But before you panic and kill an unusual or new-to-you insect you have found, make sure it is correctly identified and not a native harmless or beneficial bug lookalike. "Confirm Before You Crush" at right will help you avoid a case of mistaken identity.
SPOTTED LANTERNFLY Lycorma delicatula
Found in 14 Eastern and Midwestern states, spotted lanternfly has more than 70 host species, including tree of heaven (Ailanthus altissima), maples (Acer spp. and hybrids), oaks (Quercus spp. and hybrids), many fruit and nut trees, and grapes.
HOW TO IDENTIFY IT Egg masses look like a smear of mud and are found on tree bark, as well as outdoor furniture or vehicles. Nymphs are black or red with white spots and are mobile from spring to fall. Adults appear in summer and are 1 inch long with gray or brown front wings with black spots and red hind wings with black spots and black and white bands at the edge.
DAMAGE Sap-feeding nymphs excrete sticky honeydew, often causing black sooty mold to grow on foliage. Plants are stressed by the feeding and may not die right away, but will be cosmetically affected, and fruit and nut crops will have lower yields.
WHAT TO DO Inform your state’s Department of Agriculture if you find spotted lanternfly so they can track its spread. Take a picture and note its location, then destroy the insect. Scrape off egg masses and seal in a plastic bag to destroy. These insects can hitchhike as adults or egg masses to new locations on vehicles and transported items like firewood, so some affected states have enacted quarantines on items likely to host egg masses.
Esta historia es de la edición Issue 172 - August 2023 de Garden Gate.
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Esta historia es de la edición Issue 172 - August 2023 de Garden Gate.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
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Spinach - Learn the secrets to growing this tasty green in spring and fall.
If you're one of those gardeners who can't wait to get started in spring and hates to throw in the trowel in fall, spinach is the perfect shoulder season crop. This mild, earthy-flavored green comes in many varieties, ranging from crinkly-leafed savoys to slightly textured semi-savoys and the flat, smooth-leafed types. Colors can be dark green, light green and even red-veined. Here's how to get the most of it every year.
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When you're planting bulbs, it's tempting to just dig a hole as deep as your trowel will reach easily, nestle the bulb in, cover it up and move on. But the fact is, each type of bulb will flower best and thrive at a different depth.A good rule of thumb is to plant a bulb two to three times its height. One reason planting depth is important is because it helps to keep the bulbs protected from fluctuations in temperature that happen closer to the surface.
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