Yard & Garden

Yes, 2-4 inches of mulch will hold winter moisture in the soil, minimize fluctuations in soil temperature and prevent damage from lawn mowers or other equipment. For more information, visit Much Ado About Mulch. 

After overwintering as eggs inside the female’s old bag, a new generation of insects begins hatching in late May and early June. The exact hatching period is determined by temperature, so cooler than normal spring temperatures may delay their emergence. Not all insects hatch out at exactly the same time; hatching is staggered over the course of a 2-3 weeks. 

Don't jump the gun and apply an insecticide before insects have hatched out. It's also a good idea to wait for 2-3 weeks after the first emergence, so that all insects will have hatched at the time of application and can be controlled with just one insecticide application. 

Typically, plan to apply an insecticide to control this year’s small larvae in mid to late June. Bacillus thuringiensis, BT, is available at nurseries and garden centers as Dipel or Thuricide. It’s very effective at controlling the insects without damaging other beneficial insects. It also has very low toxicity to birds and mammals.

Bagworms

Common herbicides used in lawns, landscapes and farm fields can cause stunting, cupping and curling in landscape plants when they are applied incorrectly. 2, 4-D and dicamba are frequent culprits. These herbicides can be misapplied and come in contact with nontarget plants, or spray particles can drift in the wind from where they are applied. Even granular formulations of these products can cause problems if applied when air temperatures are too high. Chemical in the herbicide granules can volatilize, move back into the air and drift to susceptible plants. 

Landscape plants vary in their susceptibility to these and other herbicides so damage can vary across the landscape. 

Noticing Herbicide Drift in Your Garden?, University of Minnesota Extension

Updating and replanting the landscape with plants that are not a preferred food source for these troublesome insects is a great long-term goal, but what can be done to minimize damage right now? Here are some quick tips.

1. Don’t buy a trap. They attract many more insects to your landscape!
2. Plan to tolerate some damage. Healthy vigorous trees can tolerate a high level of damage with little to no long-term impact on its health. Small ornamental plants and small newly installed woody plants may need more protection.
3. Prep your handpicking supplies – a bucket and dish soap. Scout for insects in the evening, around 7 p.m., and knock them into a bucket of soapy water.
4. Choose an insecticide with low toxicity to bees and pollinators, such as neem or horticultural oil. Of course, additional higher toxicity products are also available but follow all label use directions to minimize their impact on beneficial insects and pollinators.

Japanese Beetle - Adult

Japanese Beetle - Grub

Japanese Beetle Defense Plan

Magnolia scale is the most likely culprit. This insect is the largest scale species found in Nebraska, but they can still be hard to spot. One way to identify an infestation is to look for the symptoms they cause on the plant. Heavy infestations weaken plants, causing leaf yellowing or killing entire branches. 

But the first symptom most gardeners notice is often a sticky, black, moldy coating on their magnolia’s leaves, or anything else beneath the tree, such as cars or patio furniture.

For guidelines on control, check out Magnolia Scale.