Green Bugs on Cherry Trees

• Cherries. American Images Inc/Stockbyte/Getty Images

  Green bug infestations in your home garden can wreak havoc on your otherwise healthy, prized cherry trees that provide interest to your landscape with showy flowers and edible fruit. To protect your plants' fruit and overall health, take a first step in pest avoidance by maintaining consistent care for vigorous growth. Grow cherry trees in locations that provide full sunlight and well-drained soil.

Fruittree Leafroller

• Fruittree leaf rollers (Archips argyrospila) are deep green larval caterpillars that feed on the buds and leaves of cherry trees. As their name implies, the caterpillars create webs to roll leaves into enclosed areas where they can feed and mature into moths. Fruit and plant injury is typically minimal unless leafrollers are uncontrolled and form greatly populated infestations. For control, growers should consider the release of predatory bugs such as green lacewings that hunt and kill fruittree leafrollers. For management of severe infestations of these green bugs, an insecticide with the organic active ingredient Bacillus thuringiensis or chemical active ingredient spinosad or methoxyfenozide offers reliable control, according to the University of California Integrated Pest Management Online.

Cherry Slug

• Cherry slugs (Caliroa cerasi) are not born green and are not slugs, although they do take on a green appearance. These tiny bugs display white bodies as larvae but, just after hatching, excrete a coating in an olive green hue until they mature into black sawflies. The green larvae attack foliage primarily on cherry trees found in coastal locations, according to the University of California IPM Online. Cherry slugs are "skeletonizers" that consume plant tissue of leaves without touching veins; therefore, leaves resemble skeletons. In the case of extreme infestations, control is essential in avoiding stunted fruit growth. Gardeners should apply pesticides with the active ingredient spinetoram or spinosad, according to the University of California IPM Online.

Green Fruitworms

• Green fruitworms, including Orthosia hibisci and Amphipyra pyramidoides, are pests that attack cherry trees. In their larval stage, immature fruitworms display light green bodies, as their name suggests, with lengthwise lighter-hued stripes. Larvae mature into gray-hued moths. Home gardeners notice damage due to the presence of green larvae that feed on both new leaf growth and fruit. These fruitworms chew visible holes into plant tissue. For control of these pests, apply Bacillus thuringiensis, an organic spray control. For extreme cases, apply a chemical insecticide with the active ingredient spinosad during petal fall, according to the University of California IPM Online.