The leaves on my azaleas have tiny white spots on the upper leaf surface and black or brown spots on the lower leaf surface. What is wrong with my azalea?
This is typical of damage caused by the azalea lace bug. The little white spots or stipules are places in the leaf where the chlorophyll has been removed by lace bug feeding. They feed from the underside of the leaf and leave shiny black spots of fecal material that eventually turn brown. Feeding by mites also leaves a stippled effect on the upper leaf surface, there will be no shiny black or brown spots on the bottom side of the leaf. Webbing is also associated with the presence of mites on the underside of leaves. Lace bugs can be controlled with sprays of horticultural oil (Ultrafine oil), or chemical sprays such as Sevin, diazinon, Cygon or Orthene. The systemic product imidacloprid (Bayer Advanced Shrub and Tree Insect Killer) also will control these pests. Make 2 applications at a 10 day interval with all products except imidacloprid in which one application should be sufficient.
Related Questions
- The leaves on my azaleas have tiny white spots on the upper leaf surface and black or brown spots on the lower leaf surface. What is wrong with my azalea?
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