{"id":32704,"date":"2025-03-26T09:30:56","date_gmt":"2025-03-26T13:30:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/?p=32704"},"modified":"2026-04-24T15:50:32","modified_gmt":"2026-04-24T19:50:32","slug":"prepared-for-insects-waking-up-plr","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/prepared-for-insects-waking-up-plr\/","title":{"rendered":"Prepared for Insects Waking Up? \u2013 PLR"},"content":{"rendered":"

Purdue Landscape Report:<\/em><\/a> The bitter winter cold has finally passed us (or has it? It\u2019s hard to tell in the Midwest)! The days are getting warmer and longer, and that means the insects are coming out of their overwintering stages. As you prepare for your landscaping and gardening this year, are you implementing preventative measures for pests? Now is the time to think about those strategies to minimize the damage to your plants.<\/p>\n

Preventing pest issues is foundational to integrated pest management. The first step is always to start with healthy and clean plants. Don\u2019t be afraid to bring a hand lens to the store and check for those hard-to-see pests! You don\u2019t want to bring a problem home. Next, remember that many pests will thrive due to improper watering, light conditions, or fertilization. Avoid these issues by reviewing the recommendations for your plants and consulting a soil test. (Read more<\/a> about why soil tests are essential!)<\/p>\n

Finally, which pests\/diseases do you anticipate? What are the most common pests on the plants in your landscape? Perhaps you have had issues in past years and know what to expect. Review the biology of these pests and consider implementing preventative measures now. Let\u2019s look at a couple of examples of frequent landscape pests and some management options you can add to your list of spring preparations.<\/p>\n

Spider Mites<\/strong><\/p>\n

Spider mites overwinter on the host plant or in leaf litter. Around this time of year, cool season mites such as spruce mites and boxwood mites are the dominant issue. Check your plants now for these spider mites, and scout regularly to make sure populations aren\u2019t getting out of control. A rainy spring will help keep the pressure low. If you have to spray, avoid chemicals that will harm natural enemies, which are vital to spider mite management. (Learn more about spider mite management:\u00a0Spider Mites on Ornamentals<\/a>; and check out the Purdue Plant Doctor Quick Guide:\u00a0Managing Spider Mite Mayhem<\/a>)<\/p>\n

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\"Fig<\/a>
Fig 1. Spruce mites on spruce. (Image: Petr Kapitola, Central Institute for Supervising and Testing in Agriculture, Bugwood.org<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
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\"Fig.<\/a>
Fig. 2. Boxwood mites on boxwood. (Image: Rayanne Lehman, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Bugwood.org).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Bagworms<\/strong><\/p>\n

Bagworms overwinter as eggs in the bags left on the tree. They\u2019re frequent pests of arborvitae, junipers, and several other trees and shrubs. Take action now to prevent an infestation in the summer that requires costly pesticides. Manually remove the bags from your tree and drown them in soapy water. (Learn more about bagworm management:\u00a0Bagworms<\/a>).<\/p>\n

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\"Fig<\/a>
Fig 3. Bagworms overwinter as eggs in their cocoon-like bags. (Image: John Obermeyer, Purdue Entomology Extension).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Lace Bugs<\/strong><\/p>\n

Lace bugs may overwinter as eggs or adults, depending on the species. They become active again in the spring, so now is a good time to check for these pests. Focus on the undersides of the leaves where the pests are found. Lace bugs prefer hosts planted in sunny areas with a lack of plant diversity, so consider including some flowering plants in your landscape to provide pollen and nectar to beneficials. (Learn more about Lace bug management from the Purdue Plant Doctor Quick Guide:\u00a0Managing Lace bugs<\/a>).<\/p>\n

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\"Fig<\/a>
Fig 4. Lacebug adults. (Image: John Obermeyer, Purdue Entomology Extension).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

What pests do you encounter in the landscape? Take a moment to review their biology and your options for preventative management. Be proactive now and reduce your pest problems for the season ahead. Read the original article, Insects are waking up \u2013 are you prepared?<\/a><\/p>\n

Resources:
\n<\/strong>ID That Tree<\/a>, Playlist, Purdue Extension \u2013 FNR YouTube Channel
\nA Woodland Management Moment<\/a>, Playlist, Purdue Extension \u2013 FNR YouTube Channel
\nWoodland Stewardship for Landowners<\/a>, Playlist, Purdue Extension \u2013 FNR YouTube Channel
\nNative Trees of the Midwest<\/a>, Purdue University Press
\nInvesting in Indiana Woodlands<\/a>, The Education Store<\/div>\n
Forest Improvement Handbook<\/a>, The Education Store<\/div>\n
Invasive Species Playlist<\/a>, Playlist, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
\nIndiana Department of Natural Resources: Invasive Species<\/a>
\nIndiana Invasive Species Council<\/a>
\nCooperative Invasive Species Management Area (CISMA)<\/a>
\nReport Invasive<\/a>, Purdue Extension
\nEpisode 11 \u2013 Exploring the challenges of Invasive Species<\/a>, Habitat University-Natural Resource University
\nWhat are invasive species and why should I care?<\/a>, Got Nature? Blog, Purdue Extension – FNR<\/div>\n
Invasive plants: impact on environment and people<\/a>, The Education Store
\nSpotted Lanternfly Found in Indiana<\/a>, Purdue Landscape Report<\/div>\n

Alicia Kelley<\/a>, Cooperative Agricultural Pest Survey (CAPS)<\/a> Coordinator
\nPurdue Extension – Entomology<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Purdue Landscape Report: The bitter winter cold has finally passed us (or has it? It\u2019s hard to tell in the Midwest)! The days are getting warmer and longer, and that means the insects are coming out of their overwintering stages. As you prepare for your landscaping and gardening this year, are you implementing preventative measures […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":62,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[42,47,53,54],"tags":[668,161,65,2035,895,1860,71,72],"class_list":["post-32704","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-forestry","category-invasiveinsects","category-urbanforestry","category-wildlife","tag-bagworms","tag-identification","tag-invasive-insects","tag-lace-bugs","tag-purdue-landscape-report","tag-spider-mites","tag-urban-forestry","tag-wildlife","audience-for-enthusiasts","audience-for-homeowners","audience-for-landowners","audience-for-professionals"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32704","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/62"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32704"}],"version-history":[{"count":20,"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32704\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":32731,"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32704\/revisions\/32731"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32704"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=32704"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=32704"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}