Garden pests are a constant concern for every gardener. Controlling garden pests takes vigilance, persistence, and information. This guide of common pests will help you keep your plants green and healthy.

Common Garden Pests

Aphids:  Aphids are small insects that often transmit viral plant diseases and destroy the plants by feeding on the vegetation’s sap. Early infestations can be controlled by removing any aphid-infected shoots and leaves. An organic insecticidal soap is also helpful.

Caterpillars: These pesky creatures can completely devour plants in a matter of hours if not caught in time. Remove any caterpillars spotted near your plants and treat plants infected with the larvae with an organic insecticide or soap to remove any stragglers.

Leafhoppers: These miniscule pale green insects often go unnoticed. They measure only 2-3 mm in length and frequently blend in with the greenery of plants. They reside on the underside of a plant’s leaves and feed of the plant’s sap like aphids. The evidence of a leafhopper infestation is a pale mottling of the plant’s leaves. Treat leafhoppers with an organic Insecticide or soap.

Leaf Miners: Leaf miners create pale straight or curved lines on the leaves of otherwise healthy plants. Occasionally, a leaf miner infestation will manifest as pale blotchy areas on a plant’s leaves. The leaves will curl and dry up after leaf miners have destroyed the tissue of the leaves. Removal of affected leaves will control the problem.

Spider Mites: Spider mites thrive in hot, dry conditions and reproduce at an alarming rate. Evidence of spider mites appears as washed-out, mottled leaves and an overall sickly appearance of the plant. Counteract spider mites by introducing a tiny mite called Phytoseiulus that feeds on the spider mites.

Slugs and Snails: Slugs and snails are a particularly annoying and common garden pest. Slugs and snails flock to sweet things, like your fruits and vegetables. For this reason, filling a soup can with any flavored liquid, like soda, juice, sugar water, or beer, draws the pests away from your plants. Placing the rim of the can at ground level helps catch slugs and snails quickly. Often, they fall into the liquid and drown while drinking from the rim.

Vine Weevil: Vine weevil larvae are ecru in color with tiny brown heads. These grubs eat the roots of plants, resulting in death of the entire plant if not treated quickly. Beneficial Nematodes, such as Heterorhabditis megidis and Steinemema carpocapsae, combat the weevils. Adult weevils are not as dangerous to plants, but they will eat portions of vegetation.

Whitefly: These pesky insects are only 2 mm in length and breed rapidly in dry, hot weather. They are found on the underside of leaves and feed on the sap of plants. To rid your plants of whitefly, an insecticidal soap, sticky tape or spray is necessary.

These common garden pests can ruin your crops if not attended to immediately. Regular checks of your plants’ foliage are necessary to monitor for insect infestations. Garden pests are a part of every garden, but quick treatment can keep them from feasting on your prize plants.