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Pest & Disease Factsheets
Factsheets with detailed information on how to recognise and deal with the the most common plant pests and diseases.
Factsheets
Pest & Disease Management - Moles
18 May 2012Moles are widespread throughout Britain but absent from Ireland. Even small populations can damage sports turf, playing surfaces and amenity lawns, but control may not be necessary in less intensively used or managed areas. The damage is a side-effec...
Pest & Disease Management - Beech bark disease
04 May 2012Beech bark disease is most likely to attack trees with trunks that are more than 20cm in diameter, although it can also be a problem on young plantations. The disease occurs when heavy infestations of beech scale insect (Cryptococcus fagisuga) make e...
Pest & Disease Factsheet - Caterpillars
20 April 2012The biting mouthparts of this large group of pests mean that all parts of the plant are at risk of attack.
Pest & Disease Factsheet: Leaf, stem, bud and bulb nematodes/eelworms
05 April 2012Eelworm pests are numerous and can damage a range of plants but some species are beneficial.
Pest & Disease Management - Vine weevil
23 March 2012Black vine weevil (Otiorhynchus sulcatus) is a serious pest of ornamental nursery stock. The adults feed on susceptible plant foliage, leaving notched edges, and the larvae feed on roots. This damage causes in excess of £30m in annual losses for the ...
Pest & Disease Management - Wild rabbits
09 March 2012The animal's fast reproduction makes eradication impractical, but cooperative effort can limit crop damage.
Pest & Disease Factsheet - Peach leaf curl
24 February 2012Despite its limited impact on plant health, this fungal infection can cause customers to reject plants.
Pest & Disease Management - Fusarium patch - A threat to turf when conditions are cold and wet
10 February 2012The most common and damaging pathogen on ornamental lawns and sports turf in the UK is the fungus Microdochium nivale (syn. Fusarium nivale).
Pest & Disease Factsheet - Damping off
27 January 2012This disease kills seedlings by drawing on the nutrients of a host's dead cells, causing plants to collapse.
Pest & Disease Management - Phytophthora ramorum
13 January 2012Sudden oak death has caused extensive damage to a wide range of hosts on both sides of the Atlantic.
Pest & Disease Management - Roe, fallow and muntjac deer
09 December 2011Young shoots on plants are susceptible to grazing damage while bucks' antlers can harm bark.
Pest & Disease Management - Honey fungus
25 November 2011With action difficult and labour intensive, accurate identification of this root disease is key to tackling infection.
Pest & Disease Management - Phytophthora root rots
11 November 2011These pathogens can pose significant disease risks.
Turf pests - Risks posed by leatherjackets and chafer grubs
28 October 2011Soil-dwelling larvae of chafer beetles and crane flies are serious turf pests, feeding unseen in the topsoil layer beneath lawns, golf courses and sports fields. Chafer grubs also feed on roots of young trees, herbaceous perennials and nursery stock....
Pest & Disease Management - Dutch elm disease - Serious outbreaks can be expected every 20 years
14 October 2011Dutch elm disease is a fungal wilt spread by the elm bark beetles Scolytus scolytus and Scolytus multi-striatus. Known in the UK since 1927, this disease was considered relatively unimportant until an outbreak of a more aggressive strain (Ophiostoma ...
Pest & Disease Factsheet - Red thread
30 September 2011The risk of this fungal infection on sports and amenity turf can be lowered through careful management.
Pest & Disease Management - Rust fungi
01 September 2011Pustules make this a relatively simple problem to identify but action must be taken to avoid damage.
Pest & Disease Factsheet - Leaf miners
19 August 2011These fly, moth and beetle larvae can cause growers problems across a wide range of plants.
Pest & Disease Factsheet - Tarsonemid and eriophyid mites
05 August 2011These two key groups of microscopic mites can pose a serious threat to ornamental crops.
Pest & Disease Management - Spider mites
22 July 2011These troublesome pests can cause problems for growers of protected and outdoor ornamental crops.
Pest & Disease Factsheet - Sciarid fly
08 July 2011This damaging pest can transmit root rot diseases and their larvae can be harmful to plant growth.
Pest & Disease Factsheet - Powdery mildew
24 June 2011Accurate identification of the species in an outbreak is vital to choose the correct chemical treatment.
Pest & Disease Factsheet - Bacterial and fungal cankers
10 June 2011The death of inner bark tissue can cause shoots beyond a canker to wilt and die through a lack of water.
Pest & Disease Factsheet - Caterpillars
27 May 2011The biting mouthparts of these pests leave no parts of plants entirely safe from attack.
Black root rot - A wide range of species is susceptible to this disease
13 May 2011Cyclamen, Poinsettia, Primula, Impatiens, Begonia, Nicotiana, Geranium and sweet peas are among 120 species in 15 families known to be susceptible to black root rot (Thielaviopsis basicola).
Pest and Disease Factsheet - Downy mildew - How to avoid losses from this fungal disease
28 April 2011Downy mildew is a foliar fungal disease characterised by dark felting on the undersides of infected leaves. It belongs to the same fungal order as Pythium and Phytophthora. Most of the species that are pathogenic on commercial ornamental crops are ho...
FERA PLANT PEST FACTSHEET: Banded-winged whitefly (Trialeurodes abutiloneus)
17 February 2011Background During November 2010, Acacia sp., Banisteriopsis caapi and Brugmansia sp. plants imported by courier from the USA, were inspected by the Plant Health and Seeds Inspectorate (PHSI) and found to be infested with whiteflies. Samples ...
