Not Just a Pest?

The planting of viburnum in our Rand Park garden may result in the arrival of an increasingly common pest that is known to destroy these shrubs: the viburnum leaf beetle. The beetle is non native to the Western Hemisphere and is very invasive. It can eat every leaf of the shrub within a few days.

     This European insect has been appearing around New England and Pennsylvania and definitely could be a threat to our viburnum if we don't do something precautionary. Some types of viburnum are more susceptible to viburnum leaf insects than others, including arrowood (dentatum) and cranberrybush (opulus) viburnum. The best methods for stopping viburnum leaf beetles are: 

•attracting other insects that eat the larvae or adult beetles, such as ladybugs and spined soldier bugs 

•using soap to kill the eggs of unhatched  beetles

 These ways are much better for our Rand gardens than using harmful pesticides that could seep into Tony's Brook to damage other Montclair habitats. Though not ideal, the arrival of viburnum leaf beetles would attract beneficial and desirable wildlife such as ladybugs while give STEM a chance to study green solutions to environmental problems.