Common Summer Insect Problems

[caption id="attachment_9370" align="alignleft" width="300"] Common Summer Insect Problems[/caption]

One of the down falls about summer are the insects. Yes the crickets chirping at night is soothing, but the itching and scars left by other insects are a pain. Here are some common insect problems in the summer:

Summer heat not only stresses plants, but also gives insect populations great conditions to flourish. Warm temperatures coupled with an abundance of plant material to feed on, allows many insect to complete their life cycle in a couple of weeks. A couple of bugs can turn into a severe infestation in your garden if you are not looking for these pests.

One of the most common insects making its presence known is the white, soft, cushiony scale known as mealy bugs. The white waxy coating is a protective measure for the insect. These insects are sucking insects, drinking the sap from plants. After sucking plant sap, the insect secretes a clear sugary substance called honeydew which provides a substrate on which black sooty mold can grow on the plant.

As a form of scale insect, they are not very mobile, but they can be moved from plant to plant by people or animals that brush against infected branches, by clippers, and on leaves and sticks that blow in the wind. That's why you want to practice good sanitation measures when working in your yard if you see mealy bugs.

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