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Mar 10, 2024 · 8 common plant pests and how to deal with them. It's best to use a three-tier natural approach to tackle most pests that can destroy plants. This means checking your plants regularly for signs of infestation and if you find something dealing with it immediately in the most gentle way.
When faced with a pest issue, gardeners often struggle to discover exactly who's to blame. This useful guide to identifying garden pests offers excellent advice on how to ID pests based on their actions in the garden.
- Scales
- Mealybugs
- Spider Mites
- Whiteflies
- Aphids
- Fungus Gnats
Scales are soft-bodied insects that suck plant sap. Tiny crawlers (the immature stage) move a little as they feed. Adults cover themselves in a waxy, protective coating and stay put, so you might not even recognize the small white or brown bumps as bugs. Scales are most likely to be found on the underside of leaves and on stems, although they occas...
Mealybugs are similar to scales; they are sapsuckers, have a waxy coating, and make dew. "Signs of a scale or mealybug infestation can include the presence of waxy deposits on the plant; of black sooty mold that grows on the honeydew produced by these insects, and (depending on how heavy the infestation is) sometimes yellowing and dying leaves, and...
Spider mites are so tiny that you may not even see them. They look like dark specks on leaves, but you'll probably first notice their white silky webs in leaf axils or along veins. The mites suck sap from leaves and cause them to discolor and drop. Ivies, dracaenas, figs, hibiscus, and schefflerasare a few of their favorite hosts.
These tiny, winged insects have a delicate, powdery white appearance. The immature stage doesn't move much, but the adults flutter about when disturbed. Both stages suck plant sap, but it's the immature stage that causes the most damage, feeding from the underside of leaves. "Immature whiteflies look a bit like scale insects," Iles says. Infested l...
Aphids, another sap-sucking pest, also produce sticky honeydew. They can attack lots of different plants and are particularly fond of tender, new growth where they cause distortion and wilting. Their life cycle is short (usually two to three weeks long) so populations can increase rapidly.
Although tiny fungus gnat adults are more of a nuisance than a pest, the immature stage (larvae) feeds on plant roots and can cause growth problems, especially on young plants. "Fungus gnats are often a symptom of overwatering," Hamby says.
- Rita Pelczar
- 57 sec
- Aphids. One of the most common plant pests out there, something that anyone who’s even grown tomatoes will certainly be familiar with, but they can affect almost anything in your garden.
- Cutworms. Cutworms are fat, one-inch-long moth larvae that hide beneath leaves or within the top layer of soil during the day and feed on plants at night.
- Japanese Beetles. Adult insects are metallic blue-green and bronze, 1/2-inch beetles. Larvae are fat, white grubs with brown heads. Japanese beetles skeletonize leaves and chew flowers.
- Scales. You’re most likely to notice adult female scale insects, which look like bumps on plant stems, leaves or fruit. Males are small flying insects, while larvae are tiny, soft, crawling insects.
Apr 14, 2024 · Knowing which pest eats your tomato plants is key for effective control. Here are 12 common tomato pests, their damage, and ways to get rid of them.
- Nadia Hassani
Nov 8, 2021 · Control the damage done by cucumber beetles by buying wilt-resistant plants and keeping plants off the ground by using a trellis. If an infestation still occurs, use a pesticide such as Rotenone or Pyrethrum on your plants.
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May 21, 2023 · Dish Soap like Sunlight or Dawn is a regular addition to home pest control remedies for the garden. You use dish soap every day and eat from the dishes you clean with it – how can it be harmful to plants?
