Friday, October 9, 2009

Dealing With The Cranberry Girdler

By Neoma Archer

When you say cranberry, what do you usually think of? For most people, they would think of a wonderful fruit, really delicious juice, some other wonderful eats or drinks that have been made from the fresh fruit. However, if you do say cranberry girdler, what would you think about? Some may actually think of an actual food which has been made using the fruit. Oh I am pretty sure you actually thought of that one too. But the truth is, when cranberry is as sweet and as delicious and as wonderful as you can think of, the cranberry girdler can actually the total opposite.

So what exactly are cranberry girdlers? These are actually insects. They may look like your normal worms but they are more than that. They come in a grayish or dirty white color and has a head that is brown-orange. It should be just around 3/4 inches in length. It has no distinct markings to differentiate it from the rest of the insects. Small is what they are but they are not harmless. They can bring a lot of destruction to your lawn or your garden. You do not want that to happen. Not at all.

Are there already cranberry girdlers in your lawn or garden? You may not notice yet but these insects may already be there. They do their damage on the important portions of the grass. They would be usually in the crown and in the roots. From above, you will not see them but they are already doing what they do best. They get the nutrients from the grass so the grass becomes unhealthy and dies. That is why you will see brown patches when there are cranberry girdlers. Try to pull up those brown patches and you will see it pulling out easily.

Your grass in your lawn or your garden has already turned brown and you know that that is one sign that cranberry girdlers are there. Now try to pull out that brown patch. If you see larvae beneath and in the soil, then you have these insects as the culprit. Do not leave them as they are. These insects will go through your entire lawn and leave you with nothing but brown, dead grass.

You can start applying insecticide on the brown areas and all other areas which are affected by the insect. And then make sure that you do weekly inspections to see if it is indeed working. If not, continue to apply. You will know that you have done it right when you no longer see the brown spots spreading and you will also see the insects lying dead already on the soil.

About the Author:

No comments: