|
Spittle bugs are the bane of every homeowner who wants a beautiful green lawn as shown in magazines. After feeding and pampering the emerald spread, the discouraging spread of brown spots can raise the ire of the grower to frenzy in their desire to kill spittle bugs. Although it is often considered a moth, the spittle bug is more of a soil than air dweller. The good news is, the two step process is not difficult to do and every homeowner can master it.
The spittle bug seems to be moth-like but is actually more related to the aphid and does damage in the same way aphids do. With piercing mouths, the insect extracts the life juices from grass leaving it sufficiently weakened so that when warm weather arrives, the turf expires. The life cycle of a spittle bug starts with eggs that have overwintered in the soil. As the ground warms up, the eggs hatch and feed on the grass for the two to three months it takes for the nymphs to reach maturity, grow wings and go off to lay eggs in other areas. The tell-tale sign that spittle bugs are at work is the sighting of foam or bubbles at the juncture of grass blades. The foam houses the immature nymphs and adult insect. Only about one third of an inch in size, the wasteful eating habits of the nymphs can create huge brown blotches in the areas they have fed when the heat of summer arrives.
The quickest way to kill spittle bugs is a combination of liquid and granular treatments. The first of the two applications is a liquid application called Bifen. The use of a spreader sticker is recommended to make certain you get an even coverage of your lawn. Sometimes a spraying of Bifen will control a minor infestation of spittle bugs. The granular component is DeltraGuard granules. Two applications of the granules should be made and then the yard monitored for any re-population of spittle bugs.
An organic approach to kill spittle bugs is to put half a cup of diced hot peppers, six cloves of peeled garlic, and two cups of water in a blender and puree it. After letting the mixture sit for at least twenty-four hours, strain it and mix in two tablespoons of liquid soap. First wipe the foam off the plant and then spray the entire plant with the liquid mixture. This remedy works well for houseplants, ornamentals or small, confined areas of infestation.
Methods to kill spittle bugs can be a little time consuming but is not difficult. How a gardener chooses to kill spittle bugs may be determined by the overall approach to gardening taken and the amount of time one has to invest in the activity. Both organic and chemical solutions will do the job without harming the grasses or turf you are trying to cultivate. By taking care of the underlying issue you can expect to fully enjoy a wonder expanse of unbroken green again!
|
Author Bio Box: Patricia Wainwright
Get all the facts about Pest and Disease and organic gardening at GreenThumbArticles.com!
Didn't really find what you were looking for?
|
|
|
| |
|
|
![[Valid RSS feed]](images/rss.gif "Subscribe to our XML Feed for RSS")
(Read 500+ times)
