Avocado Lace Bug Treatment Guide for Healthier Orchards and Better Leaf Protection

Avocado Lace Bug is a growing problem in the orchards. Why?

The avocado lace bug is a sap-feeding insect that is a major issue in many avocado growing areas and affects the health of trees as well as fruit production. Warm temperatures, denser canopies and the extended dry spell can provide ideal conditions for bean rust to quickly infect orchards. Yellow spotting and discoloring of leaves are the first symptoms often observed by farmers before the full size of the infestation under the leaves is discovered.

Extensive damage by avocado lace bug may cause reductions in photosynthesis, decrease vigor of trees, and increase stress in the development stage of fruit production. As infestation increase leaves can become withered, drop early and thus cause sunburn to fruit and branch. The avocado lace bug starts to increase its numbers rapidly, so early-treated avocado orchards must be protected in order to obtain good yields and high quality fruit.

Today, modern orchard managers are implementing monitoring programs, biological avocado lace bug control, and sustainable orchard management practices in an effort to manage avocado lace bugs more through the long haul than solely relying on heavy-duty chemical sprays.

What Lace Bugs are and Where They Live on Avocado Trees?

One of the most critical steps in the avocado lace bug control is the correct identification. The lace bug adults are minute, transparent, and semi-metallic with a flattened, lace-like-winged shape that typically are housed on the underside of foliage. Feed with sucking mouth parts and adults and immature nymphs from leaf tissues.

With continued feeding chlorotic yellow spots appear on the upper surface of the leaves and dark excrement spots below. During severe infections, leaves colour down and drop off from the tree. The insects also like to remain under the foliage and so growers are not aware of infestation until damage to avocados becomes visible throughout orchard blocks.

By understanding how these pests act, farmers can make better decisions regarding avocado lace bug treatment infestations before tree stress has a negative impact on orchard performance and fruit set.

How Avocado Lace Bug Damage Affects Orchard Productivity?

Without early avocado lace bug control infestations can become significant economically. Stunt leaves, affecting their ability to photosynthesize properly, and continuous feeding all lead to a lowering of the plant's supply of energy to grow fruit.

These are the usual consequences of a heavy infestation: lowered canopy density, branch stress, fruit size and yield potential. Not only can repeated infestations cause die-back, in younger orchards they can hinder tree establishment and vegetative growth.

A disadvantageous circumstance is that drought stress and secondary infection are intensified because of drought response of trees damaged by avocado lace bug. Infestations that are overlooked can result in even higher losses for orchards already under environmental stress.

The danger of these risks has led to increased emphasis on early season scouting and proactive management of avocado lace bug this season.

Why do conventional chemical insecticides often cause trouble?

Many avocado growers continued to use the conventional avocado lace bug insecticide program heavily for years because of the ability of these products to quickly suppress the problem. Pest reductions can be achieved from chemical avocado lace bug treatment but repeated chemicals are likely to result in management issues in the long-term.

Many broad-spectrum insecticides are harmful to beneficial insects and natural predators that control lace bug populations naturally and will, therefore, be toxic when overusing them. This imbalance can contribute to the rebound of pest populations after spraying at times.

Moreover, repeated treatments with chemicals can lead to development of resistance over time and can come with a high production cost. Therefore there is a growing interest from many orchard managers in more sustainable alternatives that can help in the long run management of pests and maintain orchard health.

The transformation has led to greater interest by growers with integrated pest management (IPM) and sustainable avocado fruit production programs for avocado lace bug management.

Biological Solutions for Sustainable Avocado Lace Bug Control

How to get rid of avocado lace bug? Among the best biological methods have proven to successfully control avocado lace bugs is the use of Beauveria bassiana, a beneficial entomopathogenic fungi. This naturally-occurring microorganism is an insecticide against many soft-bodied insect pests that does not affect orchard ecosystems when it is applied correctly.

Beauveria bassiana is biologically active instead of the many traditional sprays that kill pest insects through chemical action.Unlike many other traditional chemical sprays, Beauveria bassiana kills pest insects by living inside them, rather than by a chemical action on the exterior. This specific mechanism of action has led to the utilization of the fungus in sustainable agriculture and IPM programmes.

As growers look for alternatives that minimize chemicals in the orchard and enhance their overall management, biologicals are their preferred option for controlling avocado lace bugs.

Beveria WP: A Biological Tool for Avocado Lace Bug Treatment

How to treat avocado lace bug? Beveria WP is currently one of the most viable biological alternatives to orchard growers who want to control avocado lace bugs using microbial pest management. The product is formulated using very active strains of Beauveria bassiana that helps suppress sap feeding pests in avocado orchards in a sustainable way.

In infection with favourable environmental conditions and compatible with integrated pest management, Beveria WP promotes the infection of lace bug populations. Biological programs are also popular because they support pollinator, predatory insect and orchard biodiversity conservation.

One additional benefit is any possible decrease in the resistance pressure if the microbial products are used in comparison to repeated applications of chemical avocado lace bugs. Biological products are becoming an important component of modern orchard management practices as growers shift to residue practice.

Effective control of Avocado Lace Bug in the orchard

Some combination of orchard sanitation, monitoring and timing is necessary to properly manage avocado lace bug infestations. Routine scouting is essential; each time it is done, the infestations are easier to manage than when they are more advanced.

Insect feeding symptom checks, including egg checks should be done during warm weather when insect populations are likely to increase, on the underside of leaves. Pruning overgrown canopies will increase air flow and decrease any humid conditions that would allow for pest development.

To control avocado lace bug populations naturally, growers can use biological sprays along with application of beneficial insects in conjunction with orchard hygiene when a chemical spray is used for long-term control.

Lace bugs on avocado trees also tend to be under leaves, so good spray coverage is also essential. Applications should be made on active feeding areas, to ensure that avocado lace bug treatment is effective.

Integrated Grower Practices for Long-Term Avocado Lace Bug Management

Multiple avocado lace bug control methods are necessary to have a successful avocado lace bug management program. Farmers who are successful in the long run generally look at the combination of prevention, monitoring, biological solutions and tree health management programs.

A balanced nutrition, proper irrigation and active biological diversity of orchards helps resist to hard pest attacks. By regularly monitoring pest pressures, growers can incorporate treatment-style preventative thinking before the pests become economically problematic.

Reference:

• Hoddle, M. S., & Hoddle, C. D. (2011). First report of the avocado lace bug, Pseudacysta perseae, in California and notes on its biology. Florida Entomologist, 94(1), 108–110.
• Brennan, E. B., & Hrusa, G. F. (2008). The avocado lace bug, Pseudacysta perseae (Heidemann), (Hemiptera: Tingidae): A new avocado pest in California. California Department of Food & Agriculture Report.
• Peña, J. E. (2003). Insect and mite pests of avocado. In J. E. Peña, J. L. Sharp & M. Wysoki (Eds.), Pests, Diseases and Disorders of Avocado. University of Florida.
• Zimmermann, G. (2007). Review on safety of the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana. Biocontrol Science and Technology, 17(6), 553–596.