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Durgan · Posted: Wed Oct 17, 2007 9:00 pm Post subject: My "Bugs"

These are the bugs in the garden,(2006 and 2007) which cause me some concern. The information is consolidated.

http://cranflyl.notlong.com/ 17 May 2007. European Crane Fly Larvae.

About 25 leatherjackets were picked from around this small plant within about 10 cm. of the stalk, many were clinging to the roots and probably sucking the juices. The plant was dying by degrees. Damage is both to the leaves, when the leatherjacket comes out at night, and to the roots. The birds do a good job in controlling. Sometimes when the larvae are in quantity the yard will be full of birds. I observed one blackbird eating 15 in less than a minute digging from the grass. The damage these leatherjackets inflict is colossal, when they are in quantity. They love a very wet time of the season usually early spring. They devastate morning glory seedlings amongst many other plants and grass.

The adult is a large mosquito type insect sometimes called a Texas Critter and Mosquito Hawk. Unfortunately, they do not eat mosquitoes, so they is nothing beneficial to man about this insect.

Some detailed information about this pest.
http://www.humeseeds.com/cranefly.htm

http://whatcom.wsu.edu/cranefly/articles/Collman-CFintro.htm

Flea Beetle
http://FleaB.notlong.com 11 June 2006

This 2 to 3 mm long Flea Beetle causes much damage to Radishes, Joi Choi, Rutabago, and Horseradish in my garden. No garden is without these ubiquitous pests. They particularly like radish leaves. The damage is profound when the plants are very small. Spraying with one of various pesticides on a regular basis is probably the best control.

Here is more information about this pest. http://InfoB.notlong.com

Colorado Potato beetle - Leptinotarsa decemlineata

http://ColoradoP.notlong.com 1 June 2007

http://Colegs.notlong.com 2 June 2007 Egg Cluster

The Colorado Potato Beetle made its appearance today. I picked bout 15 off the potato plants, and removed some eggs on the underside of some leaves. Potatoes have been grown the last three years, and every year there are a few more Colorado Potato Beetles. All I do is pick them off the plants daily, since they are not in quantity.

Years ago my small potato patch was destroyed in one long weekend. Upon returning from a trip the potato leaves were completely covered or what was left of them. With a large infestation and a large field spraying is necessary. Good luck for the organic gardeners.

1 September 2007 Japanese Beetle on Grape Vine

http://aelah.notlong.com/ Beetle on Grape Vine. Japanese Beetle Pest. (Popillia japonica)

There are three grape vines on the adjacent support which is 24 feet long. This pest was found on the Boco Noir vine. The Soverign Cornation and Concord were not attacked. This is probably a coincidence. I found about 25 pests eating the leaves. I physically removed them and sprayed them with malathion-about the only insecticide I have available. They didn't die immediately and showed no undue signs of stress so I squashed them. Only the Concord Vine is producing fruit this year- second year.

Up to this time I assumed the Japanese Beetle only attacked grass. They sure did a number on many leaves of the grape vines. http://enahx.notlong.com/ URL to more information about this ubiquitous pest.

Downy Mildew spread by The Striped Cucumber Beetle and wind.

http://xrl.us/psbn Pictures of beetle and damage.

28 July 2006 My cucumbers deteriorated almost completely in less than ten days. Then I noticed my muskmellons were taking the same trip. Upon close inspection, I found this half centimeter bug on each leaf. This bug has been noticed before, but there were so few, that I tended to ignore them.

http://xrl.us/qk36 An article in the Brantford Expositor. This Downy Mildew is what destroyed by cucumbers and muskmellon plants.

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Durgan. Brantford, ON, Canada Zone 5B
http://aeragh.notlong.com