近距离内射合集

Q: I have a question/suggestion about your advice about aphids published March 29. I have dealt with aphids on trees, especially over the last two years on box elders and on heuchera and roses. Deciding how to proceed in attacking them, I first check to see if I have ladybug nymphs. These guys are elongated bugs with black and white stripes and look nothing like an adult ladybug. If I find some, I first hard spray the plants with water in the early afternoon, hopefully knocking the nymphs off, then allow the leaves to dry before spot spraying with a pesticide called neem oil at dusk. neem oil is a natural, biodegradable pesticide and fungicide derived from the neem tree seeds. It鈥檚 widely used in organic gardening to control aphids, mites and whiteflies by disrupting the bugs鈥� life cycle. Neem oil is also known to prevent diseases like powdery mildew. I spray every two to three days for at least two weeks. It works, is affordable and is not a nemesis to the surrounding environment. What are your thoughts on the pesticide neem oil? 鈥� MIK, Albuquerque

A: Well, I鈥檒l tell you, I have written about the neem oil several times throughout this career. You are correct that neem oil is a natural biodegradable pesticide/fungicide.

Neem oil comes from the seed of the neem tree (Azadirachta indica) common in Africa and India. I can鈥檛 find it in any of my plant references, so I don鈥檛 believe it鈥檒l grow in our climate. It鈥檚 touted to be intolerant of temperatures that fall below 40 degrees and is classified as a subtropical to tropical grower. That makes aiming to grow one here not a good idea.

In one of my references I learned that the neem tree is closely related to the chinaberry tree (Melia azedarach) which is common to the southern and southeastern U.S.

Neem oil is meant to be ingested by the target pests and is listed as having little effect on spiders, honeybees and other beneficial insects 鈥� that is, unless the beneficial insect eats enough of the target pest treated with neem.

Also, the neem oil鈥檚 active compounds degrade rapidly, usually in five to seven days, so it鈥檚 not a pesticide that has a long residual effect.

From your description of how often you spray, I鈥檓 wondering if you are following label instructions for frequency of application. I have learned that neem oil works fastest in hot weather, but that doesn鈥檛 mean you should spray during the sunniest part of the day. Dusk, like you said, is always best, and make sure the tree, rose or plants you are treating are well watered first.

So, yes, neem oil is a nifty pesticide/fungicide to add to your hunting arsenal. You can find neem oil at a well-stocked nursery or online.

Now onto the ladybug nymphs.

You鈥檙e correct that they don鈥檛 resemble the adult ladybugs in the least. I think they look like some sort of wee six-legged alligator-shaped critter. Usually the ones I鈥檝e been able to watch, like yours, are black with a few orange stripes running horizontally across their body.

While in the larval stage, they are at their most voracious. Eating bad bugs is their thing and they love aphids. These wee 鈥渁lligators鈥� feed for two to three weeks and then sort of park inside a funky-scale-looking orangish-colored ball, pupating into the adult form we鈥檙e all familiar with. I have been fascinated by them for years.

So if you have lots of ladybug larvae feeding on the aphids, you might consider waiting to treat for the aphids so the larvae don鈥檛 accidentally ingest too much pesticide. It鈥檚 a tough decision, especially since aphids literally suck the life out of a plant, make what鈥檚 called sweet dew that ants just adore, and can lead to sooty mold affecting your trees.

So weigh the treatments. Please make sure you are not applying too much, too often, and perhaps after the aphids are under control, purchase and release a herd of adult ladybugs to encourage better plant health all around.

Happy Diggin鈥� In!

Tracey Fitzgibbon is a certified nurseryman. Send garden-related questions to Diggin鈥� In, 近距离内射合集, 7777 Jefferson NE, Albuquerque, N.M. 87109, or to features@abqjournal.com.