Question: Our hibiscus plants have aphids in the tips of the shoots. How do we control them without affecting the bees? Answer: Curling leaves and stunted shoots are often signs aphids are sucking ...

Garden columnist Dan Gill answers readers' questions each week. To send a question, email Gill at gnogardening@agcenter.lsu.edu. My problem is with black stuff on my crape myrtles' leaves and bark. It ...

Are your garden plants stunted, shriveled, yellowing, or curling at the leaves, despite your best efforts to keep them alive? Check the undersides of the leaves, and you might find the culprit: large ...

Your description sounds a lot like aphids that seem to be more prevalent this year. Aphids may be green, black, brown, red, pink, or some other color. They are pear-shaped, slow-moving and range in ...

Crape myrtles are commonly attacked by crape myrtle aphids. This often leads to a black fungus, called sooty mold, forming on leaves and branches in mid- to late summer. Control these insects by ...

Scout for aphids on fruit trees at least twice a week. The first place to check is on the undersides of leaves at the ends of twigs and branches. Aphid feeding can cause leaves to curl or twist. It ...

Q: During the first year with my apricot tree, I sprayed it with soapy water to control aphids. Every day I check the leaves, but the apids never stop. Is this good a spray to use? A: Soap sprays are ...

* Healthy, fertilized hibiscus plants often tolerate insect attacks. Orthene and an unscented liquid detergent soap control most hibiscus pests. The honey-like secretions of several insects can ...