How Can I Control Glassy-Winged Sharpshooter?

Do you want to control glassy-winged sharpshooter using biological control method?

Do you want to control glassy-winged sharpshooters using low-risk (organic) insecticides?

Do you want to control glassy-winged sharpshooters using synthetic insecticides?

Do you want to use residual, foliar sprays?

Species of small wasps in the genus Cosmocomoidea (formerly Gonatocerus) attack and complete their entire life cycle within a glassy-winged sharpshooter egg. Eggs parasitized by these tiny wasps are easily identified by pinpoint holes found at one end of the egg. It is important to support biological control by avoiding the use of broad-spectrum insecticides that may kill parasitoids and beneficial arthropods that eat sharpshooters (such as spiders, assassin bugs, praying mantids, and lacewings).

The least toxic and least disruptive to biological control are insecticidal soaps and oils. Insecticidal soaps and oils are only effective in killing the soft-bodied nymphs of the glassy-winged sharpshooter and must directly contact the insect to kill it, so thorough coverage of the plant or tree foliage is essential. Applications of these materials need to be repeated at 7- to 10-day intervals.

Foliar spray insecticides may be more harmful to the parasitic wasps and predatory insects that provide biological control than to glassy-winged sharpshooters themself. Also, they can be toxic to pollinators. For all insecticide applications, it is important to follow application instructions on the label to minimize harm to pollinators and other beneficial insects.

The most common insecticides used for glassy-winged sharpshooter contain the active ingredient imidacloprid. Applications are made by calculating the amount of product needed (depending on the size of the tree or shrub), diluting the product with water, and pouring the mixture around the base of the plant where it soaks into the soil. With appropriate watering, the active ingredient is absorbed by the roots and moved throughout the plant in sufficient quantities to protect against sharpshooters. Typically, the plant becomes protected within a few weeks.

Once a glassy-winged sharpshooter is established in an area, there are no cultural controls available to manage them. However, preventing the transport of infested plant material to areas where a glassy-winged sharpshooter is not established is an essential step in slowing the further spread. Nurseries shipping plants out of an infested area must follow rigorous treatment programs and have the plants inspected before they are shipped and again after they arrive at their destination.