So sorry for your troubles. Yes, the hot weather and final lack of rain got rid of them for the most part. There are a few still out there, but not the swarms. Hopefully the heat will come your way soon!
Anyone else having problems with Buffalo gnats?
Thanks Patch. We're suppose to hit 90 sometime this weekend. That should wipe most of them out. Still overcast here this morning.
GG we call them tent catterpillars and they're here already. Many years ago they got so bad they devastated most of the trees. No fall leaves that year! They're building up again. Each year I can see more of them in the trees.
MollyD
Molly, that's what they are. Many years ago they were so thick, people were using boiling water to wash them off the walls of their houses so the people could get in the doors. That was before we moved here and we were coming up in the fall to go small game hunting here. They were about 2 inches thick on the wall of the motel we stayed at that year. We didn't stay long as you couldn't even stay in the woods for the caterpillars falling on you. Even the birds couldn't keep up with them. We lost miles of oak trees here then. I hope you don't get them that bad this year, but it looks as if we are going to.
GG
Arkansas was hit hard last year. I'd never seen anything like it. Every oak was between 1/3 to 2/3 defoliated. You could actually hear them eating! And what felt and sounded like a light shower was, well, it was a shower but NOT water! Yuck!
This was after a hail storm in early April did serious damage and a late killing frost in April of '06 killed anything already leafed out. It's amazing we have any trees left.
I think we're good for another two years or so. Two or three years ago we had a different kind of catterpillar that covered everything! Their poop was everywhere (and it sounded like a shower!). Our deck was a mess with it. Happily they died back a lot these past two years. Birds here don't seem to touch either type of catterpillar.
MollyD
Same here. I just wish the chickies and keets would eat them as I think we are in for it this year.
GG
And, of course, the Asian Variegated Lady Beetle. You know, the ones that look like lady bugs but bite.
This message was edited Jun 5, 2008 7:10 PM
I hate both of them. The AVLBs and Tent Cat. Do we even have any nice, old fashioned lady bugs any more? ...How would we know? They look like the biting ones. :-(
Glenda
well, as we cool down our heat wave is headed east, LOOK OUT!
tamara, i hope that heatwave has rain with it
I can remember back in 1984 the gypsy moth caterpillers were so bad that the literally covered everything. If you went for a walk on the road you would be constantly stepping on them. They devastated many trees-the state finally flew helicopters around the state spraying them. Boy was it disgusting with all the dead caterpillars just hanging off the trees. We haven't had a bad infestation of them since.
We are getting revved up for that heat! It's supposed to be 90 tomorrow and the upper 90's Sunday-the weatherman said it's going to go well into next week. It's still raining here and in the upper 50's-been like this for 3 days! The temps tomorrow will be a shock! Glad that the plants are getting a good dose of rain beforehand though.
Sue ☺
Sue, we got the heat, not too bad, tho. The humidity is what is bad here. DH does the laundry each week, and hung my sports bras in the bathroom on Wednesday. They weren't quite dry this morning (friday). So, I guess we will have to run the air for a while just to get the humidity out. We both have asthma and the air being heavy gives us a little trouble breathing then. So, with the rain you are getting you should have the humidity too. S S.
GG
Sue, the image of all those dead cats hanging from trees creeps me out.
Part of our problem is air circulation. We live in the country, on 12 wooded acres, on a slight slope with a ridge behind us. The property was excavated to make a level spot for the house. Add to that the 6' retaining wall between the back yard and back patio, we created a giant windbreak behind the house that has poor circulation and lots of heat due to brick and concrete. Ugh! Even the front yard has poor circulation because it's surrounded by woods. Double ugh! The bugs love it. and then the powdery mildew.....
I'm trying not to use chemicals since we plant to attract hummers and butterflies but sometimes it gets so bad there's no other choice. I'm thinking of trying Bayer 3-in-1 on non-host plants (butterfly cats) to kill the grasshoppers, aphids, leaf hoppers and bad caterpillers. Anybody have an opinion or advice?
Sounds suffocating for both of you. Been there Granny! Can't tell you how many times I've worn jeans that aren't quite dry!! We are generally plagued with humidity all summer-tomorrow the heat index is supposed to be over 100.
Sue ☺
Can anyone tell me how to tell the difference between the Asian verigated lady beetle and a ladybug?? I have never heard of the avlb before - and I had what I thought were ladybugs in my garden, but NOW I am not sure.........??? How can I tell?
Also, does anyone know if the insects that LOOK like ladybugs but are different colors such as orange or yellow ..... what are they ???
thanks
Genna
All ladybug beetles eat aphids--even the imported Asian ones. And they can differ in color and number of spots within the same species. When you say "yellow" do you mean the slightly longer looking yellow beetle with spots? I think that one is a different family and may do some damage. Can't remember its name right now. Here is a nice site describing ladybugs and the problem with the Asian lady beetle.
http://www.uky.edu/Ag/CritterFiles/casefile/insects/beetles/lady/lady.htm
Thanks for the site, I will do some reading on them.... no the yellow ones are pale in color and look exactly like a "lady bug"..... I just wasn't sure if they were. I can't remember studying that when I was in college taking entomology....and my trusty professor has just retired because I would normally just shoot him an email and see what he said....
thanks
Genna
I have aTON of orange beatles w/ black spots they look like ladybugs but?
Genna just hold one in your hand! The nasty ones will bite you. Had that happen to me. Was I surprised!
MollyD
Apparently from checking out the link that Catscan provided, the orange ones are squash beetles and are considered a pest along with the AVLB. Some good info on that site, thanks for sharing!
genna
potato bugs, cucumber beetles and asparagus & cabbage beetrles also look similar... plant sunflowers to attract your friendly neighborhood assassin bugs!
Thanks for the link, Catscan. I didn't realize that those biting Asian ladybeetles are what invaded our home when we lived in town. Just like the article says, they would come in swarms in the fall and they would be crawling on the ceiling and lots collected inside light fixtures (they are attracted to light) and had a bad odor. They tended to be around our back door off the deck (the southwest part of the house). We had lots of larvae crawling on the back deck. They are so ugly - I killed them until I learned what they were and left them alone. The article described them to a 'T'!
LOL - we have the same problem here where I work. One of the guy's office here is literally INVADED with them and he always complains about the smell...... I forwarded him a link with the article about them. Of course, our building is old and isn't very airtight so it is easy for them to gain access to it.