Fruits Vegetables Wildflowers Resources Techniques Travel Integrated Pest Management Tips for June Pay close attention to your azaleas now to prevent ghastly yellowed and stippled leaves caused by the azalea lace bug. The lace bug feeds on the underside of leaves, but damage is apparent on the upper surface.
Lace bugs leave cast skins and black, gummy, varnish-like feces on the underside of leaves.
They deposit eggs, cemented with a brown crusty material, near leaf veins. May. The damage becomes more visible as successive generations hatch in June and July. Insecticidal soap, horticultural oil, or a systemic insecticide help to control this pest. Determine the damage threshold for your plants. Decide ahead of time how much injury you can tolerate and don't take action until this level is reached.