Waman seems to be ailing (Problem: Scale)

[BlueGreyFog]

Hi! I have several healthy "Wamans" in my yard but one of them seems to be ill. It is losing a lot of leaves. It is in good soil and has the appropriate fertilizer on it, but the leaves are losing their color and dropping. This is not due to new shoots coming up and it IS receiving adequate water. Although the other bamboo in the yard have ladybugs on them, (vitattas, minor amoenus and black atro) this particular Waman is covered with ladybugs, not the red ones, but the black ones with red spots.

Could this have anything to do with it? Upon closer examination, the leaves have these tiny little bumps on them. What should I do?

[Mark Meckes]

Hi!
What age is the dying culm?
Can you take/upload any pics or describe these bumps on the leaves more?

Mark

[BlueGreyFog]

Hi Mark.
Thanks for your reply. The discolored leaves are pretty uniform around the plant. Actually, I just ran out there to take a second look and noticed another unidentified pest on it that looks like a tiny, black and fuzzy caterpillar. That might be the culprit so I'm going to photograph it and try to get a picture here for you to look at.

Be back in a few.
Thanks,
Robin

[BlueGreyFog]

Here is a picture of the unidentified pest and a picture of what's happening to the leaves. There are also plenty of ladybugs on it, so I'm not sure I want to use a pesticide to rid the pest.

Any feedback?

[Mark Meckes]

Hi Robin, the first pic looks like a type of lady bug in it's larvea stage... yeah I know, they're kinda gruesome looking at this stage, and they have a healthy appetite for eating other pesky critters.

Mark

[BlueGreyFog]

The creature in the first pic is already crawling around. You think it's a ladybug in the larvae stage? Hmm....

What can I do to help the plant out? My other Wamans are lush and full. Interestingly, the Black Atros right next to the ailing Waman have no bugs of any kind on the leaves and are also healthy.

[Agrobambu]

The creature in the first pic is already crawling around. You think it's a ladybug in the larvae stage? Hmm....

What can I do to help the plant out? My other Wamans are lush and full. Interestingly, the Black Atros right next to the ailing Waman have no bugs of any kind on the leaves and are also healthy.

BlueGreyFog
I am too interested to know what do you do to kill these bugs. If you receive
instructions to do that, please let me know. I have similar troubles with others kind of insects here on south of Brazil but I had used a weak solution of Commercial Copper Sulfate to keep them at distance and to protect my bamboos against some fungus. At this time (end of winter) some leaves are very beaten with the low temperature and are falling too, but others plants near, in places more protected, are lush. Is a different case of yours, but probably your plant it is weak in respect to the others.
I have 4 kinds of bamboos on my country house (D. giganteus/ B.vulgaris- vittata/ P.aurea/No ID yet(green near 4 inches diameter).I am begining a plantation in a big area and I want to prepared against these bad pests.

Good luck,
Ene

[Rahn]

The problem looks like scale, they like Wamins - the lady bugs and alligator larvae are voracious scale eaters - don't do anything to kill them - they are trying to help - high pressure water spray or safer soap would be my first choice. Check the PH..

Regards
Rahn Skipper

[Mark Meckes]

Upon closer examination, the leaves have these tiny little bumps on them. What should I do?
Thanks Rahn! your right ...little bumps = scale

Mark

[BlueGreyFog]

Thanks Rahn. That suggestion makes sense.

And Joseene, you say your in South Brazil and it is the end of your winter right now? You learn something new everyday! I thought your seasons would time with mine here in South Florida, USA. We're coming into the end of our summer.

Yes, I guess I'll have to let the ladybugs do their job on the Waman and hopefully it will get better. Thanks Mark and everyone!

[CaroleMeckes]

Another post which mentioned scale, put me on a search here at the Bamboo Forums for "scale" and I wound up on this interesting thread which refers to lady bug larvae.
http://www.bamboocraft.net/forums/showpost.php?p=2154&postcount=4

Here is a link to a site that shows the larve...
http://www.ladybuglady.com/ladybugweb9.htm

more specifically
http://www.nysaes.cornell.edu/ent/biocontrol/predators/chilocorus.html

Carole