bug ID in zone 7?
I have a salvia plant that I need help with, it got this little fuzzy white bug on it that I think is a wooly aphid, I took a picture of it on my Boston fern because it was easier to see on there ...
It seems to be laying eggs on the salvia:
I am not sure if that is what it is or not but if it is I need to get rid of it AND not harm the praying mantis and grasshoppers and lizards and skinks that hang out on the plant. I am sure they hang out because of the ants that you can see, maybe they are eating the eggs?
I am at a loss here because I am not all that good with plants ... Should I just trim the affected ends off and throw them away? Will it flower again if I do that? The flowers are so pretty! I cut off a few stalks and it did not seem to hurt it at all but I am also going out of town for a month soon and want to leave it so that all the housesitter has to do is water it. I also tried spraying some stalks with Safer Insect Killing spray but again I don't want to hurt the other wildlife on the plant so I am hesitant to spray the whole plant. Help and TIA :)
It seems to be laying eggs on the salvia:
I am not sure if that is what it is or not but if it is I need to get rid of it AND not harm the praying mantis and grasshoppers and lizards and skinks that hang out on the plant. I am sure they hang out because of the ants that you can see, maybe they are eating the eggs?
I am at a loss here because I am not all that good with plants ... Should I just trim the affected ends off and throw them away? Will it flower again if I do that? The flowers are so pretty! I cut off a few stalks and it did not seem to hurt it at all but I am also going out of town for a month soon and want to leave it so that all the housesitter has to do is water it. I also tried spraying some stalks with Safer Insect Killing spray but again I don't want to hurt the other wildlife on the plant so I am hesitant to spray the whole plant. Help and TIA :)