I have a white pest on all of my astillbe. It also jumps. I have tried the basic pesticid from the local nursery but it hasn't worked. What is this thing and what do I do for it?
You may need to provide more information about the pest. How large is it? Has it completely covered the plants? Is it doing any damage? I'll just take a guess for now. It could be aphids, which can be white, and which are attracted to astilbe. Winged forms of aphids appear when they become crowded, so that may explain the 'jumping'. Try first to spray the plant with a strong stream of water to knock aphids off. You can do this frequently. Also try insecticidal soap and plant pollen and nectar plants near by to attract native predators and parasites. Hope that helps.
no, it doesn't cover the entire plant. it is just around a few of the stems of the leaves. Now the leaves are starting to dry up and turn brown. I will try the soapy insecticide. Thank you so much!
