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by Rett Davis | |
Gardening Q&A by Rett Davis appears in
Alamance County's daily newspaper, The Times-News,
every Sunday in the Accent section. Each week's installment is
posted to this
website, beginning with January 1998. Scroll to the bottom of
this page to navigate to other Gardening Q&As. Please contact
Rett via e-mail with questions
or
comments in regard to this column.
Answer:
You have spotted a hummingbird moth. It is one the many Sphinx
moths. Sphinx moths are known for their stiff and powerful wings. Most
have beautiful wing colors and this one is no exception. The
hummingbird moth's wings will range in color from plum-red to
brownish-black. The body will have olive-green and plum-red bands on
it. This moth will hover over flowers that grow in full sun. The rapid
beating of the wings will produce a buzzing sound. The tongue-like
appendage is called a proboscis. This is used for sucking up nectar.
Question:
Last year many of our pecans had small holes in the nuts
after they fell to the ground. The meat inside the nut was either all
gone or damaged. Is there anything I can do to prevent this from
happening again this year?
Answer:
The damage was caused by the pecan weevil. It is the most
serious of the late season pecan insects. It feeds only on pecan and
hickory. Adult pecan weevils are hard-shelled beetles with long
snouts. They resemble a boll weevil. They are less than ½ inch in
length. Adult beetles are now emerging from the soil similar in fashion
to our June beetles and Japanese beetles that emerged earlier in the
summer. To control this pest will require spraying the ground beneath
the trees with Sevin during the month of August. I would advise using
liquid Sevin in a hose-end sprayer on a weekly basis. Spray the ground
beneath the limbs and the trunk of the tree.
Question:
My daughter purchased a building lot covered in kudzu. How is
the best way to control this vine?
Answer:
For small parcels of land you can do a very good job by using
Roundup Pro or Roundup Ultra. These Roundup formulations are sold in
one gallon and larger sizes. It will take at least one gallon of
concentrate to do this job. Roundup is best for the do-it-yourselfers
and will do a very good job. These formulations of Roundup are
available locally at several dealers. Spray as many of the leaves as
possible before the end of September. You should get at least 75% or
more control after the first spraying. Next summer continue to spray
any regrowth that reappears. There will be regrowth regardless of how
good you did last fall. It can take as long as 3 years to totally
eradicate this plant.
Landowners that have much larger kudzu problems can use cattle or goats
for eradication. There are also other herbicides that can be used
such as Transline, Accord, Garlon, Escort and Oust. These specialty
herbicides are for use in foresty situations and applied by licensed
applicators. I can furnish those names on request.
Question:
I have never seen anything like this before. It looks like a
giant ant but it has red and black stripes. I saw one in our children's
sandbox. By the time I got back with an ant spray it was gone. What
was it?
Answer:
What you saw was a velvet ant. Velvet ant and cowkiller are all
common names for this wingless wasp. This beautfully marked 'ant'
reemphasizes how complex nature really is. Follow along as I unfold
this story. In late June cicadas emerge from the soil and fly to the
trees. There singing in the morning and evening is part of summer in
the south. In mid-July the cicada killers arrive. These are large
hornet like flying insects that prey on the cicada. They stuff their
underground nests with cicadas so their young will have something to eat
when they hatch from eggs. Now it is time for the velvet ants or
cowkillers to arrive. These insects prey on the young of the cicada
killer. They slip into the nest of the cicada killer, parasitizes her
young, and she lays her eggs there too. So the velvet ant is actually a
beneficial insect. They are not aggressive too humans. They are very
tough and if you step on them they will squeak. They are hard to kill
by stepping on them. If you step on them barefooted, the squeak of the
velvet ant will be drowned out by your screams. Therefore do not pick
them up. Remember the velvet ant is really a wasp and can sting if
handled. However since you will not likely see very many there is no
cause for alarm. Just teach your children to leave them alone and let
them go there merry way.
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If you have any horticultural questions, please direct them to Rett Davis