Weeds, Diseases and Pests
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Gloomy scale (Melanaspis tenebricosa) is a serious insect pest that affects maple trees in urban Georgia. It can go undetected for years. Affected trees can show branch dieback and canopy thinning after 6–10 years, when the population reaches extremely high densities. A waxy shield covering protects females from predators and insecticide exposure, and usually gives them a convex shape.
The armored scale wax covering on the bodies of gloomy scale can be detached using a knife. This is different than soft scales, such as wax scales, which are glued to the females’ bodies. Gloomy scales do not produce honeydew, also unlike soft scales. Female gloomy scales have piercing and sucking mouthparts that look like tubes that are inserted into the parenchyma cells (cells that synthesize and store trees’ organic products) in the epidermal layer of tree bark. Male gloomy scales do not have mouthparts. The black and gray dust that deposits on tree bark makes scale detection even more challenging over time, as they camouflage to the color and texture of the bark. This is especially true for trees planted along right-of-ways and parking lots.|
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Oak lecanium, Parthenolecanium quercifex (Hemiptera: Coccidae), is a common soft scale insect pest of oak trees and other woody plants. They infest trees under high stress, such as those planted in parking lots, greenscapes, and other urban areas. Like other soft scale insects, oak lecanium scales feed on tree sap, and they excrete the excess sugars as honeydew. Sooty mold fungus grows on honeydew, and its black color blocks sunlight and interrupts photosynthesis. Although lecanium scales have little immediate impact on twigs and branches, extensive infestation and subsequent feeding damage may weaken or kill the tree over time. The problems with lecanium scale are worsened in urban landscapes where local temperatures are generally higher. Higher temperatures decrease the relative number of parasites that feed on scale insects, and the high densities of surviving females continue to produce viable eggs.
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This publication is a guide to 110 common pest insects found in and around the home, including prevention and treatment options.
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Scale insects are very common pests of landscape trees
and shrubs, yet they often are overlooked when scouting.
They can, however, be responsible for chlorosis (loss of
green coloration of plants due to lack of chlorophyll),
branch dieback, or death of the plant. Wax scales are
part of the soft scale group as they produce soft, cottony,
powdery, or waxy covers that cannot be separated from
the scale body. Indian wax scale (Ceroplastes ceriferus);
Figure 1) and Florida wax scale (Ceroplastes floridensis;
Figure 2) are the common wax scale species that occur in
Georgia. Indian wax scale is prevalent in the eastern U.S.
from Florida to Maryland. Florida wax scale is found from
Florida to New York and westward to New Mexico.|
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C 1274
Blanc du Bois
‘Blanc du Bois’ has made a significant contribution to wine production in southeastern regions where Pierce’s disease is prevalent. Though possessing resistance or tolerance to Pierce’s disease, Phylloxera, and powdery mildew, this cultivar is not without fault, and it does require an intensive integrated pest management (IPM) program. We cover here the major issues observed with this cultivar.
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Carrots suffer significant yield losses from nematode pests because the harvested edible product (taproot) is directly affected by nematode infection, resulting in reduced marketable yield and quality. Root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.) are widespread in several counties in South Georgia and cause serious damage to carrots. Stubby-root (Paratrichodorus or Nanidorus spp.) and root-lesion (Pratylenchus spp.) nematodes are also common in these regions, though, their damage potential to carrots has not yet been established. This publication reports information on nematode detection, biology, and different control practices for the proper production of carrots.
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This pocket field guide provides a summary of the common economically damaging species of ambrosia beetles in the Eastern and Southern U.S. It includes an easy-to-use morphological identification guide, external and internal plant-injury descriptions to help in infestation diagnosis, and trapping guidelines and protocols for researchers, Extension agents, and growers. The finished printed size of this guide is 3″ wide x 5″ high. Please contact the Publications Editor at extpublications@uga.edu to obtain a PDF suitable for commercial printing (with page bleeds).
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The publication gives basic biology and description, with images, of the spider’s immature and adult forms, along with recommendations for managing them around the home. The Joro spider is a native of Japan and East Asia that was first documented in the United States in 2014 in northeast Georgia. The initial population appeared to be centered around Braselton and Hoschton, GA, along I-85. By 2022, the spiders had spread about 75 miles in all directions from that initial detection. The native range of these spiders in Asia extends from southeast Asia northward through a swath of eastern China, the Korean peninsula, and all but the northernmost island of Japan, and westward to India and the foothills of the Himalayas. Given that distribution, there seems to be no obstacle to the Joro eventually expanding its range to include all of Georgia, the Southeast, and most of the rest of the eastern U.S. as well.
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This publication contains information on the most important and common diseases of sorghum, the biology of the causal agents, as well as a detailed description of the disease symptoms (aided by high-quality detailed pictures), relevant up-to-date information on conditions favoring the diseases, as well as cultural, genetic and chemical methods of control. The publication is aimed for producers, crop consultants, county faculty, students, and general public.
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