Page 68 - BSAM 2017 Q1

What’s Bugging Your Trees? Share photos with your friends to identify pests or diseases.
One of the scariest parts of bonsai for many beginners is deal- ing with pests and diseases. If you are successfully controlling and preventing pests in your garden or home, you know how much work and how many books, websites and magazines you consulted before you learned the best way to proceed. e rst thing you need to do, is to identify the problem with certainty. Advice from more experienced friends is easy once you know what’s attacking your plant.
Many gardeners invest in 10-power to 100-power magnifying lenses and microscopes to help them spot and identify pests. Although they can see the problem, getting a precise ID on the pest can be tricky unless they can provide a visual reference. For example, to the naked eye, thief ants and pharaoh ants look the same. It is only under magni cation that the di erence is noticeable. Because ant baits for these two ants di er, the correct identi cation will indicate which ant bait to use.
Cameras on smart phones and tablets have come a long way since their humble beginnings, some are now producing very high resolution images comparable to expensive digital camera systems. However, the lens can be a limiting factor if you want to shoot macro images.
BCI Excellence Awards Down Under
BCI President Glenis Bebb awarded BCI Medallions to Trevor Simmons and his Portulacaria afra (Jade)at the Redlands Bonsai Group Annual Show. e tree also won the public popular choice award.
Rosemary Rodgers and her Taxodium distichum, “Swampy,” was awarded the BCI Award of Excellence. The tree was displayed at the Gold Coast Tweed Bonsai Group’s Annual Show.
Mealy bug
(Pseudococcidae)
at 100x size.
This pest can
be controlled
by spraying a
soap and water
Now, for approximately $20, you can get a macro lens for your smartphone and capture macro images at 100 times original size. Smartphone camera lenses can go beyond what you get with a traditional phone camera. For example, they can capture shots in sh-eye, get closer to a distant object, or hone in on the tiny details of a subject. ey come in all shapes and sizes, and many companies manufacture them. On the le , are two smartphone camera lenses you can consider to help you identify pests. While you are at it, consider a telephoto lens add-on that will allow you to isolate your subject (tree), especially when it is against a busy background. With practice, you can focus on the tree and blur the background to create the necessary contrast.
If you don’t own a smart phone, look for similar lenses that attach to your laptop or desktop computer by USB cable.
ancient collected
ya A ol
Acres Dr, Deadwood, SD 57732
Specializing in
T Specializing in ancient
solution.
Price Tags Bl
Photojojo Magnetic iPhone and Android Lens. These lenses start at $20, and they can do wonders for your smartphone’s camera. Crafted out of thick, high-clarity glass. Wide angle photography to sheye shots, Lenses instantly attach to
your phone magnetically. Additionally, they can be used on tablets for more versatility.
Mobi-Lens Wide + Macro Smart Lenses. For $19.99 on the Mobi-Lens website. Its silicone grip is made to hold tight to the mobile device. Mobi-Lens claims it can be used on all mobile devices that have a camera lens within half an inch of the edge. Each lens can be easily clipped on, and they can be used in video mode as well.
Arrow Bonsai
Golden
Golden
Arrow
Bonsai
Andrew Smith, 22473 Alpine
Andrew Smith, 22473 Alpine Acres Dr, Deadwood, SD 57732
collected trees for
trees for bonsai.
bonsai.
Visit us online at:
Visit us online at:
goldenarrowbonsai.com
goldenarrowbonsai.com
or contact g
goldenarrow@exede.net
605-342-4467
605-342-4467 6
66 | BCI | January/February/March 2017
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