Skipjack Joe
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Bougainvillea pest issues
The leaves on my red bougainvillea look like swiss cheese. Does anyone out there know what's eating these leaves.
Internet search suggests caterpillars but I don't see any. There are some giant moths that are taking nectar from a nearby tree.
Any help would be appreciated.
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Udo
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Here is what has worked for me in the past with outdoor plants:
¼ cup canola oil
few drops of dish soap.
Put in a small spray bottle, shake it up lightly, and spray top and bottom of leaves in a few days, all pasta are gone.
Udo
Youth is wasted on the young!
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woody with a view
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there has to be at least one caterpillar. soap works.
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bajagregg
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Looks like worms or caterpillars have been munching on your plant. If you are in the US, go to a good garden supply and pick up a bottle of BT. It's
a bacteria that will take out the offenders in short order. It is considered organic and will not effect the beneficial insects in your garden. Home
Depot does not carry it and most likely it will be hard to find in Mex. Udo's solution sounds like a good alternative way to go.
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Tioloco
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Patience.....
They will stop eating the leaves when they become butterflies.
A light coat of diesel will stop them quickly, however it may stop the bougainvillea.
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fandango
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Could be the leaf cutter bee.
They wrap the little cuts into a tight tube and put them in wall cracks and other unusual places for eggs.
Google it, maybe that's why you don't see caterpillars.
sbwontoo
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shari
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Mood: there is no reality except the one contained within us "Herman Hesse"
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same thing is eating mine...they are a teeny weeny little worm almost looks like a thread and very very hard to see unless you look close. Let me know
what spray works....I'll try Udo's remedy...good thing is that they do come back, even from a total die off.
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pacsur
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After every rain the little worms would come out and eat my leaves, my gardner had to spray a couple of days after every rain, whatever he used
worked, unfortunately since then I've got rid of the gardner and the bougainvilleas, but I know it was a cheap chemical he bought at the nursery.
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bajalinda
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The dish soap and water spray has worked for me also to get rid of those danged little worms. I leave it on for about 45 minutes to an hour, then
rinse it off. If the pests are still there - repeat application.
I've had grasshoppers attack the bougainvilleas here too.
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Bugman
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Bouganvillea is pretty hardy and can put up with a lot of damage but if getting to the point where you want to take action there are options. Always
best to figure out what the offending critter is so you use the correct product. Sometimes the critter is attacking at night so go out an hour after
dark and check with a flashlight to see if you notice anything then if nothing obvious during the day. You can also whack the affected branches a few
times to see if something well camouflaged falls off.
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fandango
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Checking at night is an excellent idea. This article says birds feed on the bugs, maybe that's why you can't see them. Look for fecal deposits. The
following info is something I found thru Google.
Bougainvillea looper— Disclisioprocta stellata
The bougainvillea looper is a smooth-skinned yellowish or green to brown caterpillar, up to 1 inch long. Like other loopers, or "inchworms", these
caterpillars move by drawing their rear up to their head in a loop, then moving their front legs forward. Adults are fast-flying gray to brown colored
moths with a wingspan of about 1 inch. Larvae and adults are active at night.
Damage
Newly hatched and young larvae feed on tender shoots and along the edges of leaves, causing them to appear scalloped. Older larvae feed on mature
leaves. Heavy infestations may cause severe defoliation. Adults do not feed on foliage.
Solutions
Check bougainvillea periodically during warm weather for signs of a looper infestation. Look for feeding damage and dark fecal pellets. Birds and
other natural enemies feed on loopers, but may not provide adequate control at certain times of the year. Applications of Bacillus thuringiensis will
control young loopers, but may not be very effective against mature ones. Spinosad is effective against both mature and young larvae.
sbwontoo
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