Pachysandra Pests

Slugs attack pachysandra foliage.

Pachysandra is an evergreen ground cover that belongs to the boxwood family. The most common species include Pachysandra terminalis and Pachysandra procumbens. Pachysandra grows up to 12 inches tall and spreads indefinitely through underground runners. Pachysandra propagates by seed, root or stem cuttings. It grows best in shade and tolerates acidic or alkaline soils. Only a handful of pests cause serious damage to foliage. Older Pachysandra teminalis plants are more susceptible to pest problems than Pachysandra procumbens.

Euonymus Scale

Euonymus scale insects cause leaf yellowing on stems and leaves. Heavy infestations kill plants. Female scale insects develop brown or gray pear-shaped bodies. Male scale insects form smaller, white bodies with ridges down their backs. The eggs form in May and hatch a month later. A second generation of eggs hatches in July. Mow and remove infested clippings to get rid of euonynmus scale, then allow the pachysandra to regenerate. Spray horticultural oil in mid-April and again in mid-July as an alternative form of control.

Spider Mites

Two-spotted spider mites cover pachysandra plants with fine webbing and feed on the sap of leaves. Without sap, the plant tissue collapses and necrotic spots form on the leaves. If left untreated, the plants turn gray or yellow and lose foliage. Two-spotted spider mites develop brown, green, orange or translucent oval bodies. Chemical controls include insecticidal soap and horticultural oils. Biological controls include natural predators, such as Amblyseius fallicus, Galendromus occidentalis, Mesoseiulus longipes, Neoseiulus californicus and Phytoseiulus persimilis.

Pachysandra Leaf Tier

Pachysandra leaf tier caterpillars attack the terminal buds at the end of stems and cause leaves to turn brown. In the larval stage, leaf tiers tie leaves together with strands of silk to create shelters for themselves while they feed. The olive-green larvae develop prominent blacks spots near the ends of their bodies. The light brown adult moths develop bell-shaped bodies. Treat heavy infestations with a registered insecticide in late July or early August after the larvae hatch and before they tie leaves together. Leaf tier webs reduce the effectiveness of insecticides because they prevent the chemicals from reaching the insects.

Slugs

Slugs chew holes in leaves and can completely consume young plants. Slugs develop worm-like bodies with feelers on their heads and a saddle-shaped mantle on their backs. Slugs are hermaphroditic and contain both male and female sex organs, but they require mates for fertilization. The eggs take 30 days to hatch. Slugs reach mature size in three to 12 months and live for several years. They feed on foliage from spring until frost. Remove slugs by hand or with tweezers. Place them in a jar of hot, soapy water and later discard them. Or spread a 1-inch ring of diatomaceous earth around pachysandra plants. Diatomaceous earth has a desiccating, or drying out, effect on slugs.

References

• Texas A&M University; Pachysandra Terminalis; Micheal A. Arnold; 2004
• Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station; Pachysandra
• University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences; Twospotted Spider Mite; Thomas R. Fasulo; 2009
• University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension; Leaf Tier
• Maryland Cooperative Extension Home and Garden; Slugs and Snails; David L. Clement; 2000

Resources

• Michigan State University Extension; Pachysandra Insect Problems
• University of Connecticut; Pachysandra Procumbens