What Is This Garden Pest Please??

[mandymoosie]

This is the little devil that is on our plants.

The pictures may not be that clear, was trying to get a close up.

It's green in colour, with a little brown face and has little legs.

It's causing the leaves to curl and it's eating the plants, it makes like a web thing.

If anyone could please tell us how we get rid of it, we'd be most grateful cos it really is causing damage.

Many thanks :-x

Pics will be bigger if you click the attachment 🙂

[ilove2patch]

You need to use the Macro on the camera. That could be anything! :^O 😉

[we*love*austria*]

If it is causing damage to plants, is it possible to remove the damaged leaf and bug ?

[mandymoosie]

Maggie I know absolutely nothing about camera's and taking pics, I just thumble through it 😐

I wouldn't know what a "Macro" was if it jumped up and bit me on the nose 😉

It's a new camera too which makes for ever more of a condfuddled mess to me 😉 :^O

Austria, sadly it's all over one of our shrubs 😞 We had it last year too, but in the Autumn, we did give it a real harsh trim to cut off all the effected parts, but it seems to be back again 😞

[**towery**]

without a better picture and knowing what plants its on its very hard to say what it is

[**towery**]

the macro setting is one that looks like a little flower  /  tulip

some cameras have  Auto settings which will zoom into something when you go close

dont use zoom

[mandymoosie]

Will have to see if I can find another of the little devils, as we disposed of the last one:|

It's living mainly on our choicier shrub, in fact, it's slowly taking over 😐

[bidder.17]

From you description, it sounds like one of the leaf rolling caterpillars. Instead of producing a cocoon they fold the leaf over with a silk-like thread to give them protection, and to provide food for their offspring when they hatch.

I think you mentioned before you didn't want to use manufactured chemicals to deal with the problem, so organically I think there are still a few options.

If I can say cutting back the shrub later in the Autumn wont necessarily help the situation. They won' t generally destroy your plant, just check it's growth and appearance that year. It will be difficult to unfurl each leaf and mechanically remove, but my suggestion is you remove them and the leaf now, and suitably dispose,before they produce offspring this year. Those will feed, overwinter, and be back on your shrub next year. If you can stop this years crop cycle of offspring, your problem may be reduced next year.

In terms of controlling, clearing up around the shrubs and knowing where the adults overwinter, will also check their ability to return.

[mandymoosie]

Bidder thank you so much for that information 😄

It is exactly as you describe it. I've got one here now and it's already spinning a silk like thread as we speak.

If we did decide to use a friendly chemical, what would you suggest would be the best one for us to use??

These are some more pics of the little devil, I did use macro but it doesn't seem to have made that much difference to be honest.

[bidder.17]

I heard some suggest neem oil, but I haven't personally used it. In addition once the leaf is rolled it's not easy for anything to penetrate, unless it's systemic, that is the plant absorbs the compound, then when your unwanted guest eats the leaf in due course, takes up the toxin. As plants may not retain the toxin beyond a certain time, it means getting the timing right or spraying regularly.

If it were me I think I would remove pest and rolled up leaf and suitably dispose of both.

They will eat the leaf anyway, but this way you know you have eliminated much of this years pests. Give your plant a good feed with a balanced fertilizer to help it recover.

As for next year, I would suggest you might consider covering your shrub about Feb-March with fine horticultural fleece, which will let some light through but provide a barrier to flying pests wanting to lay eggs. Cover it down to the ground, and just check it from time to time if its particularly rainy.If you want to be complete for anything crawling as well, a grease band around the stem will check invasion from anything crawling. If you can't find horticultural fleece a pair of those M&S trousers might do

[duck_a_lorange]

These are some more pics of the little devil, I did use macro but it doesn't seem to have made that much difference to be honest.

They are both out of focus.

When you have it on macro, you can hear the little motor trying to focus (at least you can in my camera).  You need to press the shutter button just half-way down and probably move the camera backwards and forwards a little and watch the screen to see if the picture looks in focus, also there is usually a little green square outline when the camera is focussed on something,  Then you push the shutter button down all the way. (You may need reading glasses on or other glasses off :_| to see anything on that little screen..)

The picture also looks dark - try it with flash, you will get more detail.

Macro can be great fun once you get the hang of it. (Open the attachment for a closer look)

[hightara]

mandy your'e not alone in using the camera......... i got a fancy all dancing one a couple of years back..... its set to auto all the time

another one of my....... i want to learn something new phase:_|

sorry cant help with the critter......... i know nothing about gardening;-)

[mandymoosie]

I heard some suggest neem oil, but I haven't personally used it. In addition once the leaf is rolled it's not easy for anything to penetrate, unless it's systemic, that is the plant absorbs the compound, then when your unwanted guest eats the leaf in due course, takes up the toxin. As plants may not retain the toxin beyond a certain time, it means getting the timing right or spraying regularly.

If it were me I think I would remove pest and rolled up leaf and suitably dispose of both.

They will eat the leaf anyway, but this way you know you have eliminated much of this years pests. Give your plant a good feed with a balanced fertilizer to help it recover.

As for next year, I would suggest you might consider covering your shrub about Feb-March with fine horticultural fleece, which will let some light through but provide a barrier to flying pests wanting to lay eggs. Cover it down to the ground, and just check it from time to time if its particularly rainy.If you want to be complete for anything crawling as well, a grease band around the stem will check invasion from anything crawling. If you can't find horticultural fleece a pair of those M&S trousers might do

:^O....M&S Trousers.............might get a pair or two.................if I do.........................pictures to follow 😮 😉 :^O

Thank you so much Bidder, we're going to get to work on it tomorrow and just cut all the affected leaves off and hope for the best.

Good idea about the fleece too, we'll try that this winter 🙂

[mandymoosie]

They are both out of focus.

When you have it on macro, you can hear the little motor trying to focus (at least you can in my camera).  You need to press the shutter button just half-way down and probably move the camera backwards and forwards a little and watch the screen to see if the picture looks in focus, also there is usually a little green square outline when the camera is focussed on something,  Then you push the shutter button down all the way. (You may need reading glasses on or other glasses off :_| to see anything on that little screen..)

The picture also looks dark - try it with flash, you will get more detail.

Macro can be great fun once you get the hang of it. (Open the attachment for a closer look)

Lovely pic 🙂

I'm going to have to study it a bit more and see what I can do. Thank you for your guidance though, as I really don't know what I'm doing with the thing!! 🙂

[mandymoosie]

Tara I've been dragging me heals for ages now about buying a digital camera. I used to just use the camera on my phone. But a good bargain came my way a couple of weeks ago and my Son said I'd be mad not to take it up, so I bit the bullet and got it 🙂

I shall gradually study it as I go along in the Summer months, it does take lovely pictures though, I know the insect one's where naff, but the other pics I've taken are lovely :-x

[brynteg11]

mandy is it one of these? (british caterpillars)

http://www.wildlifeinsight.com/Insight/?page_id=396

[mandymoosie]

 brynteg    we have identified it as the "Fruittree leafroller" horrible little thing it is! 🙂

[*elphaba*]

I always try to think that the pest causing me bother is probably someone elses dinner, so try to pick them off and throw them down somewhere.    Other than cabbage white caterpiggles  which nothing is daft enough to eat :_|  Even my kitchen spider(garden spider, takes up residence ever year)  last year spat one out 😐