Pest identification
What's eating my phragmites australis?
Reed aphid (Hyalopterus pruni / Rhopalosiphum spp.)
Signs: Dense grey-green colonies on culms and leaves in summer; heavy infestations yellow and distort new growth.
Control: Hose off with water; beneficial insects (ladybirds, lacewings) naturally suppress colonies in open plantings; avoid insecticides near water.
Reed leopard moth (Phragmataecia castaneae)
Signs: Caterpillars bore longitudinally through culms, causing hollow, windbroken stems with frass-filled entry holes.
Control: Cut and bin infested culms below the frass hole in late summer; burn or bag cuttings — do not compost.
Deer and rabbits
Signs: Fresh shoots bitten off at the base in spring; rhizomes dug out at the margins, slowing establishment.
Control: Tree guards or wire fencing around newly planted patches; rabbit-proof mesh at pond edges until the stand is self-sustaining.
Gryllotalpa (mole crickets, warm regions)
Signs: Tunnelling in pond-margin soil severs young rhizomes and loosens newly planted crowns.
Control: Flood affected soil sections to dislodge mole crickets; nematode drenches (Steinernema carpocapsae) where available.
Keep phragmites australis pest-free
Healthy plants resist pests best. Get the basics right:
Phragmites australis pests — FAQ
What is eating my phragmites australis?
Common reed (Phragmites australis) is consumed by aphids and various moth caterpillars that mine the stems, and grazed by deer, rabbits, and wildfowl. The reed leopard moth bores into stems, and reed aphids can build to large colonies. Established stands tolerate most pressure, but young garden plantings need protection from mammal browsing.
How do I get rid of reed aphid (hyalopterus pruni / rhopalosiphum spp.) on phragmites australis?
Dense grey-green colonies on culms and leaves in summer; heavy infestations yellow and distort new growth. Hose off with water; beneficial insects (ladybirds, lacewings) naturally suppress colonies in open plantings; avoid insecticides near water.
How do I get rid of reed leopard moth (phragmataecia castaneae) on phragmites australis?
Caterpillars bore longitudinally through culms, causing hollow, windbroken stems with frass-filled entry holes. Cut and bin infested culms below the frass hole in late summer; burn or bag cuttings — do not compost.
How do I get rid of deer and rabbits on phragmites australis?
Fresh shoots bitten off at the base in spring; rhizomes dug out at the margins, slowing establishment. Tree guards or wire fencing around newly planted patches; rabbit-proof mesh at pond edges until the stand is self-sustaining.
How do I get rid of gryllotalpa (mole crickets, warm regions) on phragmites australis?
Tunnelling in pond-margin soil severs young rhizomes and loosens newly planted crowns. Flood affected soil sections to dislodge mole crickets; nematode drenches (Steinernema carpocapsae) where available.