Recognize and fight lice

Signs of a lice infestation

the Beech hedge suddenly turns brown. The leaves have curled up, wither, and eventually fall off. You should now pay attention at the latest and examine the beech for lice. If you can see yellowish-white lice two to three millimeters long on the underside, the beech wool louse is responsible for the damage.

The beech wool louse is known under different names:

• Woolly beech louse
• Beech ornamental louse
• Beech aphid
• Beech wool louse

It owes its name to the excretions it leaves on the leaves. The pests excrete honeydew, which settles on the leaf and resembles small down.

Why is the beech wool louse so harmful?

Several generations of lice can be found on a beech hedge. A louse stays on a single leaf for its entire life.

It attracts other pests through its sticky excretions. But above all, have Fungal spores Unhindered access to the plant via the suction holes, so that soot melt forms, which also damages the beech.

How to fight lice on the beech hedge

To remove lice from the beech hedge, make a mixture of one part rapeseed oil to three parts water with a splash of dish soap. Alternatively, you can prepare a stinging nettle stock and let it steep for 24 hours before use. It is important that the agent is used on the whole plant, especially on the underside of the leaves.

Carefully collect any fallen leaves and dispose of them in the garbage can, not the compost heap!

Beech lice have an ecological benefit

As annoying as the appearance of beech wool lice may be, the pests definitely have an ecological benefit.

With the honeydew that they excrete, they provide the bees with a good source of food and thus help to improve the garden climate.

To prevent lice, you should therefore create good conditions in the garden for natural enemies of lice such as lacewings, ladybugs and hover flies.