Garden Pests

Fall Webworms

What is that big bunches of webs in my trees? It is fall webworms hatching from eggs and spinning a protection web over the colony. While unsightly, they do not cause much harm this time of the year as the trees are going dormant.

Webbing on a fruit tree from fall webworms
Webbing from fall webworms

Their “cousins”, the spring tent caterpillars do cause damage because they hatch in the spring when the trees are trying to grow. These should be controlled.

Both species attacking fruit trees, poplars, and a few others. They fall out of the nests seeking shelter and become brown moths in the spring laying eggs completing the life cycle.

Back the fall, if you can not stand the sight of these, you can rip the nest with a stick exposing the worms to the elements and birds. I have not noticed an overabundance of webs this year.

House pests

Flies in the House

Flies and more flies in the house, I am getting sick of it! They say find the source and remove it, the source is the farm!

So I need to kill them in the house. The best method I have found is the sticky yellow tubes that you can hang. Just do not bump them with your head. You can get fly trap jugs, I found them to be very stinky. I use a milk jug with apple cider vinegar or a little fruit in water and honey.

There are fly bait stations where you place bait in special containers outside, but be careful of the actual baits around pets or humans for they are very poisonous.

Then spray a residual insecticide around the outside of window and doors and other entry points of the house. Make sure your window screens are not torn or have holes.

There is a “newer” innovation called a fly light trap. It is a fly zapper using UV light for indoor areas. You can always get your cardio workout with the flyswatter!

Fly sticky tube
Fly sticky tube

These sticky fly tubes work about the best inside of my home. I place them by windows up high enough where you will not get caught on them (or the dogs). I do not like to use insecticide sprays indoors or the flycatcher jugs which have a bad odor to them.

Garden Pests

Picnic Beetles

Have you ever found little black beetles with yellow spots on your overripe garden fruit? These little buggers are called picnic beetles and are instantly attracted to your ripening sweet corn, berries, cracking melons, and tomatoes. They burrow into the fruit causing more damage.

Picnic Beetle

The best idea for control is if you have these as problems, make a daily check on your melons and tomatoes. Harvest anything before it gets overripe. You might have to harvest a couple of days early.

Insecticides are not a good idea because you are too close to harvest. If really bad, try fruit juice with some vinegar and water into pie pans. The beetles will down themselves. Stale beer works also.