- What pests can occur on cypresses?
- Combat leaf miners
- Identify bark beetles
- What to do against mealybugs on cypresses?
In addition to some diseases, especially fungal diseases, some pests can also cause problems for the cypress. They do a lot of damage to a cypress tree if you don't do something about it in time. How to recognize a pest infestation and what you can do about it.
Bark beetles cause such damage to the cypress that it can usually no longer be saved
What pests can occur on cypresses?
- leaf miners
- bark beetle
- mealybugs
A healthy plant copes fairly well with a pest infestation. Therefore, ensure that the cypress is properly cared for.
Combat leaf miners
Of the over 100 different species of leaf miner, there are a few that specialize in cypress trees. The infestation is triggered by the larvae of the moth and is indicated by dry shoot tips. If the infestation is severe, feeding tunnels can also be seen in the shoots themselves.
Cut off all affected shoots. Dispose of them in the household waste. Since the nocturnal larvae can hardly be seen with the naked eye, you should then subject the cypress to a spray treatment with commercially available insecticides.
Identify bark beetles
If brown, dried-up spots appear on the tips of the shoots, cut off one of the branches and see if there are pinholes in it. In this case, the cypress was attacked by bark beetles.
In the event of a bark beetle infestation, the cypress can no longer be saved. Dig them up and discard them. Do not leave any plant remains in the garden for an unnecessarily long time. This will prevent the pests from spreading further.
What to do against mealybugs on cypresses?
You can recognize mealybugs by the sticky coating that appears on the needles and shoot tips. The lice are so big that you can see them if you look closely.
With small trees, it is worth trying to wash off the mealybugs with soapy water. Spraying with a hard water jet is not recommended, as the cypress shoots break too easily.
In the case of a severe infestation, only the use of a spray against mealybugs helps.
tips
If the needles turn brown inside the cypress and there are no other signs of disease or pest infestation, this is a normal process. The shoots receive too little light, dry up and then fall off. Sometimes it helps to thin out the tree a bit.