A Japanese maple tree can be grown in a container or used to make a distinctive Bonsai specimen, and it makes a striking focal point for any landscape. Japanese beetles, aphids, mites, and scale are fond of this lovely tree, so no matter how you decide to grow them, you will need to learn how to get rid of pests on a Japanese maple tree. If you can keep pests from eating the colorful frilly leaves, this compact-growing plant is at its most brilliant color in the autumn. Check your Japanese maple tree for signs of pest infestation frequently. To get rid of the pests and preserve the beauty of your Japanese maple for years to come, follow these suggestions.
These pests, which are common pests known as leaf-feeders, adore the taste of the frilly red leaves of Japanese maple trees. Adult Japanese beetles are a half-inch (1. 25 cm) long with bronze-colored wings and gleaming metallic-green bodies. They have six tufts of white hairs along each side. On sunny days, the adults congregate in groups on the leaves, feasting until they are reduced to just the leaf’s skeletal veins.
The larvae, also known as grubs or white grubs, are brown in color with a grayish-black back. They measure one inch (25 mm) and are shaped like the letter “C.” 5 cm) long, with ‘V-shaped hair on the last segment of the body.
The pupae are half-inch (1. 25 cm) long, with a cream-colored base that turns reddish-brown over time. The Japanese beetle lays white, oval, and incredibly tiny eggs. As they grow, they will double in size and round out. The eggs are laid in the ground and, up until the grub stage, do not endanger plants. When they reach adulthood, they start eating plant roots instead of young plants’ foliage.
The most effective method for getting rid of Japanese beetles is to hand-pick them from your maple tree (or any other plant) and place them in a bucket of soapy water where they will drown. Do this first thing in the morning to prevent the pests from becoming active when the sun hits them.
During the busiest summer months, you can cover the tree with netting to stop an infestation.
Spray the soil around the tree with a natural bacteria that will attack the grubs, then spray the tree with insecticidal soap or castor oil. Typically, a milky spore or Bacillus thuringiensis application will get rid of grubs from the soil.
Near the tree, plant some plants that repel Japanese beetles, such as catnip, smartweed, morning glory, or mallow.
These sap-sucking pests resemble rice grains in both size and shape. In their wake are deformed leaves and stunted branch growth as they gather on the underside of the leaves and along the tender new stem growth to suck out the sap. Check the underside of tree leaves for ant activity as well. Aphids are “farmed” by ants to produce food for them in the form of “honeydew,” which the ants adore eating. Because of their mutualistic relationship, ants will always be present where there are aphids.
Spray the aphids with a solution of a few drops of liquid dish soap and water.
These tiny, oblong pests, which have eight legs and are either red or black, move quickly across the leaves. They heavily infest Japanese maple trees, sucking the sap from the leaves. Tree leaves turn stippled, bronze, red, or yellow, and eventually fall from the tree.
Maintaining a healthy tree that is well-fed and watered will help it resist the effects of a mite infestation.
The scale lacks a distinct body or head and appears as a tiny white circle on the tree limbs, trunk, and vegetation. These pests quickly cover the tree in what resembles fish scales. If left untreated, the heavy infestations can seriously harm trees. Scale uses its sharp mouthpart to pierce the tree and consume the entire tree’s sap.
Apply ant killer around the tree. Due to their mutually beneficial relationship, ants will defend scale from beetles and other natural predators.
Are boxelder bugs harmful to trees?
Although they can be quite annoying, they rarely do any harm. Some trees may develop yellow leaves as a result of their feeding, but the health of the trees is unaffected.
Prevention Control can be achieved by applying a copper-based fungicide such as mancozeb, chlorothalonil, or thiophanate methyl three times at two-week intervals beginning when the leaves start to unfold in the spring (see Table 1 for specific products). Read and follow all directions on the label.
Wilted foliage and the toothpick-like strands of boring dust (frass) that emerge from these tiny, pencil-lead sized holes are visible symptoms. The Asian ambrosia beetle carries an ambrosia fungus that develops inside the galleries the beetle creates, rather than feeding on the wood of its host. This fungus provides food and may be partially to blame for the host plant’s demise.
The Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service provides this information with the understanding that no preference is intended, no endorsement of brand names or registered trademarks is implied, and no preference is intended by the exclusion of goods or manufacturers who are not named. The advice is for South Carolina conditions only, so it might not be applicable elsewhere. Use pesticides only according to the directions on the label. At the time of publication, all pesticide use advice was valid only for South Carolina, but state and federal regulatory agencies may decide to change the registration status and usage patterns. Follow all directions, precautions and restrictions that are listed.
Prevention Small trees with light infestations can have their scales scraped off, or the branches can be cut off and burned. Chemical scale control is not always feasible on large trees. This method might not be practical due to the size of the tree, the requirement for specialized equipment, and the cost. Because of their waxy covering, adult scales are largely protected from insecticides. Their immature forms, called crawlers, are susceptible, however. The following chemicals are suggested if chemical control is found to be necessary: cyfluthrin, cyhalothrin, bifenthrin, or permethrin. Apply materials when crawlers appear and repeat in 10 days. A dinotefuran soil drench can control both soft and armored scales. The best time to apply soil drenches is in the spring when new plant growth is visible. See Table 1 for specific products. Read and abide by all warnings and instructions on the label whenever using pesticides.
Leaf Scorch: Several issues on maple (Acer species) trees result in symptoms that are typically categorized as leaf scorch. Light brown or tan dead areas between leaf veins or around the leaf margins are signs of scorch. Occasionally the leaf margins are yellow or chlorotic. Scorch signs indicate that the tree is being harmed by one or more of the following factors:
These sap-sucking pests resemble rice grains in both size and shape. In their wake are deformed leaves and stunted branch growth as they gather on the underside of the leaves and along the tender new stem growth to suck out the sap. Check the underside of tree leaves for ant activity as well. Aphids are “farmed” by ants to produce food for them in the form of “honeydew,” which the ants adore eating. Because of their mutualistic relationship, ants will always be present where there are aphids.
A Japanese maple tree can be grown in a container or used to make a distinctive Bonsai specimen, and it makes a striking focal point for any landscape. Japanese beetles, aphids, mites, and scale are fond of this lovely tree, so no matter how you decide to grow them, you will need to learn how to get rid of pests on a Japanese maple tree. If you can keep pests from eating the colorful frilly leaves, this compact-growing plant is at its most brilliant color in the autumn. Check your Japanese maple tree for signs of pest infestation frequently. To get rid of the pests and preserve the beauty of your Japanese maple for years to come, follow these suggestions.
The larvae, also known as grubs or white grubs, are brown in color with a grayish-black back. They measure one inch (25 mm) and are shaped like the letter “C.” 5 cm) long, with ‘V-shaped hair on the last segment of the body.
During the busiest summer months, you can cover the tree with netting to stop an infestation.
Near the tree, plant some plants that repel Japanese beetles, such as catnip, smartweed, morning glory, or mallow.