Learn About Bamboo

Troubleshooting

Bamboo doesn’t have many pests, but the pests they do have can be unsightly, if not a serious problem, unless some simple steps are taken.

Gophers and Other Rodents: In Northern California we have an abundance of gophers and squirrels, who think tender new rhizomes, bamboo shoots, and even new branch buds are a delicacy. To protect the rhizomes from gophers, the best solution is to plant inside of a ¼ inch mesh metal gopher basket (which can be purchased). By the time the basket has rusted away, your bamboo is usually large and well established, and gophers cannot do enough damage to seriously harm your bamboo. If you find that new shoots or new branch buds are being chewed up by squirrels or gophers, or even rats, trapping the vermin is one of the only effective solutions.  However, lore has it that painting new bamboo shoots in hot sauce is quite effective! (This does leave permanent stains/burns on the culms.) 

Deer: Bamboo in the western US is a deer-proof plant. We have lots of deer here in Northern California, specifically the western mule deer, but have never had a problem with them. However, if bamboo is the only fodder for miles around they might eat it, especially tender new plants; in that case, deer fencing around your new bamboo plants is a good idea. In the eastern U.S., the white-tailed deer co-evolved with the one native American species of bamboo, Arundinaria gigantea, and developed a taste for bamboo; therefore, deer fencing is more imperative in the eastern states.

Insects: Mites, Aphids, Mealy Bugs, Scale, Ants, & Whiteflies:

• Pacific Bamboo Mite:  It is much easier to keep mites out of your bamboo than it is to get rid of them once they have established themselves, and they can become a serious problem. Therefore, inspect any new bamboo you import into your garden. If mites are found, immediately separate the plants from other bamboos in your garden and clean thoroughly with a high-powered hose. See below for stronger measures, if required. Also, mites live in grass, so if you are having this problem, make an effort to keep grasses away from the base of your bamboo. The symptoms of mites are small, regular, bleached-looking spots on the leaves. If you look very closely at the underside of the leaves, you will also see a very fine white web, under which the mites and their eggs live. The mites themselves are silvery gray and so small it is hard to see them without a magnifying glass. 
• Aphids: These common pests are small crawling insects, and are either green or black in color. Like many of the insects listed below, they are often found in conjunction with ants, who farm them for their sticky secretions.
• Mealybugs: These pests appear usually in branch joints as little spots of “white cotton” which seem not to move at all. Mealybugs are only a problem in greenhouses or areas that don’t get hard winter frosts.
• Scale: These critters look like little, flat cones on branches and leaves, and are light colored when young, growing darker and more visible with age. Scale are a problem in greenhouses or areas that don’t get hard winter frosts.
• Ants: Aphids, mealybugs and scale all produce a sticky secretion which is eaten by ants, and often you will see the more mobile ants first. Ants themselves do not harm bamboo, but an unsightly black, sooty mold also grows on the insect secretions; the presence of ants or sooty mold is often a sign of other insect problems.
• Whiteflies: Whiteflies are soft-bodied, fly-like insects that are found in clusters.  They feed on plant sap, causing leaf damage and a host of other problems.

Treatments for Insect Pests

Treatments for Ants:  – You can spread Diatomaceous Earth on and around your bamboo, which ants don’t like.  Alternatively use Terro liquid ant bait.  A note about potted bamboo: Ants are more likely to take up residence in potted bamboo, and one easy remedy (assuming the pot is small enough) is to submerge the entire plant in water for a number of hours to drown the ants out.

Treatment for the Pacific Bamboo Mite:  This is the most troublesome pest we encounter. With the interests of the environment, honey bee and human health in mind, below you will find our approaches to mite and other insect problems.

Sprays for Insect Pests:

When using any spray, there are a few things to be aware of:

• First, even though all of these sprays are non-toxic, you should still wear suitable protection, including a mask. 
• Second, don’t spray on hot days (leaves may burn), and don’t spray right before a rain (spray will just wash off before it has a chance to do its job).  
• It is necessary to re-apply in 2 weeks to kill the newly hatched mites.
• Pay special attention to areas of dense foliage and the underside of leaves where mites and other pests reside. 
• If the below methods are not sufficient and you have a large area of badly infested bamboo, you might consider other more drastic measures or toxic substances. Please feel free to contact us for further guidance.

Soap Spray – 

Advantages: inexpensive, easy to apply, safe for bees. 

Disadvantages: can be hard on the plants, causing yellow leaves. 

• DIY Mix – 4-5 Tbsp plain liquid Castile soap per gallon water.
• Pre-mixed – If you want a ready made solution, use something like Safer Brand insecticidal soap.

Organocide Bee Safe 3-in-1 garden spray – 

Advantages: multi-purpose, safe for bees, supposedly kills all pest life stages, and is a foliar feeding, reducing yellowing of leaves. 

Disadvantages: expensive, leaves a sticky oily residue on you, surrounding structures or cars.

Follow directions on the product.

Water Blasting – 

Use a pressure washer and water.  Useful for cleaning smut/honeydew off of leaves and branches, but must be done at very close range to be effective.  It is not a solution for mites, but it can inhibit their spread.