LITTLE ROCK — QHave you had any reports of destructive black beetles about 3/4-inch long? When we returned from vacation, one of my favorite and hardiest hosta, as well as another that was close by, were eaten, with only the little veins on the leaves left. When I hit the plant with insecticide powder, it was alive with these beetles. I also found them on a few other plants, including the side leaves on my tomatoes.
I cannot identify the bug from any of my books. I have not seen them for a while, but I thoroughly dusted everything that I think they might like. I certainly hope I don’t deal with this again, because I really don’t like the look of dust on my hosta.
A My guess would be blister beetles.
They have been bad this year and can decimate a plant. When treating ornamental plants for insects, I don’t like to use dusts - you end up covering up the beauty of the plant. Most insecticides come in several formulations.
Dusts have to be applied dry, but you can also find wettable powders (which you mix with water) and liquids, which would do the job and not look unsightly.
Q If my daylilies turned brown from lack of water, will they come back next year?
A It depends on how dry they got. They may have simply shut down and gone into dormancy early, and there is a chance they could come back once they get rain.
Daylilies are tough plants, but even they have their limits. Only time will tell.
Q This year has been a bumper crop for daddy longlegs. They are everywhere at my place in Paris. I don’t live in the country, either. I’m three blocks from the square. I’ve talked to my neighbors and they report the same. I’m used to seeing a few in my backyard, but this year they are actually swarming. The other day when I took the dog out at 6 a.m., my front storm door was almost covered with the things. Was it the mild winter, the warm, wet spring or the sauna summer? Why the population explosion? By the way, I haven’t found any over the-counter stuff that they respond to.
A Daddy longlegs are also called harvestmen.
While they do look like spiders, they are in the order Opiliones and are not spiders. Daddy longlegs usually are inactive and hidden during the day, but then at sunset they begin to wander about searching for food. Some species feed on live insects, while others feed on dead insects or plant juices. They usually live among plants or on tree trunks. They are considered a beneficial insect, so we normally don’t recommend controls. Clustering behavior usually occurs during the fall and only for a brief period of time.
Clustering may also occur near a moisture source when an area is exceptionally dry, which could be why you are seeing more of them this year.
Q In early spring I bought a camellia plug about 2 inches tall. I stuck it in a ceramic pot above ground in a shady spot. Now it’s healthy and 8 inches tall, nice and green with two branches. I would like to transplant it into the ground but have no idea when to do that. Should I leave it in the pot and take it inside for the winter and transplant it in the spring? If I move it inside, should it be in a sunny window? I live in Horseshoe Bend.
A The northern tier of the state is still iffy on camellia hardiness. We do have several varieties of Camellia sasanqua that are more winter tolerant, but the Camellia japonica plants would need a very protected spot in Horseshoe Bend. If you know you have a hardy variety, I would plant it in the ground - eastern or northern exposure. If you aren’t certain what kind you have, I would treat it like a houseplant until spring and then plant it in the ground.
This would give it a year to get its roots established before dealing with a cold winter. Move it indoors by mid-October, give it a bright, sunny location, and cut back on how much you water.
Janet Carson is a horticulture specialist for the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service. Write to her at 2301 S. University Ave., Little Rock, Ark. 72204 or e-mail her at
HomeStyle, Pages 39 on 09/01/2012