Protek Imidor Insecticide 500 ml

There is a wide range of garden insects that can be harmful to plants causing unhealthy plants and plant death. 

Aphids are small insects that feed on plant sap and can weaken plants and spread disease.  They target young plants, emerging from seed, new shoots, flowers, fruit, vegetables, herbs, and plants under stress.

 

The Italian cypress aphid targets conifers.  They extract the plant sap from the needles and can lead to yellowing of foliage, premature needle drop, dieback of branches, and eventually plant death if left untreated. The conifers should be treated preventatively as the peak infestation is reached during the cooler months starting in March.  Damage done is only visible in October. 

 

Mealybugs are pink, soft-bodied sucking insects covered with a white, waxy, cottony material which appear as white clusters on stems and leaves of plants, especially house plants. Their feeding weakens and stunts plants and causes yellowing of foliage, defoliation, wilting general plant decline, and even plant death. 

 

Psylla is a serious pest on citrus trees and can cause significant damage, especially to new growth and buds.  They are sap-sucking insects that can lead to stunted growth, reduced yields, and malformed and curled leaves with cavities (or bumps on the other side of the leaf). The characteristic yellow eggs on the edges of young leaves and the subsequent cavities (or bumps on the other side) are the first signs of psylla presence.

 

Red scale feeds on a wide range of indigenous and exotic trees and shrubs and common cultivated hosts include citrus and roses. Due to toxins that the scale produces, heavy infestations can lead to defoliation and twig dieback, causing reduced quality and yields and ultimately the death of the tree. Longitudinal cracking of tree bark on the tree trunks and branches also occurs with large infestations.

Whitefly is notoriously difficult to control.  Whitefly infestations mainly occur on those plants cultivated under cover but can occur in gardens during extended warm, dry spells.  The adult flies are approximately 2mm long with four winglets. Their bodies and wings are coated with white waxy dust, which gives them their characteristic dusty-white appearance.  Females lay eggs directly on the bottom of plant leaves and in adults the larvae stay there, causing damage to plants.  It is important to know that as much as your plants like nitrogen-rich fertilizers, whiteflies like nitrogen-rich plants, as well. Excessive nitrogen fertilization can cause frequent infestations. While nitrogen can boost the vitality of your plants, over-fertilizing your garden can attract whiteflies, leading to more frequent infestations.  Whitefly feeds on the sap of plants causing leaf curling, yellowing of leaves, and reduced plant vigor and production. 

 

All the above-sucking insects secrete honeydew which gives the leaves a shiny look.  Ants are attracted to the honeydew as a food source and cause problems themselves eg. spreading the aphids to other plants.  The honeydew can also cause secondary fungal infection giving the plant a black sooty appearance which should be treated with Protek’s Tenazole. 

 

White grubs are the larvae of several species of weevils and chafers beetles. They are usually C-shaped and are cream-colored with a brown head capsule. They are particularly damaging to lawns and ornamental trees and shrubs.  They eat the roots of your lawn causing wilt which turns to a brown color, creating unsightly dead patches on your lawn.  Chafer beetles feed on flowers, fruits, and leaves of almost any plant, the soil-living white grubs feed on organic material. Some species can however cause serious damage to roots, bulbs, and tubers and even eliminate them. 

 

Mole Crickets are probably the most destructive insects on lawns.  They burrow through the soil damaging root systems which lead to stunted growth and plants are left defenceless to other stresses like drought and severe heat.  They mainly feed on the roots of the lawn and other plants where they can cause major damage. The most noticeable are dead areas of lawn, poor growth, and a spongy feel of the lawn. On top of that, they are extremely noisy at night during mating season and intrude on houses causing mayhem!

Imidor 350 SC is a systemic insecticide with long-lasting residual action for the control of sucking and biting insects such as aphids (including conifer aphids), psylla on citrus trees, red scale, whitefly, mealybugs, mole crickets, and white grub. It is absorbed by the plant’s root system by way of a soil drench during the active growing stages of the plants protecting inside by targeting pests when they feed.  It protects plants preventatively and correctly.