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Common Pests and Problems for
February
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Prune out black knot in plums and cherries.
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Scout for and remove bagworms and cedar-apple rust galls on evergreens.
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Bagworms
Bagworm (Lepidoptera) on lilyturf (Liriope)
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Inspect indoor plants for insects.
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Spider Mites - Indoors
Close-up of two-spotted spider mite (Acari) on angel's trumpet (Brugmansia); includes adults, immatures and eggs
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Inspect for and remove tent caterpillar egg masses on apples and other trees.
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Eastern Tent Caterpillar
Close-up of egg mass of eastern tent caterpillar (Lepidoptera) on flowering quince (Chaenomeles)
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Eastern Tent Caterpillar
Egg mass of eastern tent caterpillar (Lepidoptera) remain on twigs of this flowering quince (Chaenomeles) over winter
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Eastern Tent Caterpillar
Eastern tent caterpillars (Lepidoptera) in web feeding on apple (Malus); note that the webs are in branch crotches
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Apply dormant oil sprays for controlling scale on pines, magnolias and other plants.
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Magnolia and Tuliptree Scale
Magnolia scale (Hemiptera) on a star magnolia (Magnolia stellata) with sooty mold growing on the honeydew that has dropped on the leaves
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Pine Needle Scale
Close-up of pine needle scale (Hemiptera) on Austrian pine (Pinus nigra)
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If you decide to apply fertilizer on cool-season grasses in spring, hold off until May.
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Try to complete winter pruning of fruit trees by the end of February or early March to limit the spread of diseases, such as fireblight. Pruning wounds made in early spring as opposed to those make in late winter may also attract insects.
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Fireblight
Fireblight canker and twig dieback on crabapple (Malus)
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Fireblight
Classic 'shepherd's crook' caused by fireblight on apple (Malus)
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© Missouri Botanical
Garden, 2001-2009
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