Whats eating my buds!

Started growing hibiscus last year, came back this year and have been beautiful and healthy....until the other day!
Something is eating my buds....did find a giant yellow and green grasshopper, but did not catch him in the act, could this be the culprit? If so how do I save my plant?

Great forum, read through some of the past threads, but could not find anything on my dilemma.

But I did read about the "Bug Blaster" that is such a great idea, I ordered one! The deluxe model can't wait for it to arrive, makes so much sense, I really don't like using chemicals, they scare me and I am always afraid I will use the wrong one for the wrong thing....
Joining DG has really helped.

Thanks for any help you can provide on my Hibiscus

Those dastardly grasshoppers will do it everytime. Kill it. Throw it in the garbage. Bag it. Just get rid of it!!!!

Any suggestions on how to catch it, it jumped up into my Washingtonia and laughed at me from there.....

Pretty tough to get those fast food diners. Chemicals won't do it unless you actually hit them. Nothing that I know of will kill the buggers after just one bite anyway. Think you just have to wait until the infestation is over. Looks like you might have some kind of caterpillar also?

David

Eh gads! Caterpillars! Have not spotted any, but I use my BT (Baccilus Thuringiensis) on the Cannas next to the Hibiscus for leaf rollers. Should I spray the Hibiscus as well? Or is there something else you would suggest.
I want my beautiful Hibiscus back again!

Hi

baccilus is great for things that live in your soil like gnats. Not sure what it does to leaf eaters. Again, you have to see the culprit to kill it. Can I suggest a grass hopper killing trained attack dog? Sorry, for things that eat and run it can be maddening.

David

David,

For things that eat and run......sounds like our teenage son....

The BT has been pretty successful with the leaf rollers, but with all the rain it has to be reapplied weekly.
Target insects: Tent caterpillers, gypsy moths, tomato horn worm loopers and other garden variety insects.

I think I am going to go on bug patrol with my bug zapper, and give these guys (grasshoppers) some volts if I can!
I had no idea they could get that big! But this is Mississippi.....

Is there anything I should NOT use on my hibiscus, just so I know for the future. I am getting kinda fond of these plants.
CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT VARIETY THEY ARE, our landscaper put them in and did not elaborate.

Thanks for all your help, I really do appreciate it!
Cheers
Cath

Grasshoppers are evil - I just hate them and kill them whenever I see the little buggers ;-)

Wait a second - you mean I can kil the hords on gnats in my backyard by putting something in the soil? What is it, where do I get it, how much is it and where do I put it?! This is incredible! And can gnats harm my plants?

Bt is a bacteria that kills things like mosquito and gnat larvae (it won't get rid of the gnats themselves, but it'll take care of the next generation.) I think it'll kill caterpillars too, so if you're trying to create a butterfly habitat you may want to be careful, but otherwise it's pretty beneficial.

If you literally have gnats all over your backyard I'm not sure how much good it'll do though, they're probably all over your neighborhood too, and as long as they're still breeding in your neighbor's yard, there's nothing to stop the adults that came from their larvae from flying back into your yard.

Eeeew, well ok. They're mostly centralized in one corner of the backyard but ... I dunno. It's gross.

Gosh, I have never heard of using BT on the soil like that, that is exciting. It is often used as a "safe" insecticide for chewing insects around here.

If we only spray the soil with the BT is shouldn't hurt the butterflies; what do you think?

The sand gnats (aka no see ums) live in the soil and when you go to dig or pull a weed they swarm all over you and they bite worse than mosquitoes. I am ready to try using it for the gnats asap.

I'm not sure I'm responding correctly using Dave's tools, but here goes another . .
Cath said
"CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT VARIETY THEY ARE, our landscaper put them in and did not elaborate."
and Barry says, they look like a wonderful old landscape cultivar called "President" or more properly "President Truman." Could be "Brilliant" another wonderful landscape cv, but I'm guessing "President".

good luck with the grasshoppers. My friend DAvid Franzman told you well what problems they are sometimes. Here's an old tip from an old grower: Sevin Dust is still available, as are tube-type mechanical dusters with a little plunger to distribute dust. You can't kill grasshoppers with Sevin, but if you dust the growing tips of hibiscus or most anything else, grasshoppers will go next door to eat. Downsides: it ain't pretty to look at and rain washes it off . . but it isn't very toxic to you and it wont do much damage to beneficial insects, and it is cheap. Try it?

