How to deal with Sawflies in your garden. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours.
By Bruce Marlin – Own work/Wikipedia
Sawflies are pests that are related to wasps. They deposit eggs into plants that eventually hatch into larvae and eat away at your garden. The larvae measure 1/2 inch long and are greenish-black, long, slim, and look like a hairless caterpillar. Gradually, the sawfly mature, and they start to change their looks based on the particular variety. The adults are black and yellow with four wings. These pests don’t sting, despite looking like wasps. Sawfly love to eat plants and will also chew through fruit.
Remove any debris around your trees that might give pests a place to overwinter. Turning over the soil will expose cocoons, that may be overwintering, and birds love to feed on them.
Small infestations are often managed simply by removing the diseased branches. One of the best ways to get rid of sawflies is to release the beneficial insects that help to keep the sawfly population in check.
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