The maple in front of my living room window is alive with activity–a breeze blows the orange and green leaves and two squirrels are busily looking for tidbits to munch on. I wish their diet included these tiny, white bugs that are falling out of the trees. I suppose they are a part of autumn but never before have they been so plentiful and so irritating. As far as I know, they don’t bite people. And, sadly, the birds don’t seem to include them in their diet. Are they white flies? These pests lay their eggs on the underside of plant leaves and their food is sucking the sap from leaves and plants.
I’ve ordered some ladybugs, hoping that maybe they are aphids or resemble aphids closely enough for ladybugs to be interested. The only problem with ladybugs is that they are flighty. They tend to follow their own whims and, once freed, take off for unknown parts. My hope is that they’ll notice these white fly larva and think they’ve landed in a veritable feast of yummy snacks. But, we’ll see.
Even though we are experiencing a drought, the leaves are doing their part by changing color and falling off trees as fast as the wind takes them. Only now, I can imagine that each leaf harbors dozens of the disgusting white bugs. Ugh and ick!
So, it goes–October is blowing through the town, readying the scene for November. One squirrel noses down the maple, stopping to nibble something–is it pesky white insects? I can only hope.
We have what’s called Asian lady beetles around here. They look like ladybugs, but I hear they’re on a journey to elsewhere and Illinois is a stopping off point. There’s supposed to be good for gardens. I don’t really have a garden, though.
Well, I hope these ladybugs get rid of those white fly larva. I’ll give it a try.
Best of luck! At the very least you’ll have lovely ladybugs around, for a while, anyway.
I hope they stay around for a while and think the white bugs are tasty. But, ladybugs are flighty, you know.