Good Lifestyle

Flowers and bushes can give your courtyard a unique look that you can change from year to year, but it is often the trees of your property that can really stand out. And since most take years to reach a large size, it is particularly heartbreaking to have tocut a Due to an illness or infestation that kills it. This is why it is always worth taking particularly special care and ensuring that they are in good health, including being aware of a particular bug that could hurt them. Read the rest to see what experts say is the number one sign that a destructive pest of trees has invaded your court.

Read this then:If you have this tree in your yard, kill it and cut it, experts warn.

Invasive species can be devastating for your court and the environment.

In the United States, ecosystems are not foreign to invasive species. Some, asThe Joro Spider, can remain essentially harmless when they spread in their new house. Others, like theSpotted lantern, can be ruinous in the life of local plants as they go beyond the new territory. But there is a long -standing invasive pest which has been a problem for owners and gardeners for more than a century.

Thespongy butterfly has led a scourge on vegetable life since its accidentally introduced introduction to the Massachusetts of Europe in 1869, according to the Purdue University. The invasive pest was previously known as a gypsy butterfly, but had its name changed by the Entomological Society of America (ESA) last March due to its use asderogatory term For the Romani people. The bug constitutes an important threat to trees like "the most serious forest defoliator in the United States", having smiled over nine million forest acres nationally, by Purdue.

For the moment, the invasive species is mainlyFound in the northeast, but it also spreads in certain parts of the Midwest and Canada, according toThe New York Times. And the pest is still in motion - it could even make its way in your court.

Experts say to keep an eye on a warning panel.

The owners who are proud of their courses often notice evidence of distress in their plants or lawn who lead them to rapid action. In the case of the spongy butterfly, the experts say that there is a sign to keep an eye on the fact that the invasive pest has arrived in your region.

"One of the most obvious signs of a spongy infestation is to find eggs that have been placed on or around the tree,"Kevin Halbert ofWinkler Tree & Lawn Care recountBetter life. "These individual masses or eggs can be placed along branches, tree trunks or bushes, under rocks, on fences or porous surfaces like outdoor furniture, on hangars, or even on the wall Exterior of your home. Generally, eggs are placed in a location that is difficult to reach for predators but gives larvae easy access to a food source once it hatch. "

In fact, experts say that you are most likely to notice these early stages that the pests themselves. "Eggs are one of the best signs to look for because they are visible in most of the year (fall in the spring) and are not particularly well camouflaged", "Charles Van Rees, PHD,Conservation scientist and naturalistic At the University of Georgia, tellsBetter life. “Females spongy butterflies lay bags of blurred, silky and tanned eggs on vertical surfaces after reproduction. You can find them at the end of summer, until the following spring, so searching for them can do a good winter activity when no longer hides them. ""

"The egg bags vary a little in size but generally measure one by two inches long and about an inch wide," adds Van Rees. "They look like small spots with sawdust stuck to your trees."AE0FCC31AE342FD3A1346EBB1F342FCB

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There is another sign that a serious infestation is underway.

If you have not been on the lookout, there are other signs that unwanted pests have made their way to your property. Unfortunately, this can also mean that certain damage has already been caused.

"A major sign that spongy butterflies have invaded your courtyard is to find large sections of sheets that have been eaten away," saidDamon Milotte ofCustom law control and antiparasitic control. "These pests particularly like to nibble on new tender leaves, so if you notice that your court looks a little sparse in the foliage department, it may be time to check the eggs or larvae, which are caterpillars. ""

Nor should it be difficult to distinguish what one of them looks like in its pre-moto form. "Spongies butterfly larvae are quite easy to distinguish from other caterpillars thanks to the unique spotted pattern flowing in the back," explains Van Rees. "At the front, they have five pairs of blue spots, followed by six pairs of red spots. I do not know any other North America caterpillar which are both blurred and show this kind of structuring."

Unfortunately, the voracious appetite of the bugs can make irreparable damage to your long -term plants. "The larvae will feed on the leaves in the spring, and in the case of deciduous trees, they can push a new foliage by summer", "Chad Gore, PHD, a certified entomologist from the board of directors withEHRLICH pest control, recountBetter life. "They can manage defoliation for two to three successive years without dying. However, reducing the health of the tree, making it susceptible to pests and diseases."

Here is what you can do to help eliminate the spongy butterflies from your court.

According to experts, remaining vigilant for the first signs of a spongy and proactive infestation to eliminate them before they have fun may be the best line of driving.

"When you find spongy egg bags, the solution is quite simple," explains Van Rees. "Take a paint scraper and scratch them from the surface and in a bucket of soapy water. This should make them non-viable in about 48 hours, and you can eliminate them. A good thing about treating this species at the stadium Eggs is that each box of eggs that you withdraw can contain 600 to 1000 eggs, which means that you remove so many voracious caterpillars from your court. "

If the eggs have already hatched in tracks, you can still act. According to the Purdue University, a method consists in creating a "hidden tent" by fixing a jute canvas around the infected tree at chest height and by folding it by itself, forming a skirt. Then, every afternoon, lift the fabric and brush the caterpillars into soapy water, where they must be left during the night before eliminating them.