Barry,

Thanks so much for the ID on the Hibiscus, I am pretty new to gardening, especially in the deep south!
Am trying to read and pick peoples brains as much as possible to get up to speed on all I need to know.
Read through your member page, you are a pretty knowledgable guy! Can I bug you for future problems.....:-)

Thanks for the tip on the Sevin Dust, I will give it a go.

Here in Mississippi, I have a heck of a time getting a lot of the insecticides and fertilizers required, so I have started to order them online. Like the Bt, I use Bugspray.com, they have been really good so far.
What do you think of the Bug Blaster?

I have been doing grasshopper patrol now a couple of times a day and have not seen my Hibiscus eater back again, maybe he's decided the neighbours yard is better pickins!

Thanks again
Cheers
Cath

Cath, I just ordered a Bug Blaster conversion kit to attach to existing spray wands we use, so I'll let you know what I think. However, I have had a "water wand" for twenty years, and have found it to be the ideal treatment for spider mites and many insects. We use it all the time and I think that if you use such a device twice a week you will never have spider mite infestations of significance. In particular exotic hibiscus enjoy washing . . daily if you want . . much as they benefit from tropical rains . up to 500 inches per year. My water wand has a different kind of nozzle than the Bug Blaster, producing a flat cone spray different from the newer version you asked about. If aphids "bug you" . . do you know about the relationship they have with ants? Ants farm them, so you wont get rid of aphid colonies on new growth until you find and kill the ants that keep bringing them back. They milk honeydew from the aphids . . I'm afraid that thrips wont be much affected by these forceful water sprays, but most other pests can be controlled, especially if you use it daily.
luck to you,
Barry

Barry,

Could you have a look at this picture of a palm tree frond and let me know what you think it is. Have not had much luck with the Palm Forum.

Caught and destroyed my first grasshopper today! Cannot believe how bad they chew things up! Even my Washingtonia fronds! I am on a mission!! - My DH thinks I have lost it.....

Thanks again
Cath

Cath, you might try posting your pic on the Garden Pests & Diseases forum, I'm sure someone over there will recognize it.

Looks like some type of wierd scale insect to me. Can you take a piece to your local Extension Service and have them check it out? I would suspect a horticultural oil, the summer weight type, would help; your extension agent can tell you what might work.

Thanks ecrane, took your advice and posted on the Garden Pest and Disease forum.
Had it on the bug and insect forum, but no bits.....
I will try sending it to the ES and see what they say as well.
Thanks for all the help!

Cath, what I don't know about palms would fill a book.
;-)
These look like mealybugs, but I'lm used to finding them only in axils of leaves and young stems. could be a soft scale. Could be Pink Hibiscus Mealybug? Giant whitefly?
Sorry . .

Barry,
Thanks for the reply!
Finding out most anything on Palms has proven to be very challenging!
I do have Pittosporum planted under these Canary Island Palms, and they do have issues with mealybug. I treated them in the spring with a Bayer systemic which really helped - not sure it was really good for the palms though.
I am hoping the bugsprayer will help keep the pittosprum clean.
I am thinking it is a soft scale of somekind, and have posted to the Garden Pest and Disease forum, and will see what they come up with.

Glad to have someone who I can lean on for the Hibiscus, as I am now hooked on these!
Mine are getting very big and starting to lean, so I guess I need to buy some stakes.
I cut them back last fall, should I do every year?

Hard to tell I am a rookie at all this!
Cheers
Cath

Barry! Barry! Help! Anyone......

Can you tell me what is on the back of my Hibiscus leaves? I do have some snails in the garden and will try the beer thing - (tray in the garden, as opposed to drinking it!) Is that what this is? A snail?
If not, what is it and how do I get rid of it! - Like the grasshoppers were not enough!

Thanks!
Cath