Controlling Azalea Lace Bugs: Spring Soil Drench and Summer Sprays

If your azalea leaves look bleached with tiny white stipples and the undersides are speckled with dark insects, you're likely dealing with azalea lace bugs. These sap-sucking pests remove chlorophyll cell by cell, weakening the plant.

Best Control: Spring Systemic Drench

The most effective approach is a soil drench with a systemic insecticide like imidacloprid (e.g., Bayer Tree & Shrub Insecticide) in early spring. The chemical moves into the foliage, poisoning lace bugs as they feed, while sparing beneficial insects.

Summer Outbreak? Spot-Spray in Evening

If lace bugs appear in summer, spray a contact insecticide in the evening to protect pollinators. Thorough coverage of leaf undersides is essential.