Sticky barriers on the trunks of trees and woody shrubs will prevent damage from some crawling insects. Pruning, Raking Some pests, such as the azalea stem borer and the dogwood twig borer, can be controlled by pruning infected twigs out of infested plants and destroying them. If infested twigs are pruned in late spring or early summer, these plants should bloom without any problem the following spring. The fallen twigs of pecans, oaks, elms, hickories and other shade trees should be raked up in the fall to destroy the larvae of twig girdlers. These longhorned beetles overwinter as eggs or grubs in fallen twigs.
New beetles emerge during the following fall to lay eggs in and chew off more twigs.
Irrigation Spraying infested plants with a strong stream of water dislodges and kills many spider mites, aphids, and other relatively fragile insects. Irrigation of turf is helpful in managing chinch bugs, spider mites, aphids, and other pests that are susceptible to the fungal diseases which are promoted by high humidity.