Weirdo Posted November 15, 2013 leaf miners are particularly fond of members of the Rutaceae family e.g. Citrus, but do no real damage except disfigure a few leaves Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
IndianDreaming Posted November 16, 2013 They could be a threat to a vegans purity... a little insect now and then is relished by the wisest men... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
IndianDreaming Posted November 16, 2013 Is this red spider mite? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shonman Posted November 16, 2013 They are kind of small to see the color! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
IndianDreaming Posted November 16, 2013 I zoomed in and looked at the orange spots with a 100x microscope - I can't post a shot because my camera couldn't focus on the lens. I couldn't see any insect bodies, but rather really fine threads. Rust? I have seen a few little orange spiders around, so that's why I was thinking this was spider mite. These orange spots weren't there 2 weeks ago. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bogfrog Posted November 24, 2013 Oh no! Oh fuck! Ew yuck! Wtf are these? A guy from the north island sent me some Peres when my stocks were low, I heard him mention later about struggling with some kind of "parasites" and thought 'fuck I hope he didn't send me any" but I guess he did. Arrrrrrrrrrgh! Not happy Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tripsis Posted November 24, 2013 Difficult to say with the quality of those photos, but it looks like scale. Pretty easy to get under control, but I would quarantine those until you do. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tripsis Posted November 24, 2013 Also... Oh no! Oh fuck! Ew yuck! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bogfrog Posted November 24, 2013 Yeh sorry bout the shitty photos, best I could get on my iPad. I will try get some better ones this arvo. I hadn't thought of scale cause I thought scale was whitish, although there are probably many different varieties of scale right? ..and sometimes one exclamation of disdain is no where near enough! There was a lot more colourful language when I first spotted them. I've had it up to here with bug troubles.. and its not even December! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tripsis Posted November 24, 2013 Yes, many varieties of scale in many colours. Scale encompasses a large taxonomic group of insects. I think you should share your more colourful language in future. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shonman Posted November 25, 2013 (edited) Ceres.... Be carefully those things might be with you for a long, long time. One thing you can do, Is clean them off with a paper towel and rubbing alcohol. These creatures, are very difficult to get rid of. The scales end up having eggs under it, which eventually turn into lice like crawlers that crawl at very high speeds..... To all of your other plants. The scale also leaves a sticky gunk on the plants. Which can end up molding in some cases. I would maybe even go so far as to throw these out, Before you have the never ending task of removing scale from your plants each week. Or, at least quarantines the ones that have scale, in a way they can't infect other plants. There is a variety of black ladybug that does eat scale, so I have heard. I know it is hard to toss out plants, but, it might be the best idea...if you don't want this formidable pest to spread. It is also very likely, that you have been fed some scale insects in your food in the past. It is used to make things red sometimes. In fact, there is also a huge market for some scale insects, And they are depressed that other things are eating them in South America. Of course, we are talking about a place, that had also fought wars of islands of bird crap, but I digress. Here, you can read about the wonders of scale insects, in depth.. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cochineal Edited November 25, 2013 by shonman Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bogfrog Posted November 25, 2013 Ah fuck it! Thanks for the warning Shonman, I think I'll just incinerate the bastards and hope they haven't spread to any other plants. Now why did I turn down that blow-torch my dad wanted to give me!? That would have been perfect. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tripsis Posted November 25, 2013 Or you could just use white oil. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bogfrog Posted November 25, 2013 (edited) I'd rather outright sacrifice a few plants if that would give me a chance of interrupting the spread to the rest of my collection. I dunno how I managed 4 years of collecting without encountering scale before now In fact I don't know how I've come this far with such a lazy (outa-sight-outa-mind) approach to pests. Feeling nervous now, once I begin my holidays I think I'll do a complete overhaul and repot and debug everything Since I'm already writing a post, here's a pic of a garden friend, a predatory wasp. These little fellows habitate my greenhouse and feed off pests. I found this one in my mum's hot house and managed (with great difficulty - it was very camera shy) to snap a couple of pics. So if you see any of these little heroes flying around your plants, welcome them to stay for as long as they like. I did get stung by one once, but it was my own fault, and the sting wasn't anywhere near as bad as a common wasp. It just felt like a tiny little hot pin was jabbed into my leg and it stung for a wee bit, then faded quickly. Edited November 25, 2013 by Ceres 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shonman Posted November 26, 2013 (edited) I encountered scale...... Someone sent me a plant, and I saw the 'crawlers' hatch......millions of them........ Take those plant, far, far away and leave them in the forest to their own devices......... It is possible other insects may eat the scale, plant might survive..... Or , less mercifully, douse the plants n alcohol and incinerate. Oh, sure, people will recommend various ways to kill them.... But they always seem to return, slimy little @#%¥!!! Edited November 26, 2013 by shonman Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
etherealdrifter Posted December 11, 2013 is that a proboscis for sucking my nutrients or is it a set of sexy lips that the other insects cannot resist to smooch when the sun goes down and the nightly insect doof occurs in my garden Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shonman Posted December 15, 2013 (edited) There are others who share your sexual attraction to insects......... soon, perhaps society will not be so , um, hard...on 'bug f*kers' Perhaps insect marriage will even be accepted....someday.......... I wish you well, and I do not judge people by their sexuality. There is also, this guy.....he understands! http://www.stephenprime.com/2011/03/needle-dick-the-bug-fucker/ Edited December 15, 2013 by shonman Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
etherealdrifter Posted December 18, 2013 lol shonman helipad worthysorry i meant this shizzants proboskiss. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
etherealdrifter Posted December 19, 2013 fruit tingles! it took 3 attempts to get this pic up 5 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hostilis Posted December 26, 2013 That bug is wacky looking cheshire! It almost looks like a mixture of an ant eater, a cat, a bat, a bear, and a cow. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Amazonian Posted December 26, 2013 Thats a pretty good pic drifter. Its a cute but serious looking weevil of some sort. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shonman Posted December 26, 2013 It is the latest model of spy drone! http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-w-whitehead/micro-drones_b_3084965.html Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bogfrog Posted January 13, 2015 Just found these in a mates garden on the tomatoes.. Never seen them before...anyone know what they are? 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CoLaNuT Posted January 13, 2015 ^^ Maybe some sort of Jewel Bug (Scutelleridae)??...or as we call 'em...fuckin' stink bugs Crush 'em and smell.......or should I say...don't. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CoLaNuT Posted January 13, 2015 Anyone seen these bloodsuckers before? If so.....wtf are they? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites