find 3 or more in a 12 inch by 12 inch area that it is considered an infestation and a serious threat to the lawn. Most lawn insecticides should not be used within 3 to 4 feet of vegetable crops.
Shreaded bark on live oak trees
Q: I was trimming the sucker growth off my live oak trees the other day and a lot of them, not all, but a large number look like something is shredding the bark on the stem, not eating it or taking it off, but shredding it like tiny cat scratching. What is causing it, is it bad for the tree and if so what can I do?
A: What you have is Cicada damage. The damage it self is not bad for the tree, most of it is always on the small twigs and can make the tree look bad but does little harm. Fortunately this most often is in the heat of summer and not in spring, other wise it could open the tree up to oak wilt or decline. But the insect that spread the disease are not active in extreme heat. The cicada roughs up the bark while laying its eggs that hatch into a small larvae that then drops to the ground and burrows in to feed on roots and other plant parts but will do little more to damage the tree. Spraying is not practical as the adults fly around from area to area and most trees are too large to treat effectively. If you must have something done, there are some tree drenches available retail that the average home owner can use or contact a certified arborist for more detailed information and options.
Bark being eaten off pecan trees
Q: I have limbs on my pecan trees that the bark is being eaten off and the small limbs are dying. What is causing it and what can I do?
A: You have squirrels. They will do that on many trees. Sometimes it is because they are hungry, most times it is simply to be chewing. They will also do that to the eves and trim on houses. All you can do is trap them and move them to another area miles away from you so they will not come back. But be warned, they breed like rats and new ones will soon move in and you may have to start over again.
Chinch Bug Problem
Q. Last year large areas of my lawn turned brown and died, I was told that I may have had a chinch bug problem. This year the grass is not growing in well and seems to be a bit off color and thin, what can I do to improve it and get it to grow?
A. First I would treat for chinch bugs again with either a general purpose control or a season long product that also controls grubs. I have been seeing chinch bugs already this year and it is not even summer yet, so they are very active at this time. Then I would fertilize with a good slow acting lawn food that contains a large percentage of water insoluble nitrogen or one of the other slow acting nitrogen’s. You do not want one that has a high percentage of an Ammonia form of nitrogen, this for is used up fast, will not last and can aggravate fungus problems.
Giant bee’s or hornets buzzing around my front door
Q: I have these giant bee’s or hornets buzzing around my front door and going into holes in the ground, how can I get rid of them before they attack me?
A: What you most likely have is what is called a Cicada Killer, this is a solitary member of the wasp family that sometimes may nest near others of its kind and digs a tunnel into soft soils and will bury a cicada in it with an egg laid on it for the larvae to feed on, Unless you try to catch one in your hand or attempt to pick one up they generally will not attack you. As the cicada is its only prey, when the cicada population dwindles the wasps will leave the area, I generally do not recommend killing them, they are more of a nuisance than a danger.