Post category: Capsid bug

 

The capsids are both friend and foe! Most types of capsid bug are beneficial predators, especially in fruit trees. However, a few species cause damage to plants. Apples can have rough patches and bumps due to capsids feeding on the developing fruit but this is rarely significant.

 

Capsid bug damage

 

Dahlias, asters, and shrubs such as viburnum and choisya are often damaged quite seriously by capsids feeding on the shoot tips as they emerge – the damage only becoming apparent later on when it is to late to control the pest. Either grow something else or, in a heavy infestation, spray in May with general garden insecticide.