FERA PLANT PEST FACTSHEET: Lemon tree borer (Oemona hirta)
01 September 2010Background The lemon tree borer, Oemona hirta (Fabricius) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) is a longhorn beetle native to New Zealand, where it is considered to be one of their most common insects. A single live larva was intercepted in a Wisteria p...
FERA PLANT PEST FACTSHEET: Blueberry gall midge (Dasineura oxycoccana)
10 August 2010Background In June 2008, the Plant Health Service in England and Wales was contacted by a private crop consultant concerned about a cecidomyiid infestation in a blueberry crop ( Vaccinium corymbosum ) at a nursery in Herefordshire. Anecdotal evide...
FERA PLANT PEST FACTSHEET: Phytophthora lateralis
01 July 2010What is it and where is it found? Phytophthora lateralis is a fungus-like plant pathogen which causes an often fatal disease of trees, mainly in the genus Chamaecyparis. Lawson s cypress ( C. lawsoniana ) is the primary host. P. lateralis ...
FERA PLANT PEST FACTSHEET: Phytophthora ramorum
01 May 2010What is it and where is it found? Phytophthora ramorum is a serious fungus-like pathogen causing damage to a wide range of trees and plants in Europe and the USA. In the EU, P. ramorum has been recorded as present in Belgium, Czech Republic ...
FERA PLANT PEST FACTSHEET: Phytophthora kernoviae
01 May 2010What is it and where is it found? Phytophthora kernoviae is a serious plant pathogen causing diseases of trees and shrubs in UK woodlands, heathlands and managed gardens. The pathogen was first discovered in October 2003 in historic woodland ga...
FERA PLANT PEST FACTSHEET: Potato flea beetles (Epitrix species)
20 April 2010What are they? Five species of flea beetle assigned to the genus Epitrix(Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae ) feed on potatoes ( Solanum tuberosum ) in North America. The common name flea beetle derives from the ability of the adults to jump when dist...
FERA PLANT PEST FACTSHEET: Wheat Bug (Nysius huttoni)
20 April 2010Background While surveying North Warren RSPB Reserve, Suffolk, in September 2007, Heteroptera recorder Nigel Cuming found large numbers of an unfamiliar species of ground bug. Heteroptera experts Bernard Nau and Bill Dolling confirmed the iden...
FERA PLANT PEST FACTSHEET: Eggplant Borer (Leucinodes orbonalis)
20 April 2010Background Leucinodes orbonalis (Guene ) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) is frequently intercepted by the Plant Health Service in England and Wales on imports of aubergine from Asia and Africa. Between 1999 and 2008 it was intercepted on 104 occasions...
FERA PLANT PEST FACTSHEET: Citrus longhorn beetle (Anoplophora chinensis)
01 February 2010What is it? The citrus longhorn beetle, Anoplophora chinensis (Forster), is a non-native pest that is extremely damaging to a wide range of broadleaved trees and shrubs. It is a quarantine pest for the European Union. The natural range of the...
Spider-mite control
17 October 2008Two-spotted spider mite can be controlled in many ways. ADAS UK senior consultant John Buxton explains some of the options for growers of protected nursery stock.
Beetles
07 August 2008There are over a million beetle species, including both pests and beneficials, such as ladybirds, rove beetles and ground beetles.
Aphids on protected crops
07 August 2008With their pear-shaped bodies, long antennae and a pair of rear-end siphunculi — or “exhaust pipes” as they are sometimes described — aphids are one of the most easily recognised and common glasshouse pests.
Rust
07 August 2008A guide to identifying and treating this fungal disease, which can lead to defoliation and die-back.
Fusarium patch/snow
14 July 2008The most common and damaging pathogen on ornamental lawns and sports turf in the UK is the fungus Microdochium nivale -- though most grounds staff and green-keepers recognise it by its older name of Fusarium nivale.
Slugs and snails
09 June 2008The relentless feeding by slugs and snails is so economically damaging to farmers, growers and gardeners that millions of pounds have been devoted to finding new ways to combat these molluscan pests.
Moles
09 June 2008Moles are widespread throughout Britain but absent from Ireland. They are a protected species in Germany. Even small populations of moles can do considerable damage to sports turf, playing surfaces and amenity lawns but control may not be necessary i...
Browntail and gypsy moths
09 June 2008Browntail and gypsy moth caterpillars can cause much damage to trees, but their risk to human health poses a bigger problem to local authorities.
Pest & Disease Alerts
Latest Pest & Disease News
- Fruit fly triggers Auckland checks
- Coragen secures approval for UK use against carrot fly
- Grower fined for banned Amitraz use on pears
- Caroline Spelman to support Fera plant health measures at Chelsea Flower Show
- Phytophthora ramorum films launched at ICF conference
- Kew to spray for oak processionary moth
- King's Dutch elms to feature on The One Show
- Tree treatment stimulates natural defence in battle against Phytophthora infections
- Richmond leads blitz on oak processionary moths
- Monty Don lily beetle advice biased, claim plant protection firms
Additional Information
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Latest Tenders
Contract for the Supply of Horticultural Machinery & Equipment
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CONTRACTS FOR THE SUPPLY OF PARKS
MAINTENANCE AND TREES MAINTENANCE
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In This Issue
NEWS: Garden centre sales start to pick up after relentless poor weather
GROWER: Packaging update
INTERVIEW: Robin Wallis on the Hortus Loci launch
PEST & DISEASE FACTSHEET: Moles
KIT TESTS: Handheld tools
