Insects - Mealybugs
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  (June) We live in El Dorado and there seems to be more and more Mealybugs (I think that is what they are, white, and very good at hopping) and I wonder if you can tell me what product would be helpful in getting rid of them. Thanks for any help.

  I don't think it is mealybugs, but possibly white flies or even aphids, which come in a wide range of colors. While mealybugs are white, you wouldn't see them moving. They are a soft bodied scale and only the tiny babies move by crawling. The adults form a white cottony growth around themselves to protect them from predators and insecticides. Whiteflies tend to "hop" or fly up when disturbed, and they aren't easy to control. Their two favorite hosts are often gardenia and hibiscus, but they attack a wide range of plants. Take your insects to your local county extension office for proper identification. Once you know what your insect is, they will give you some insecticide choices. If you are spraying both ornamentals and edibles at the same time, make sure the product is labeled for both, and pay attention to waiting periods from the last spray until harvest.

  (August) What can I do to get rid of a white fungus on two large asparagus ferns? The ferns are healthy looking but I fear that will not continue.

  My guess, is that this is mealy bugs and not a fungus. Mealybugs are soft bodied scale insects that have a white cottony growth protecting them. Ferns can be sensitive to sprays, so first try dabbing at the cottony patches with a cotton swab with rubbing alcohol. Repeat in three to five days. If it doesn't seem to be better, use an insecticide such as resmethrin -- whitefly and mealybug spray or insecticidal soap.

  (September) The leaves on many of our oak trees have white insects on them. It is covering the backs of some leaves, and actually falling off. It just started within the last two weeks. What should I be spraying with? I don’t want to lose my trees.

  Cottony aphids and mealy bugs are present in our gardens right now, but this late in the season I would not be spraying, if they are primarily on deciduous trees. The key is to rake up and destroy the leaves as they fall this season. It has been extremely hot and dry and the insects are building up. They are not going to damage a large tree. It is almost time for the leaves to begin falling naturally, so spraying to protect the leaves now, would be pointless. If the nuisance factor is at play here -- the sticky sap is also falling on your patio furniture or car windows, try taking a garden hose at full force and spraying the trees in the areas where they are most a problem.

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