Pest Alert: Kudzu Bugs

Kudzu bug, Meridian, MS

In October 2009, large numbers of an insect known as kudzu bug (Megacopta cribraria) were discovered on the exterior of houses in nine northeast Georgia counties.  This insect is also referred to as the bean plataspid, lablab bug, or globular stink bug.  It is related to various species of stink bugs.  Before discovery in Georgia, kudzu bug was not known to occur in the Western Hemisphere

By September 2010, the insect was confirmed in more than 60 north and central Georgia counties as well as limited distributions in North and South Carolina.  By 2011 it was reported in Alabama.  In 2012 it has spread to Virginia, Tennessee, and Florida.  Kudzu bug was first reported in Montgomery and Warren counties this spring.  The photos shown were taken in Lauderdale County (Meridian) on October 16.   They were in large numbers.

    Kudzu bug adults are 4 to 6 mm long, oblong, olive-green colored with brown speckles, and produce a mildly offensive odor when disturbed. You do not have to mash them like you do with other stinkbugs.  If you get the smell on your hands, it takes several applications of soap and water to get some of it off.  I think you might need an industrial hand cleaner.

Kudzu bug’s preferred host is kudzu in its native Asia.  Kudzu appears to be a primary host in North America but it will also eat wisteria. This insect will continue to spread into most areas where kudzu is established.  Eating kudzu and wisteria is not a bad thing.  The problem is that kudzu bug also eats soybeans, southern peas, snap beans, and assorted other desirable plants.  Next spring, gardens will need to be monitored for this pest.   However, it is easily controlled by most common insecticides.



Kudzu bugs catching some rays on a cool morning.

        Kudzu bug can be a nuisance to ordinary homeowners.   As the weather begins to cool this insect, like the Asian lady beetles, seek secluded sites where they spend the winter.  They can accumulate in large numbers around doors, windows, and other openings.  This was how they were first noticed in Meridian.

 The best control method is to prevent the kudzu bug from entering your home. Homeowners should make sure that screens on windows are well-seated and without holes and that soffit, ridge, and gable vents are properly screened.  Doors should have a tight seal when closed and door-sweeps under their base.

 

To help control these insects outside the homes when they accumulate around the doors and windows, you can use an application of an insecticide spray labeled for outdoor insect control. Weekly applications may be necessary as additional insects keep moving in search of a place to spend the winter.

Do not be crush any insects that have managed to enter the home should, since this may stain indoor surfaces and result in odors that may prove difficult to eliminate.  Instead use a vacuum to capture them and then empty it into a sealable disposal container.  

      You can find additional information at http://www.kudzubug.org.

34th Annual Fall Flower and Garden Fest

      The 34th annual Fall Flower and Garden Fest is Oct. 5 and 6 at MSU’s Truck Crops Experiment Station in Crystal Springs.  The event is open each day from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
      This festival celebrates everything about the garden and is one of the best free horticulture field days in the entire Southeast.  The weekend event offers something for the entire family.  All of the Experiment Station gardens and grounds, seminar areas and wagon tours are handicapped accessible. Vendors will be selling food and drinks at the event for lunch.
         This year’s theme of “Healthy Living – Healthy Gardening” will kick off at 9:30 a.m. Oct. 5 with a 1-mile fun walk organized by the Let’s Go Walkin’ Mississippi initiative.
       The 3-acre garden site will offer everyone from garden novices to Master Gardeners lots to see and learn. Visitors can view a great selection of tough roses, ornamental grasses, tropical plants, and of course, fall vegetables and herbs.
      Mississippi Medallion winners and plants from the All-America Selections program will be featured. The tropical garden, with its giant banana plants, is a favorite of visitors every year.
     Numerous educational activities are planned as well. Master Gardeners and MSU specialists will present non-stop seminars and exhibits on managing ponds, beekeeping, composting, creating backyard habitats, establishing flower trails and growing favorite garden plants.
       Walking tours will allow visitors to investigate research projects at the branch station. The project on agri-ability will show ways those with decreased mobility can access the garden. Other tour topics include insects and diseases, high tunnels, and vegetable gardening.
       Across the lake, vendors will sell popular, new plants perfect for fall planting and must-have landscape accessories.
      I will be there along with other horticulture experts from MSU to answer tough garden and landscape questions. Most experts will be wearing blue vests.
    The Truck Crops Branch Experiment Station is located south of Crystal Springs about 25 miles south of Jackson on Highway 51.  Turn on to  Experiment Station Road
Crystal Springs, MS 39059 across from the Rolling Hills Country Club.

