Have you ever looked at your azalea's leaves and wonder why they have light green spots all over them? The spots are caused by an insect. At first glance you may not see anything, but if you look at the underside of the leaf you will find them.
This insect is called a Lace Bug. They get their name from the appearance of the wing covers. The wing covers have the appearance of lace, covering the body. The lace bugs live on the underside of the leaf and are about 1/8 to 1/4 inch long. They are also partially transparent. If there is a large infestation you can easily see them crawling around.
The damage appears on the top of the leaf surface as whitish yellow spots. The lower leaf surface will be covered with black spots and active lace bugs. Getting control in spring between March and May will help reduce problems later in the year.
Lace bugs are a sucking insect and cause damage by removing sap from the leaf tissue. Symptoms of infestation can include wilting, curling, yellow spots, or distortion on the new growth. A black sticky fungal growth on lower leaves may appear from the insects secretions, called sooty mold.
An all natural control of lace bugs, is to simply wash them off with a heavy stream of water. If the infestation is really bad and needs a chemical control, use a systemic product for best results or a contact product will also provide acceptable results. Always be sure to spray under the leaves where they are hiding. Repeat treatments maybe necessary every 10-14 days until they come under control. The old leaves will remain damaged, but the new growth should come out clean.
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