Controlling Willow Flea Beetles on Pussy Willow

Pest Identification

Small black bugs on branches with ground mess indicate willow flea beetles.

Contact sprays: Carbaryl (Sevin), spinosad, bifenthrin, permethrin—apply to foliage, repeat weekly.
Systemic (preferred): Acephate (Orthene)—soil or foliar, longer residual, covers new growth.

Beetles won't kill the tree unless they cause complete defoliation for several years. Treat to reduce nuisance and stress.

Trees: Pussy Willow Trunk Darkening and Dead Branches: Fungal Management; Weeping Willow in Southern California: Bugs, Water, and Dreams; Bagworm Infestation on Weeping and Globe Willows in South Texas; Walnut Caterpillars Defoliating Pecans: Identification and Control; Oaks Falling with Internal Decay: Hazard Tree Assessment Needed; Cypress Trees Submerged in Pond: Likely Dead; Cottonless Cottonwood Sparse Foliage: First-Year Root Establishment; Mushrooms on Confined Urban Oaks: What Those Cold-Weather Fungi Mean; Weeping Willow vs. Hybrid Willow: Why Yours Don't Weep; Distinguishing Salix Blanda and Salix Babylonica Willows

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