Insecticide For Olive Lace Bug

The olive lace bug is a serious pest for olive trees. Like many other tree pests, the olive lace bug lives inside the branches. As soon as this creature feels hungry, it usually leaves the branch and moves down to the leafy part of your tree and sucks the juice out of them. It is vital that you find natural ways of controlling this pest before it becomes a huge problem. In this article, we will look at how you can get rid of olive lace bugs using natural methods as well as garden insecticides that control these insects effectively.

Insecticide For Olive Lace Bug

The Olive Lace Bug Froggattia olivinia is a damaging pest of olive trees. The severe leaf damage the bugs inflict can cause loss of vigour, yellowing of leaves, leaf fall and reduce fruit yield for the next 1 or 2 years.
The lace bug is a native pest from Australia which has not yet been found in other olive growing regions of the world; as a result there is little research available on organic control. The first clue that lace bug is present is a pin-head sized yellow spotting noticed on the top of the leaves. The small yellow spots are easy to see as they contrast clearly against the dark green leaf surface.

Lifecycle
Lace bugs have between 2 and 4 generations each season. The lace bug is a small, flat insect to 2mm long, with see through, lace like wings. The adults are light brown with patches of black or brown. The juvenile nymphs are spiny and much darker in colour. Both adults and nymphs are sap-suckers.
Eggs that have overwintered on the tree usually begin to hatch out in spring or late winter. Monitor the trees in early spring for evidence of insect infestation.

Biological Controls
Lace bugs are reported to have an egg parasite but this is unlikely to be present in many conventional olive groves, particularly if the ground is bare. Egg parasites are usually nectar feeders as adults and are more likely to be established in groves with flowering groundcovers. The Green Lacewing (available from Bugs For Bugs) is an insect predator native to Australia; it has been used successfully by olive growers to control the Olive Lace Bug.

Physical and Cultural Controls
It is believed that the healthier the orchard, the lower the incidence of lace bugs and other insects. Old or neglected trees that are drought or nutrient stressed are more prone to attack. To reduce the problems over time make sure that the trees are kept in good health.
Before spraying badly infested trees, carry out pruning to reduce tree height and open the canopy to make the spraying more effective. Lace bugs are not difficult to kill but it is difficult to get good spray coverage throughout a dense canopy.
Regular pruning will also open up the tree, improving airflow and the all-important access for insect predators such as birds. Pruning will help rejuvenate badly damaged trees by encouraging new shoot development.

Least Toxic Chemical Controls
The olive lace bug is difficult to control as it feeds and breeds underneath the leaf, it also multiplies fast. No chemicals appear to be currently registered specifically for this pest, although pyrethrum and insecticidal soap sprays are used overseas on other lace bug species. If a contact spray such as pyrethrum is used, it should be sprayed in the late afternoon to minimise damage to bees and beneficial insects.
It is important to apply insecticide soon after lace bug activity is first noticed, as populations can build up rapidly if left unchecked. Usually 2 sprays are needed, as the first spray will not kill the eggs, spray again in 10 – 14 days. Once the initial infestation is under control, regular monitoring is required every fortnight throughout the growing season. New infestations or ‘hot spots’ can occur regularly throughout the growing season, usually along the edge of the olive grove and close to the previous infestation.
Use of insecticides needs to be considered as a short-term response as nearly all types of insecticide will suppress the populations of beneficial insects and lead to increased pest problems.

Insecticide For Olive Lace Bug

The olive lace bug is a common pest that can attack a wide range of plants, including many common varieties of olives. This insect is native to the Mediterranean region and has been known to cause damage since ancient times.

The olive lace bug is a small, slender insect with a pale yellow or white body. It’s about one-quarter inch long when fully grown and has six legs at the front of its body and four pairs of wings at the back. The female lays eggs in the bark of trees by piercing the outer layer with her ovipositor (egg-laying organ). When these eggs hatch, they produce small nymphs that feed on the bark tissue. They continue to molt into larger nymphs as they develop until they reach adulthood. These insects are usually found on trees during summer months but can be seen throughout both spring and fall seasons as well.

Insecticide treatments are available from your local hardware store or garden center to help keep your trees free from damage caused by these pests. One such product is called Greenlight Insect Control for Trees & Shrubs (4 oz.). This product contains cyfluthrin as an active ingredient which provides residual control against insects such as olive lace bugs

List Of Insecticide For Olive Lace Bug