Nurseries Online
  • Home
  • Buy Plants Online
  • A-Z Plant Index
  • Evergreen Trees
  • Fruit Trees
  • Advanced Trees
  • Native Plants
  • Roses
  • Mail Order Nurseries
  • Retail Plant Nurseries
  • Wholesale Nurseries
  • Garden Pots
  • Water Features for the Garden
  • Garden Accessories
  • Mail Order Nurseries
  • Retail Plant Nurseries
  • Wholesale Nurseries
  • Garden Pots
  • Water Features for the Garden
  • Garden Accessories
Home  »  Gardening Articles  »  Cycad Leaves being Eaten

Cycad Leaves being Eaten

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Google+
  • Pinterest
Cycad leaves being  eaten.
Cycad leaves being eaten.

A common problem with Cycads is the leaves being eaten. The major cause of this damage in warmer climates is The Blue Cycad Butterfly or Thesclinesthes onycha.  

The Butterflies themselves are pretty, and gardeners may like the look of them. However they are a problem, looking more like a large moth than a Butterfly, they can cause a lot of damage unless controlled.

Understanding the life cycle is the key to controlling this problem.

The Blue Cycad Butterfly lay their eggs on the new foliage. It is the caterpillars that  then hatch that cause the damage. They do their work for the rest of the year on the old and maturing foliage.

How to prevent Cycad Leaves being Eaten

It is essential to spray the new foliage as soon as it appears. This is when the butterflies are present and lay their eggs.

You can use a number of products, all readily available to control the problem.

 For Thesclinesthes onycha control try using.

  • Dipel OR
  • Yate ULTRA success
    OR
  • Pyrethrum Spray 

Method of Control

Don’t wait for the problem to show through damaged foliage. If theBlue Cycad Butterfly is present you need to spray as soon as any new growth shows.

It is best to spray again after rain.

Spray a third time again as the foliage unfurls.

Remember to spray the underside as well as the top of the foliage.

Try not to spray on very hot days as this can damage the foliage.

You may also like

  • General Cycad Care
  • Cycads for sale

Comments

Full List of Gardening Articles

Popular Gardening Articles

  • Evergreen Magnolia Species
  • Dwarf Japanese Maples
  • Grow your own Saffron
  • Cycad care
  • Pruning Magnolia grandiflora
  • Mounting Elkhorn Ferns
  • Magnolia Species
  • Small trees for Gardens and Courtyards.
  • Tree Fern Care
  • Azalea Diseases and Care
  • Mondo Grass
  • Hedge Planting Distance
  • Garden Arches
  • Cymbidium Orchid Care
  • Flowering Trees
  • Bougainvillea – How to Grow Them In Pots
  • Winter Flowering Plants
  • Pencil Pines
  • Climbing Roses
  • Cold Tolerant Avocado Trees

Copyright © 2022 · About Us · Advertise with Us · Contact Us