Bug question on lilies

[Zoe]

I keep up a pond at a local daycare center.  I have noticed that there are little fly like  bugs on the snow flake plant tht is floating in their pond. The pads are always yellow.  I have the same plant and it does great in my ponds. Any ideas?

[LeeAnne151]

Probably aphids. The scourge of waterlilies...

[Mike S.]

There are a number of little pest that fit the description. Several do look like, and more-or-less are flys. Midges, blood-worm flies, most do the real damage in their larval form and can be treated with the same products that works on China Mark Moth larvae.

These products are completely fish safe, not actual toxins or insecticides, but biologic controls. Thuricide and Dipel are both forms of BT. Thuricide is a liquid that is sprayed on the surface of the plants, while Dipel is a powder that is dusted on. Keeping a mosquito dunk near the those plants can also help, as it is yet another form of BT.

If the pest actaully are aphids, however, the BT products won't help.

Mike S.
Spring Hill, FL

[Zoe]

Thanks for the reply Mike.  I have BT but have not used it.  The water lily leaves also seem to be turing brown as quick as they turn green. With everything being so hot here I thought maybe that could be the cause. But my other two ponds here at home are doing fine. So its leads me to believe some sort of bug. The leaves almost look like they have a rust film on them if that helps.

[Mike S.]

One thing leads to another. With the unusual weather, the plants are stressed and pest of all sorts will move in and take advantage. Might even have some at work that don’t usually attack aquatic plants.

I would start by removing all affected pads & leaves.  Then use the BT. The liquid form should be mixed at least 4 times the label dose. The label doesn't take into account it is being used in a pond. Spray it on all the plants just before sundown, as UV in sunlight can kill it. 

BT dust doesn't work nearly as well for me, but it does work. The mosquito dunks can keep enough of the same active ingredient in the water to prevent a reinfestation, but probably not be able to fix an ongoing one.

Done every evening, 3 days in a row has stoped even the worst pest problem for me.

If you also have a mold or fungus problem as well & removal of the affected parts doesn't work, maybe someone else can help, as I have no experience with that problem.

Mike S.
Spring Hill, FL

[Zoe]

I went and checked on the daycare pond this evening.  The bugs look light grey and seem to skim across the water to the other lily pads.  I will try and look for the BT tomorrow.

[greenthumbnails]

I have something like this in one of my containers...and come to think of it I think I spread it to another container when I moved a couple of plants from one to the other. On close inspection it appears to be extremely tiny red spiders that are sucking the leaves of the plant dry. It is mostly affecting any vertical plant like bog plants or something that sends up aerial pads. There is definite webs too.  They leave a rust like look to the leaves as well.  Since they are not larvae I did not use the BT. I am not sure what to use actually as I have trouble with Neem Oil or other horticultural oil burning the leaves of plants. And I am out of insecticidal soap, plus it also burns the leaves (and i don't remember if it is safe for pets and animals).  I just cut off all the affected leaves today (which is all of them) and sprayed any other parts with a mixture of water and cinnamon (I use this for my orchids...read about it somewhere, probably in an old post or online) See if that works for me...

If they are grey and scooting across the water surface and visible to the eye, they may be aphids.  There is a tutorial on aphid control by Sean either here or on his website.  From what I understand, simply spraying them with water from a hose often should do the trick.  I have aphids too in that same container, but have been lazy about getting out the hose.  I took care of it today.

[Zoe]

I went and read the tutorial. I will be up and at them in the morning and will spray.  Thanks again !

[magoo]

BTI - bacillus thuringiensis israelensis.

BTI is a bacteria that will kill mosquito and black fly larvae. Dunks contain BTI.

BTK - bacillus thuringiensis kurstaki

BTK is a bacteria that will kill China Mark moth caterpillars, Gypsy Moth, Cankerworm, Tent Caterpillar, Cabbage
Looper and Tomato horn worm. I assume it will kill any caterpillars. A couple of brand names are Thuricide and Dipel.
looper.

Dunks (BTI) do not kill caterpillars and Dipel/Thuricide does not kill mosquitoes.

[frogman3]

I went and checked on the daycare pond this evening.  The bugs look light grey and seem to skim across the water to the other lily pads.  I will try and look for the BT tomorrow.

Am I missing something? I don't think what Zoe is discribing could be aphids. Aphids are slow moving, not a bug that can skim across the water to another pad.

[tlc]

Sounds like a water skipper to me if the bug does not actually "fly". Does it look like this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerridae

I've had plenty of aphids in the past and they do not skim across the water from one pad to another that I have seen, they are slow moving like Frogman says. They only move from pad to pad when I help them with a blast from the hose (which is only a temporary measure  ).

[Zoe]

Nope they do not look like the picture. They were tiny and had about 6 legs and were a grey/tan color.  We went this morning and pulled all the lilies out. I used an aphid spray I had purchased last year at a pond store,  that has thyme and peppermint oil.   We then blasted the lilies with water and put them back.  Hopefully we made a difference and the plants will get better.  Thanks again.

[LeeAnne151]

I said aphids before she said the bugs skipped across the water.....

[Zoe]

I went and checked the pond yesterday and lilies do look better. I was able to treat them last Monday and also go by and hose off the lily pads this week. I think it  helped!  Thank you for all your help.


Cindy

[fishegg]

 I had what I think is the same problem. This year my water lettuce, was always kind of sickly. The out leaves were yellowing, more so than I expected. Covered with little black bugs. Read this string and the tutorial, went home took all the water lettuce out, in the compost, washed down all the other plants with heavy hose spray and the problem has seemed to cleared up. Washed them down a couple days in a row, things are looking good.

[Mike S.]

Always nice to hear something is working for someone!

Mike S.
Spring Hill, FL

[miguynmkoi]

I have tiny dark gray bugs that are somewhat hard shelled that congregate on a few of my pads too.  They hop all over the place from water to pad.  I just wipe them off the pads with my hand and pond water.  Do this a couple of days and they're all gone.  Mind you, my pond surface is only 8'x5' 

[Zoe]

I was at the garden yesterday and hosed off the pads again.  The lilies are doing so much better. Lots of new pads and even had some blooms. 

Cindy

[greenthumbnails]

I was at the garden yesterday and hosed off the pads again.  The lilies are doing so much better. Lots of new pads and even had some blooms. 

Cindy

Cool.  Glad everything worked out.