every year at this time of year we get questions about what is happening to my rose leaves. If they look like the picture tha answer is leaf cutter bees.
These are solitary bees that nest in holes in wood or in nests in the ground. they are smaller than Honey Bees and don't seem to sting. They take the cut foliage or flowers and use them to build their nest
they have become more and more common as the feral or wild honey bee population declines. In a previous post about zucchini squash I described the decline as being from the introduction of mites that attack honey bees and kill entire hives.
We have seen a resurgence of the native wild bee population including both leaf cutter bees and bumble bees.
Chemical control is not easy because they arn't actually eating the foliage. Usually we recoment ignoring the damage. They seem to like roses, bougainvillea, and a few other plants with foliage of similar thicknessw and textrue.
They can be annoying especially when they seem to prefer one plant out of the garden. Usually the damage is minimal and the plants grow out of it easily. Look at it as one of the marvels of nature.
You can read a longer article at
Leaf cutter bee
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http://crawford.tardigrade.net/bugs/BugofMonth23.html
As I go around and see peoples yards and gardens Photinea are a comonm plant . It is used as a hedge, for the colorful foliage However I often see photinea with damaged with speckled foliage.
If you look at the back of the leaf you will see black specks. These are fecal droppings. The insect feeds from the back but the damage is most often visable from the top.
Bugs aren't just another word for creepy critter. Bug is a description of a particular type of insect. Some are leaf eaters, some are leaf sucking and some are predators. Lace bug is the second type. They are small shield shaped insects that come up at night and suck the juices out of the foliage. In our area the prevelant Lace Bug especially likes Photinea and some close relatives including Indian Hawthorn and various Prunus.
Beyer advantage is one method of control. Come in with some samples for a positive diagnosis.
Every so often there is a plant the trade knows won't grow in a certain climate. Someone tries it out and we find it actually does grow there.
A few years ago Bower vine was added to the list for Modesto. We all thought it was too tender for here. We were selling Mandevillea as a tender vine that had to be grown in pots because of the attractive flowers so many of us started selling Bower Vine the same way.
We started to find it actually did go through the winters. It is still tender and can freeze in specially hard winters when it is young. It often goes deciduous in the winter. I became convinced it was a valuable addition to our vine selection after I had one go through two winters in a hanging basket.
It is noted for blooming from April through October with good sized trumpet shaped flowers in either white or pink. It likes the sun and will fill an 8' section of fence.
We carry a good selection this time of year.
6124 http://texas-holdem.ownsthis.com texas holdem
Summer-blooming and heat-loving annuals are still available to plant. Choose vinca, petunies, salvia, marigolds, and lobelia for gorgeous planter boxes and flower beds. Impatiens and begonias bring splashes of color to areas with filtered sun. Drop by and choose something colorful to brighten your home today.
