Re: pest: bud fly ----Question for you--------------

Hi Debby,
 I read this letter with much interest (I have outed Siberians from 
my garden and they are living in plastic bags for the moment, in 
isolation and the roots have been powdered with sulphur, until I 
have some solution or another) and wondered if the desimation on 
my regular iris and delphiniums could also be the budfly?  Until 3 
yrs. ago I never had a problem with the SI or others, but did have 
trouble with the delphs.  A tiny hole in the bud, tattered torn and 
eaten blooms and yes the little larvae in each.
It was suggested to me by a friend (taught Horticullture at Humber 
College) that the larvae travels down the hollow stem and resides in 
the roots in another form/or conversely, the fly hatches from the 
roots when the soil warms and returns to bore/drill into the buds to 
deposit the eggs that will become the larvae and on and on.
It was also suggested that I spray with Cygon 2 at the 6" stage, 
but as this had come and gone before the suggestion, I have not 
done that.
Do you or have you experience with this pest and could you 
suggest a solution.  So far, the SI living in isolation have not been 
attacked.  More blooms to open and will have to wait to see if this 
remains the same.
Hopefully,
Ronnalee, Wiarton, 


> The iris bud fly that people are speaking about is likely Orthacheta
> dissimilis.  Despite much effort, I have not figured the life cycle out as
> yet, and spraying with a systemic insecticide is the only way to minimize
> the damage in my garden.  I have observed this pest in both native iris
> versicolor and garden-grown siberian iris.  The damage is almost always
> the same.  As the bud reaches maturity, a fly deposits a few eggs on the
> tip. the larvae hatch out of these and work downward so as the flower
> opens, chewed repoductive parts are revealed.  Sometimes the standards are
> obviously damaged as well.  Up to three 1cm larvae can be found working
> their way towards the ovary.  Unfortunately, I don't know where they go
> from here to grow and hatch into flies again.
> 
> The damage caused by these larvae is identical as to that found in the
> garden of Jean-Marc Boileau and elsewhere in the Ottawa, Ontario/Hull,
> Quebec area, so I am certain this one insect has a very broad range.
> 
> Andrew wheeler
> Colrain MA
> z 4/5
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ 
> 
> 
> 


Ronnalee & Scott Gerow
rrgcjsg@bmts.com

 

Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index