Ruud Kleinpast: Eyes on your pests

A few things to look for in October:  Passionvine Hoppers do a bit of damage from late October/Early November till March-April  These are the problematic insects that are common in the north (and for the past few years, also around Christchurch – they’re spreading South!  Adult passionvine hoppers plus one nearly-mature fluffybum Most of the damage is cased when the bugs are growing bigger and older (later in spring); by then these insects can jump away from insecticides applied; they clever enough to avoid being immersed.  CONTROL and PREVENTION:  Keep an eye on the new fluffy bums hatching in your garden right now!!! Those tiny nymphs often congregate in large flocks at the ends of new growth; they are still very feeble in their movement and won’t be able to escape a cloud of fly-spray aimed at them on a wind-still morning  Spray these young Passionvine Hoppers in October with a good dose of fly-spray; your only chance to hit them before they become troublesome. Slugs and Snails are a real pest in the garden at this time of the year; moisture and new plant growth encourages them  Control measures that work:   Weed control will expose them to predators (thrushes)  Using Bait pellets in a pottle, dug into soil: take-away container with lid on and bait inside; holes cut in the side of the container let slugs and snails in; but not dogs and cats Alternative version is to use some off-cuts (15-30 cm long) of plastic waste-pipe, diameter 50 to 75 mm, which allows access to slugs and snails, but not to birds.  Put some bait in the pipes and anchor them down with a heavy brick  Encourage Carabid beetles (Ground beetles): they often feed on slugs and snail juveniles and eggs Slug and Snail bait station And then there are Mites, especially Two-Spotted SPIDER MITES  Tiny, eight-legged ACARI that love to suck the fluids out of the leaves of your plants in spring, summer and autumn.  Tetranychus urticae is a cosmopolitan species of mite that causes heaps of damage. Control is not very difficult: there are some good miticides (note: miticides, not insecticides) on the market that will deal to most outbreaks. However, mites are known for becoming quite tolerant of chemical compounds. Mineral oils and the so-called fatty acids are also effective on spidermites, as is a couple of repeat sprays of Neem oil. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.