Fall Greens Garden

Red Giant mustard

   The drought and heat have finally broken.  It’s time to start planting cool-season vegetable crops such as radish, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, and other greens crops. 

 Try something different this fall.  Grow some greens crops are decorative as well as tasty.

 

'Red Bor' kale has crinkly red leaves that turn a deep burgundy in fall. 'Red Russian' kale has blue-green leaves with attractive red veins

 'Bright Lights' Swiss chard features dark green leaves with colorful ribs of red, yellow, pink, or white.

If you like mustard greens, try ‘Red Giant’ or ‘Osaka Purple’ varieties. Their different color is eye-catching.

There are many types of leaf lettuces that will produce fast crop.  ‘Black Seeded Simpson’ lettuce is a perennial favorite.  Or try oak leaf types in green or red for a different look. 

Spinach is great cool-weather crop that grows much better in the fall than in the spring.  Try growing the crinkle-leaved 'Tyee' or 'Winter Bloomsdale'.

 
      You do not have to relegate these crops to the vegetable garden. You can remove tired flowers from containers and pop in some turnip or lettuce seeds. Or replace your annual flower beds with colorful, edible ornamental greens.
 

If you’d like more information fall vegetable growing, contact your local Mississippi State University Extension Service office and we’ll do our best to ensure you have a successful fall garden.

Insects Eating Figs and Other Fruit

   Figs are getting ripe and muscadines and oears are not far behind.  With their ripening come wasps, yellow jackets, bees, and other insects looking for a sweet meal.   There are not synthetic insecticides that can be sprayed to control these problems in figs.  You might can use an organic spray such as pyrethrum.  Malathion and carbaryl (Sevin) can be used in pears and muscadines but there is a 7 and 3 days waiting period respectively.

  You can purchase various traps or you can try the following idea.

   This was passed on to us by someone who has had success killing yellow jackets in and around the fig tree, and should work when the pears begin to ripen.  It was suggested that this also can be used with muscadines and grapes.

   The gentleman’s solution was to cut the neck off a 2 liter soda bottle and invert it into the neck of the bottle, stapling it around the edge where the two pieces of bottle meet. This puts the neck of the bottle down into the bottle.

   Put 1 teaspoon of honey inside at the bottom.  Add a pint of water and mix well.  Sit or hang the bottle near the fig or other fruiting tree.  Once the yellow jackets and wasps go into the bottle, they cannot get out, so this helps eliminate them.  Other suggestions were sweets like cola or syrup.  They seem to link the amber brown color   Once inside the bottle, the insect is trapped and cannot get out. Hang your bottles just as the fruit begins to ripen

Southern Magnolia Leaf Drop

Algal Leaf Spot

     Chicken Little is wrong again.  The sky is not falling; it is only magnolia leaves!  Every spring, people call expressing concern about leaf drop of their Southern magnolias.  Magnolias will begin dropping leaves in November and continue until early spring.  The degree of leaf drop depends upon genetic as well as physiological factors affecting the tree. Most of the leaves are old leaves and it is their turn to fall off.  The older leaves turn uniformly yellow suddenly throughout the entire plant before dropping.  New growth at the tips of the branches is often evident at this time. Once the yellow leaves drop off, no further yellowing or leaf drop occurs until next spring.

     Most Southern magnolia trees are grown from seed, and they exhibit a great deal of variability in leaf shedding since each tree is slightly different.  Some trees may become completely bare before new foliage comes out.  When trees are propagated by grafting or from cuttings, all trees will have about the same amount of leaf drop since they are clones.

Regardless of propagation method, the degree of leaf drop can also be associated with environmental conditions.  An extremely cold winter or a dry spring can result in accelerated or additional leaf drop.  Large trees with root systems restricted by to sidewalks or planting islands may drop more leaves since their restricted root system are not as able to supply the tree with water and nutrients during periods of stress.

This spring has been wetter and warmer than usual and this resulted in a increase in algal leaf spot.  This also causes increased defoliation.  Best control is to clean up and destroy diseased leaves.

You might want to apply 4 cups per 100 square feet of 13-13-13 or similar fertilizer to give them a little boost this year.