Turning Black with Sticky hairs

Controlling pests of bamboo

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MidwestBambooGarden
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Turning Black with Sticky hairs

Post by MidwestBambooGarden »

Does anyone know what is happening with my bamboo?
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dependable
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Re: Turning Black with Sticky hairs

Post by dependable »

Not sure about the hairs, but the white stuff on the bud nodes look like a scale insect or something. Another possibility is fungus, that often grows on the secretions of aphids.

Is the soil wet all the time? The black is often a sigh of root rot.
Rai Hannover
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Re: Turning Black with Sticky hairs

Post by Rai Hannover »

Please see this picture of whiteflies:
http://images.google.de/imgres?imgurl=h ... 4QrQMIHjAA

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Re: Turning Black with Sticky hairs

Post by dependable »

Nice picture Rai, I knew I had seen that before. Had whitefly on some fargesa seedlings, almost did them in until I added a little systemic to the soil.

Usually, such infestations occur on plants grown indoors.
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Glen
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Re: Turning Black with Sticky hairs

Post by Glen »

You have Noxious Bamboo Mealybug.

See:
http://www.bamboocraft.net/forums/showthread.php?t=842
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Re: Turning Black with Sticky hairs

Post by Rai Hannover »

Thank you - Glen! You are right. In the following reliable report I found a picture of Antonina pretiosa with its long anal wax tube (Page 80, picture 11):
http://www.acta-zoologica-bulgarica.eu/ ... -77-82.pdf

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Re: Turning Black with Sticky hairs

Post by dependable »

Is this pest limited to warmer climates?
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Re: Turning Black with Sticky hairs

Post by Rai Hannover »

dependable wrote:Is this pest limited to warmer climates?
I don't know. Here in the EBS nobody has this bamboo pest.

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Re: Turning Black with Sticky hairs

Post by MidwestBambooGarden »

Thank you all for the comments. It is great that you knew what it was. Do you know what to do to get rid of the scale insect and save my bamboo?
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Re: Turning Black with Sticky hairs

Post by Glen »

What type of bamboo is this, and are you growing it indoors?

I have had these mealybugs on all my Bambusa multiplex plants, and some other bamboos, for as long as I have had them. I have never tried to control the mealybugs, and the plants still are large and healthy. I do not mind sooty mold. In my warm temperate/subtropical climate, the bamboos, the mealybugs, and the sooty mold are all happy.

If your bamboo will be grown outside, it is possible that the winter will kill the insects.

I do not know how the mealybugs will affect an indoor bamboo, but I imagine you would need to use a systemic insecticide to control them.

See the section about mealybugs and systemic insecticides on this page:
http://www.tropicalbamboo.com/Bamboo_Maintenance.asp

This is mainly talking about a different, more damaging, mealybug species, but control methods should be similar.

If you decide to use a systemic insecticide, make sure to read the label carefully, and follow all instructions.
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Re: Turning Black with Sticky hairs

Post by MidwestBambooGarden »

Glen wrote:What type of bamboo is this, and are you growing it indoors?
Thank you Glen for the info. I am growing Bambusa textilis gracilis, Bambusa multiplex 'Silver Stripe', and Bambusa multiplex 'Alphonse Karr' inside until I am able to build a garden outside for them. I think that the textilis gracilis has it the worst and I have noticed the bugs on the other plant as well. I mostly care about them surviving. It is good to hear that your bamboo is doing well. I read something about using an olive oil and soap solution to help control the bugs. Have you heard of that?
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Re: Turning Black with Sticky hairs

Post by dependable »

A moderate dose of a systemic like bayer 'tree & shrub' will kill of this type of pest. I am not a fan of these products outdoors, but they do have a place in some situations.

Over wintering bamboos indoors or partially indoors seems hard enough on them, a parasitic load of whitefly, mealy bug, aphid, etc, can send it in the wrong direction.
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Re: Turning Black with Sticky hairs

Post by Glen »

Can you post a picture of the entire plants? It would be useful if I could evaluate their overall health.

Various combinations of oil and soap certainly can kill some pests, but you always risk phytotoxic effects. Depending on many factors (temperature, light intensity, concentration, type or brand of ingredient, etc.) soap and oil can severely damage plants. If you are using a home remedy, you are basically doing the experimentation yourself. Sometime it works, and sometimes it makes all the leaves fall from your plant. Dish soap, incorrectly applied, can defoliate some plants.

I would be nervous about applying vegetable oil or soap to my bamboo. If you want to do it, make sure you test one plant, and then watch it for a couple weeks to watch for adverse effects.

Horticultural oils are very useful products. They are highly refined oils that are tested for use on plants. They do not need to be combined with soap. I have found that they leave less residue and are MUCH more effective than vegetable oil. I have not used them on bamboo, but according to this publication, they may work: http://osceola.ifas.ufl.edu/pdfs/Master ... Bamboo.pdf

If you use horticultural oil, make sure you read and follow the label carefully, because they can still cause significant plant damage. You would have to use one that can be used on plants WITH leaves, as opposed to a dormant deciduous tree. This one can be used on non-dormant plants:
http://www.bonide.com/assets/Products/Labels/l210.pdf
Read the label and see what you think. I would not use these products indoors. Again, test one plant first.

My opinion is that any kind of soap or oil would risk further damage to your bamboo plants. A systemic insecticide would be safest for the plants, if you can find one labeled for your particular application.

My general opinion with these particular pests is that you just need to encourage the plants to grow well, and they will outgrow any damage from the mealybugs. Bambusa species like large amounts of water, fertilizer, and heat. If you provide them with what they want, they will outgrow any damage from the mealybugs. I may have a different opinion if I see your plants.
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Re: Turning Black with Sticky hairs

Post by MidwestBambooGarden »

Thank you Glen. You have been really helpful. As soon as I can I will try to get picture of the plants taken and uploaded.
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Re: Turning Black with Sticky hairs

Post by MidwestBambooGarden »

Here are some pictures of my Bambusa multiplex 'Alphonse Karr'
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