Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

market-farming - Re: [Market-farming] buggy question

market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Market Farming

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: "Shawnee Flowerfarmer" <farmingflowers AT hotmail.com>
  • To: market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] buggy question
  • Date: Sat, 01 Apr 2006 19:08:52 -0600

Not to worry Dawn....I've been using a very mild soap and water mixture for organic insect control in various greenhouses for thirty plus years.  I generally only have to use it for a short time until I can get the plants outside and allow the predatory insects to take over.  Also, the spittle bugs have been tending to attach along a stem under the foliage, so it's fairly easy to treat the bug without wetting much foliage.  I handpicked and squashed a few this morning.  A very satisfactory chore actually.  I had seen these spitty dealies in fields outside but never had any reason to get curious about them until they appeared in the greenhouse.

I assume that I brought them into the greenhouse from some nursery perennials that I wanted to hurry along.  As usual, I have caused my own problem.

I have used the fatty acid soaps that you mentioned before--Safer brand etc, where allowed by OMRI-but I prefer not to go to that extent most of the time.  The few times I've had a bad boy get out of easy control, I show the plants the door.  Out.  Even with a paying crop.  Let 'em take their chances in the big wide world out back by the compost pile.    Thirty years plus of sustainable gardening have taught me to simply break the cycle between the hive mind, their susceptible hosts and a population of beneficial insects. 

Thanks for your advice.

Shawnee


From: "Dawn M. Ripley" <ripley AT iglou.com>
Reply-To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Subject: Re: [Market-farming] buggy question
Date: Fri, 31 Mar 2006 23:14:26 -0500

Actually, Shawnee, you could be doing yourself more harm by using a homemade soap concoction.  Perhaps others with more greenhouse experience can weigh in here, but homemade soap mixes can burn the plants, causing even more damage than what the insects could be causing. 

Insecticidal "soaps" are actually made from sodium or potassium salts combined with fish or vegetable oils that break down the waxy cuticle of certain soft-bodied insects.  I'd have to do some research to determine just how effective manufactured insecticidal soap is against spittle bugs.  I would imagine that it's fairly effective against the larvae, and perhaps even the nymphs, but not so much against the adults.

I've read that merely spritzing the plants with water to knock off the spittle and expose the nymphs can do much to control the insect, but I suppose that depends on the extent of your infestation. 

Anybody else with suggestions?

Dawn


At 09:55 PM 3/31/2006 -0600, you wrote:

Thanks Dawn, it is the spittle bug.  I hope that I have them under control with the soap treatment....I've never had this bug in the greenhouse before.  (I love that reference to the spitty bit resembling cappucino froth. Yucky...I can't wait to show that to another staff member who is grossed out just looking at the thing.)

Shawnee


From: "Dawn M. Ripley" <ripley AT iglou.com>
Reply-To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Subject: Re: [Market-farming] buggy question
Date: Fri, 31 Mar 2006 22:33:06 -0500

Shawnee,

Could your culprit be a spittle bug?  Check out these images:

http://bugs.bio.usyd.edu.au/Entomology/InternalAnatomy/imagePages/spittleBug.html

Dawn


At 09:04 PM 3/31/2006 -0600, you wrote:

Can anyone identify this bad boy--sorry, no photo-from this description:

    The larvae, yellowish light green, 1/8" ish long live inside a spitty looking glob--dime size or smaller suspended around the stem of mostly fine foliage plants.  The adult is vivid green, also 1/8", resembles a smaller leaf hopper somewhat, flies, but not so quickly that I can't catch/smash a few.

I am finding these in achillea and lavender plants in the greenhouse.   I have been dunking the infested plants in a soap and water solution which instantly dissolves the spitty bit, leaving the larva exposed.  The damage on the plants also resembles hopper burn, but the insects are definitely smaller than leafhoppers.

Shawnee

_______________________________________________
Market-farming mailing list
Market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/market-farming

Get the list FAQ at: http://www.marketfarming.net/mflistfaq.htm


>_______________________________________________
>Market-farming mailing list
>Market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
>http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/market-farming
>
>Get the list FAQ at: http://www.marketfarming.net/mflistfaq.htm

_______________________________________________
Market-farming mailing list
Market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/market-farming

Get the list FAQ at: http://www.marketfarming.net/mflistfaq.htm

>_______________________________________________
>Market-farming mailing list
>Market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
>http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/market-farming
>
>Get the list FAQ at: http://www.marketfarming.net/mflistfaq.htm




Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page