I have some tiny little orange bugs that get on my phlox every year and the results are the same as you describe. This year these bugs even got all over a daylily scape and the buds fell off. I spray when I really need to, but have to do it often in the spring because as soon as I approach the plant the bugs run under leaves and hide. I wonder if one of the systemics (like Bayer) would work. Has anyone tried that as a solution?

Ann

Any of these a possibility?

Phlox plant bug, Lopidea davisi.
This bug injures phlox by puncturing the tender shoot or leaves at the growing tip and sucking the sap. Should they become abundant, some of the compounds for control of this pest are acephate, azadirachtin or insecticidal soap foliar sprays, or imidacloprid used as a systemic to be taken up by the roots. Consult the labels for dosage rates and safety precautions.

Twospotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae.
This is the most serious of all phlox pests. It infests the undersides of the leaves, which become light yellow in color and the plants have a generally unhealthy appearance. Sometimes the mites form webs, which more or less enclose the upper as well the lower leaf surface. Among the compounds for control of this pest are insecticidal soap and ultrafine horticultural oil. Spraying with insecticidal soap will give sufficient control if applied at least twice at 7-10 day intervals. The predatory mite, Neoseiulus fallacis, is most commonly found feeding where there are mite infestations. A single application of ultrafine horticultural oil (1/2 - 1% dilution) can be effective if predatory mites are present. Special care should be taken with soap or oil to obtain thorough spray coverage, because they only work on contact. Hexythiazox or abamectin (a restricted use product) are choices appropriate for commercial growers. Consult the labels for dosage rates and safety precautions. Avoid applying carbaryl or pyrethroids, which tend to be much more toxic to the predators than to the pest spider mites.

Stalk borer, Papaipema nebris.
This borer occasionally tunnels in the stems of phlox and many other kinds of herbaceous plants. As a rule its presence escapes notice until the plant begins to wilt. Then it is too late for the plant to recover. The larva tunnels up and down inside the stem and the top portion usually wilts and later dies. There is one annual generation. The moths emerge in September and October and lay eggs on the stalks of their food plants, in which stage the insect passes the winter. The eggs hatch in May or early June. The young larva begins to feed on the leaves of the nearest food plant, and later tunnels in the stem. The mature larva is nearly 1 ½" long, grayish brown with one white dorsal stripe and two white lateral stripes on each side. On the front half of the body the lateral stripes are interrupted, and the lower brown stripe extends forward onto the side of the head.

Burning all the old stalks and destroying weeds at the edges of the garden, if allowed, helps control this insect. When needed, methoxychlor, applied as a dust, in June, should control this pest. Consult the label for dosage rates and safety precautions.