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Hermacallis Gall Mite

maggie.bray73maggie.bray73 Posts: 8
in Problem solving
We have loads of hermacallis and all healthy up until now.
The buds on some of them but not all are coming through distorted.  Think we may have hermacallis gall mite as nothing else seems to fit the symptoms.
There appears to be no pesticides for this and we are loathe to spray because we also have health hermacallis.
Do we need to dig up the hermacallis and throw it away or just live with it.

Posts

  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,431
    Break off the swollen buds as you spot them. Burn them or put in council dustbin. Do not compost. You can break the cycle provided you keep clearing the buds with larvae in.  I had it bad one year, but the plants are fine now.
  • maggie.bray73maggie.bray73 Posts: 8
    Thank you fidgetbones we will do that.  Your help was much appreciated.
  • Alan Clark2 in LiverpoolAlan Clark2 in Liverpool Posts: 2,179
    Midges only attack early buds, the later flowers will be unaffected. For that reason I now avoid early-flowering varieties and only buy mid- to late-season varieties. 

    I have heard that diatomaceous earth on the ground can kill the midges as they emerge in Spring - it works by physically damaging the insect's cuticle so that they die from desiccation. Dunno any details of how to do it though.
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