Spring is the time when gardens turn back to life. Unfortunately, common garden pests also become active again only to start feeding on plants. The problem with many pests is that they are present all year. In the winter, many of them sleep cozily, waiting for the cool rains and sun to wake them up. Knowing which ones you are dealing with is key for how they can be controlled. This article describes the 12 most encountered garden pests and how to get rid of them.
1) Aphids
With spring and summer humidity come aphids which are the most common plant pest that can affect almost anything in a garden. Tiny pear-shaped creatures pierce plant tissues and suck sap, causing the forming of puckered leaves, stunted growth and possible plant death. In addition, sticky substances secreted by aphids promotes sooty mold and attracts ants.
How to Get Rid of Aphids
A sharp spray of water can blast them off the plant, the of use sticky-paper bug traps also works, including the removal of affected plant parts. Another safe, natural pest control method is the spraying of aphids with insecticidal soap or the release of lady bugs which feed on aphids.
2) Cutworms
A fat, one-inch-long moth larvae that hides beneath leaves or within the top layer of soil during the day and feed on plants at night is the cutworm. They typically attack plant stems and leaves leaving large and irregular holes. The gray, green or cream coloured cutworms are often found under leaf debris or in the soil. When disturbed they often curl into a “C” shape.
How to Get Rid of Cutworms
Seedlings can be protected with collars made from plastic drinking cups or cardboard rolls from toilet paper. Cultivating soil in the fall kills overwintering eggs. If available, a soil-dwelling bacterium spray known as BT or Bacillus thuringiensis can be applied. The spray naturally produces a toxin that is fatal to certain herbivorous insects.
3) Japanese Beetles
Adult 1/2-inch insects are metallic blue-green and bronze in colour and they feed on the roots of grass and other plants. Larvae are fat, white grubs with brown heads. Japanese beetles skeletonize leaves and chew flowers.
How to Get Rid of Japanese Beetles
In the morning, when the beetles are less active, they can be shaken from plants into a bucket filled with soapy water. Insecticidal soap spray can also be applied to kill them.
4) Scales
Adult female scale insects look like bumps on plant stems, leaves or fruit and cause damage to various plants. Foliage is weakened and mostly turns yellow followed by drop off. In addition, the insects excrete honeydew which can attract other insects and foster disease.
How to Get Rid of Scales
Small infestations can be removed and destroyed from plants by the use a soft brush and soapy water to scrub scales from twigs. Infested plant parts should be removed. Dormant oil spray applications may be required for larger infestations.
5) Slugs
Slugs are either brown or gray slimy and soft-bodied. They feed mostly at night and hide out in shady spots during the day. They’ll eat just about any garden plant, leaving unsightly holes in the foliage. Slugs are common in moist, humid climates and they’re more prevalent if the weather has been rainy.
How to Get Rid of Slugs
A number of methods are effective for getting rid of snails and slugs. Empty tuna fish cans filled with beer and placed in the garden will attract slugs to fall in and drown. Sprinkling sharp sand, wood ashes, crushed seashells or diatomaceous earth around the stems of plants will discourage and eventually destroy slugs.
6) Spider Mites
Spider mites are tiny spider related sap sucking pests that can show up at any time of year on outdoor as well as indoor plants. Almost invisible, the green, yellow or red insects favour plants in warm and dry areas. Yellow dots on leaves and fine webbing are indicators of spider mites presence. They often found on the underside of leaves and in the center of the plants.
How to Get Rid of Spider Mites
A number of easy to make home remedies are available. Plants can just be power-washed with water to rid plants of the pest, or a lemon scented mild dish soap put into a sprayer and applied over several days proves quite effective. Another effective solution is the application of an insecticidal spray. A more organic approach is to release predatory insects that favour spider mites, such as lady bugs that are readily available in most garden centers.
7) Squash Bugs
Squash bugs are flat-backed dark gray or brown insects looking as if they’re wearing armor, and resemble stink bugs. They are most commonly found on squash plants and on pumpkins, but they also attack zucchini and other gourd plants. Getting rid of squash bugs fast is vital to prevent them from destroying entire crops.
How to Get Rid of Squash Bugs
Natural squash bug control methods include hand picking, diatomaceous earth, insecticidal soap and the application of neem oil sprays. In addition to natural insecticides, it’s crucial to avoid attracting the plant-destroying bugs by using using row covers, companion planting, and not mulching around squash or pumpkins plants.
8) Ants
The biodiversity of a healthy garden is mostly not concerned about the presence of ants. Sap sucking insects like aphids however have mutualistic associations with ants. Ants collect the sweet liquid known as honeydew, which is excreted by aphids and some other sap-feeding insects. Increased numbers of aphids may result in more damage to plants. Ants themselves do little direct damage to plants, although they can disturb soil around plant roots during their nest building activities.
How to get Rid of Ants
Several jugs of boiling water poured into ant nests is one method. Changing the soil condition from sandy to moist will make ants move in a hurry. Coffee grounds, baking soda, chili powder, cinnamon, peppermint or black pepper – all deter ants. Diatomaceous Earth (die·a·toe·may·shus, or just ‘DE’ for short) is a naturally occurring substance used for a range of home care and pest control purposes and is extremely effective for controlling ant infestations.
9) Earwigs
Also known as ‘pincher bugs’ for their two long pincers protruding at the end of their body. Earwigs are drawn to damp and wet, dark places and are often found in corn ears – and not in people’s ears as old folks tales suggest. Earwigs are long, black or brown coloured. They are active in late spring and early summer when they chew holes into leaves of many plants causing them to brown and shrivel.
How to Get Rid of Earwigs Earwigs
Diatomaceous earth and insecticidal soaps are effective controls. Traps made from vegetable-oil filled tin cans or rolled up newspapers placed at ground level work also as long as they are disposed of later.
10) Tomato Hornworm
The bright-green, heavily striped caterpillars look fearsome with their horn-like tails. They eat the foliage of tomato plants primarily, but also peppers, potatoes and eggplants.
How to Get Rid of Tomato Hornworms
Although camouflaged, these caterpillars are large and easy to spot. Handpicking and dropping into soapy water is a good solution. Bt spray (Bacillus thuringiensis), a soil-dwelling bacterium which acts as an insecticide when ingested, is also highly effective. The release of lady bugs in a garden can also dramatically reduce the presence of hornworms as they prey on the eggs of caterpillars.
11) Whiteflies
A common plant pest that affects outdoor and indoor plants and plants grown in greenhouses, whiteflies are tiny sucking insects that weaken and stunt plant growth and also leave behind a sticky honeydew which leads to fungal disease.
How to Get Rid of Whiteflies
Infected plants can be sprayed with water from a garden hose to dislodge adult and larval whiteflies. After that, a spray application of organic neem oil or insecticidal soap spray made with a few drops of castile soap mixed into a quart of water works extremely well. The spray needs to target tops and undersides of plant leaves, as well plant stems and the top of the soil line. Best times for treatments are early mornings and evenings. Whiteflies should be eradicated after 7 to 10 days of treatment reapplication.
12) Mealybugs
Mealybugs are small, cottony insects that suck sap from plants, causing distorted, limited growth and leaf loss. They secrete honeydew as they eat, which can attract ants and lead to the growth of sooty mold.
How to get Rid of Mealybugs
If an infestation is heavy, spraying with insecticidal soap, neem oil, or an insecticide with pyrethrin can help control mealybugs. Label directions must be carefully followed to not harm other plants and beneficial insects.
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