Let’s talk about our insects in South Florida. Our plants should be examined weekly during the summer and fall.
The undersides of a few leaves on each plant should be checked and the stems observed for pests. Many insects merely rest on the plant and are neither pests nor beneficial. Only about 1% of all insects are considered pests on plants. There are also many insects that are beneficial and feed on harmful insects. It is important to know these beneficial bugs, so we can delay applying a pesticide to allow the good guys to control the bad pest population. Your next step may be to choose an organic control and there are many now available to use. All of these will help keep our pest damage low. Insecticides may be required to control insects and related pests when they reach damaging levels on landscape plants.
Remember the chemical you use should:
- Control the insect you are spraying, so you need to know its name
- Be safe to use on the host plant
- Be applied the right way (through coverage) and the right time of day
- Be the recommended amount and used the correct number of times to control the pest
