Needles on yew shoots start to turn yellow , then turn brown, may also be covered with sticky discharge and black coating. If we additionally find small insects on the yew shoots, covered with a domed brown shield, we can be sure that it isyew tree , a pest from the June group. We advise how to carry outfighting the Yew tree cupand what spraying will help yews attacked by this pest.
Cisowiec cupcake
Fig. © PoradnikOgrodniczy.pl
What does a yew tree bowl look like?
Yew tree cup(Parthenolecanium pomeranicum) is a harmful bug attacking various species and varieties of yews. Its prey also falls into the common yew (Taxus baccata) and the intermediate yew (Taxus x media). The yew tree most eagerly attacks weakened plants, and when it appears, it is very numerous. This insect produces one generation per year. It hibernates on yew shoots and needles in the form of second-instar larvae. After overwintering, the firstfemales of the white yew tree appear at the end of AprilThey feed initially on needles and then on young shoots.
In May, oval, hard discs up to 5 mm long appear, characteristic of the yew tree cup.In this period, the presence of this pest is the easiest to notice. From May to June, female bowls lay eggs under the shield in an amount from several dozen to even over a thousand, and then they die. In June and Julyfrom eggs laid under the discs, larvae only 1 mm longhatch from the eggs, which leave the safe cover from the disc and spread around the plant.The larvae are small enough to be hard to see. In the period from August to September, the larvae of the yew tree cup reach the second stage and prepare for wintering.
Cisowiec cupcake
Fig. © PoradnikOgrodniczy.pl
Yew tree cup - symptoms
The larvae and females of the yew moth feed on the needles and shoots of yews, intensely sucking the juices out of them. As a result,yew needles may turn yellow, then brown, and finally fall off.They are usually also covered with sticky honeydew (sometimes referred to as "honey dew") from the pest. There is alsoblack coating, which is the result of the development offungi, for which the honeydew secreted by the pest is a nutrient medium. As a result, the plant is significantly weakened and does not look attractive.
Sticky, black sediment resulting from the feeding of the bowl
Fig. Bazyliszeq, forum.PoradnikOgrodniczy.pl
Confirmation of the presence of the cup of the yew treeis usually obtained in the period from May to June, when convex discs of the insect are clearly visible on the shoots, under which the females laying eggs are hidden. The discs are brown in color and are usually hidden at the base of the needles. The larvae hatching under them are very numerous in the plant, but they are more difficult to detect due to their small size and greenish color, similar to the color of yew needles.
Fighting and spraying the yew cup
Fighting the yew tree cup requires sprayingHowever, it does not always require the use of harmful, chemical insecticides. Natural oil preparations, which include paraffin oil or vegetable oils, are very suitable for fighting the yew tree cup.
Thisecological spraying of the yew tree cupcan be performed from autumn to spring, when the air temperature exceeds 12 ° C.The best time to spray seems to be the period from the end of February to March, when hibernating larvae begin to wake up after winter dormancy and begin intensive respiratory processes. Spraying the pests with the oil covers the pests with a thin layer, cutting off their air supply and leads to suffocation.
Recommendedoil preparations for spraying the Yew tree cupare Promanal 60 EC and Emulpar 940 EC. But we can also prepare such a spraying on our own, based on paraffin bought in a pharmacy. Then 100 ml of paraffin oil should be dissolved in 5 liters of water and mixed thoroughly. We spray the plants with this mixture, using a garden sprayer.
Remember, however, that paraffin oil and the Promanal 60 EC preparation based on it can only be used from late autumn to early spring, i.e. outside the growing season. In the period of intensive plant growth, it may cause phytotoxicity symptoms.
We will not have this problem when using Emulapr 940 EC. That is why we will be able to spray yew with Emulpar also in spring and summer, in order to combat yew larvae hatching from eggs.
As I mentioned beforethe presence of the yew tree cup is easiest to find in the period from May to June , when you can see the shields under which females lay their eggs. The period from mid-June and July, when the larvae hatch from the eggs, is the best time to sprayagainst the new generation of bowls
We can perform an oil spraying with Emulpar 940 EC (let's do a few sprays, repeating them every 7-10 days). However, if there are a lot of pests, it is worth reaching for stronger insecticides during this period, such as Karate Gold, Mospilan 20 SP, Polysect 005 SL.
If we do not have a garden sprayer or do not want to prepare the spraying liquid on our own, it is worth knowing that there are alsopreparations for the thuja cupready to use, sold in containers with a sprayer.Perfect for spraying individual small plants on balconies and terraces. They are: Emulpar Spray, Karate Spray and Sanium AL.
