Sycamore lace bug, organic treatments to control it

The sycamore lace bug can potentially devastate all plane trees.

It is actually a stink bug that comes to “suck” the sap from the underside of leaves.

Symptoms of lace bug on plane trees

Whitish and blackish blemishes appear and the leaves fall off. Spots are tiny but coalesce. They’re often grouped near leaf veins.

Tiny quarter-inch (3mm) bugs feed in clusters on the underside of leaves.

Solution to treat against the sycamore lace bug

Spraying an insecticide is a well-known method and it is the most effective one.

But to protect our planet, there is a method that derives from organic gardening.

Simply pressure-spray the trunks and structural branches with rapeseed oil to dislodge and suffocate the insect pests.