How to save my Albany Woolly bush?

[SEABEE]

I have Googled this plant that is eating the bark of my Albany Woolly Bush and slowly killing it as the bark is removed. In my research I have come to the conclusion that it may be a spider mite and probably the black spider mite. There are small black spots within the brown crumble cover.

I have used Richgro Bug Killa systemic insecticide a week ago. But I haven't noticed any change however it may be too early for the insecticide to have an effect. 

I am planning to hose the infestation off the trees to prevent further damage. 

Can anyone identify the insect? Secondly is the action I am taking appropriate?

Many Thanks

SeaBee

[HitOrMiss]

spider mites start leaving webbing and will normally affect the outer leaves of the plant first. generally
thrips have very similar damage to mites but it will normally start on the inner leaves of the plant. generally
the required action taken would be the same for both, you need to be very thorough when spraying the leaves for them though.

i looked up the richgro bug killa, says you get 2 months protection and not to apply more than twice within a year, takes about 2 weeks to start working.
i would wait awhile before re applying that, it may also be to early to say if it is or is not working if it has been a week.

i am not very familiar with these plants so i do not really have a suggestion as to what it may be, sorry, but if you think what you have sprayed is not working, maybe consider a hort or neem oil, with the oils it is good to do a follow up a week or 2 later depending on the life cycle of what you are spraying for.

[JacobZ]

Hi @SEABEE,

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community it is great to have you with us.

I am pleased to see you've already had some advice from our knowledgeable member @HitOrMiss. 

These resources might also be useful for you:

• Why do my 200mm Woolly Bush Adenanthos Sericeus keep dying?

• How to control & eliminate pests organically

Let me also tag some other garden gurus to see if they can provide further assistance:

@Noelle, @mich1972, @ChloeThomson.

Jacob

[Noelle]

Hi @SEABEE 

I'd agree with @HitOrMiss that it is too early to know if the systemic insecticide you've applied is working and, because the pest is so small, the effects may not be all that obvious anyway. I would leave the plant alone for another couple of weeks before hosing off the brown, barky deposits and any pests within it.

Once the systemic insecticide starts to work, it will kill off any other bugs/pests that could also be present chewing on the bark or sucking sap. Its effectiveness should last at least several months.

Whether your woolly bush will recover, or not, depends on how extensive the damage to the bark may be, and you won't be able to tell that until you've blasted off the debris in a couple of weeks.

[SEABEE]

Thank you everyone for your thoughtful replies. @Noelle I was hesitant to leave the brown minute ball bearing conglomeration on large and small branches particularly at the junction of spreading small branches. I have used systemic spray bfore but not the granular form so I will follow your recommendation and wait a couple of weeks. before hosing the insect off.

Hitormiss I am also of the opinion that the infestation is not a spider mite, but the conglomeration of tiny brown balls joined together pointed me in that direction however spider mite tends to suck not chew. I have continued looking but have been unsuccessful so far.

Cheers 

SeaBee

[Wrayven]

Hi Seabee  did the insecticide work? I've had these before and did nothing but it is back.....

[EricL]

Hello @Wrayven 

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's wonderful to have you join us.

Let me tag @SEABEE to make them aware of your question. It would be interesting to find out if the insecticide worked.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

[SEABEE]

Hi @Wrayven 

I used three different methods and cannot be sure if one was successful, or a combination is required. I will go through each in detail.

I found that a jet of water cleaned the web nests off and hence reduced the infestation.

The Richgro two month granulated systemic insecticide may have an impact because the bark is soft and seems to be eaten by the web caterpillar.

Apparently, the web caterpillar leaves the nest to feed at night, so I am currently trialing spraying the Woolly Bush with David Grays Carbaryl Garden Insecticide. I have made the decision to use such a powerful insecticide because I will be spraying at night which prevents Bees being affected. I only used this procedure after most of the Web Caterpillars and the web had been removed. I will require further trials to come to a conclusion.

For the last few months my Wooly Bushes have been free of the Tea Tee Web caterpillar however I notice that leaves are fading on some of the branches which may suggest the beginning of another infestation.

I will spray with Carbaryl at night and observe the results.

Cheers

CB

[SEABEE]

Hi Everyone

I read my previous posts and found that originally I thought the infestation was a form of Spider Mite when actually it is the Tea Tree Webbing Moth which lays eggs that develop into the Tea Tree Webbing Caterpillar that does all the damage. The Agricultural Department provide me with the correct identification.

Hi Brian

Thank you for contacting the Pest and Disease Information Service (PaDIS) at the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD).

As discussed on the phone today I believe the issue is related to the webbing and frass is related to the tea tree webbing moth caterpillars, Orthaga thyrisalis. It is best to prune out or remove the webbing as insecticides do not work well in this instance. Please see the links below for further information. Feel free to submit some photos of the symptoms for confirmation.

http://lepidoptera.butterflyhouse.com.au/pyra/thyrisalis.html

http://anpsa.org.au/APOL2009/jul09-1.html

Thank you for submitting your enquiry and allowing us to screen for species which pose a risk to the environment, social wellbeing and agricultural industries in Western Australia.

Kind regards

Liz Edwards  | Laboratory Technician   

Pest and Disease Information Service (PaDIS), DPIRD Diagnostics and Laboratory Services

Sustainability and Biosecurity

Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development

3 Baron-Hay Court, South Perth  WA  6151

t (08) 9368 3179 | PaDIS (08) 9368 3080 | e padis@dpird.wa.gov.au

  Liz also said the following.

Thank you for the photos. They confirm the presence of webbing moth caterpillars. They are small and well protected by the webbing and frass. Spraying or pruning out the webbing and frass should get rid of the caterpillars. You could try applying Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) bacterium (Dipel) or Mavrik however the webbing forms a barrier which protects the caterpillar so is unlikely to be very effective.

However, I am trialing spraying with insecticide at nighttime when the caterpillar emerges to feed.

Good Luck CB

[MitchellMc]

Many thanks for the update @SEABEE.

Mitchell