Please identify the pest

[Rockbala]

These are on Hibiscus stems all over. What is the name of this pest?

Thanks

 

[Owdboggy]

One of the Scale insects. You need a soap based insecticide to deal with them.

 

[Rockbala]

Thank you

 

[Chuck]

Those are hard scale insects. They are permanently attached to the plants stem like a barnacle. The best method to kill them is to use Neem Oil. The oil coats the insect and smothers it. It will take 2 or 3 applications of Neem to kill all of the scale. Apply every 5-7 days for 3 weeks. The growth of the plant itself will shed itself of the dead scale.

 

[Owdboggy]

Neem oil needs to be mixed with liquid soap to work.

 

[Chuck]

Neem oil needs to be mixed with liquid soap to work.

I must disagree. Soap does kill soft scale and crawlers but it doesn't do much to hard scale. Hard scale is only killed by smothering it or by using a systemic. Neem kills soft scale, crawlers and hard scale. Soap acts as a surfactant when used with Neem oil making coverage more even and adherent. The oil in Neem Oil is what kills hard scale. Horticultural oil works just as good a Neem Oil on hard scale, just not very good at all on soft scale or crawlers. But, I do agree that soap mixed with Neem helps the Neem kill the bugs.

 

[Rockbala]

Thanks for your inputs guys

 

[Tommy89]

I see a couple of these every day on my young tomato plants. They come in all sizes, but the same pest. They create holes on my leaves. I remove these leaves with holes (should I?). I also throw these caterpillars/worms (which of the two are they?) far from the tomato plant. They are damaging a lot of leaves and its hard to keep up with each of them and remove them. I'm an all-organic gardener. Does anybody have any organic solutions for this? I've heard for many pests you may be able to get something from the kitchen. Any ideas? Thanks.

 

[Chuck]

I see a couple of these every day on my young tomato plants. They come in all sizes, but the same pest. They create holes on my leaves. I remove these leaves with holes (should I?). I also throw these caterpillars/worms (which of the two are they?) far from the tomato plant. They are damaging a lot of leaves and its hard to keep up with each of them and remove them. I'm an all-organic gardener. Does anybody have any organic solutions for this? I've heard for many pests you may be able to get something from the kitchen. Any ideas? Thanks.
View attachment 69956

That is an armyworm. Bt (Bacillus thuringensis) is the best organic caterpillar killer there is. It is sold under the name Bio Worm Killer and under other names as well. It is completely harmless to people and pets and can be used on day of harvest.

 

[Tommy89]

That is an armyworm. Bt (Bacillus thuringensis) is the best organic caterpillar killer there is. It is sold under the name Bio Worm Killer and under other names as well. It is completely harmless to people and pets and can be used on day of harvest.

Okay, Chuck. Since I don't go out much during this situation, is there a way I could make this at home? Also, I've heard for some worms putting grains of rice at the base of the plant works because when the worm eats them it expands inside of it and chokes it before it can get to any leaves. With the bacteria, the worms would still get to a leaf, and my plants are pretty young and don't have many leaves. Thanks.

 

[Chuck]

Okay, Chuck. Since I don't go out much during this situation, is there a way I could make this at home? Also, I've heard for some worms putting grains of rice at the base of the plant works because when the worm eats them it expands inside of it and chokes it before it can get to any leaves. With the bacteria, the worms would still get to a leaf, and my plants are pretty young and don't have many leaves. Thanks.

No, you cannot make this at home. I too have heard and tried this rice solution. I can only say that for me it did not work, at all. With Bt, when a worm takes a single bite of a leaf with the Bt it IMMEDIATELY stops feeding and is dead within 4 hours. This has been proven. This product is easily available online.

 

[Mr Impossible]

I see a couple of these every day on my young tomato plants. They come in all sizes, but the same pest. They create holes on my leaves. I remove these leaves with holes (should I?). I also throw these caterpillars/worms (which of the two are they?) far from the tomato plant. They are damaging a lot of leaves and its hard to keep up with each of them and remove them. I'm an all-organic gardener. Does anybody have any organic solutions for this? I've heard for many pests you may be able to get something from the kitchen. Any ideas? Thanks.
View attachment 69956

You need plenty of lady bugs.