did you know
Common
Garden Pests
How to
Control Them
HAC Staff
Member Gina Luck
nurturing HAC’s rooftop
garden. Did you know
some of the Cafe’s
veggies came from
this very plot? Talk
about local!
Without
Pesticides
by Dannis Warf, Associate Certified
Entomologist, Royal Pest Solutions
CATERPILLARS
Caterpillars chew on leaves or along
margins; droppings soil the produce;
some tunnel into fruits. Cutworms and
hornworms can chop off plant seedlings.
Control: Encourage native predators,
parasites; hand pick; cover plants; spray
with Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis)
or spinosad.
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HACHEALTHCLUB.COM
I remember as a kid, my Dad planted his
precious tomato plants and every year at the
first harvest, he had to have his picture taken
with two biggest tomatoes. He was so proud
of everything he grew, and it was wonderful
to go out the back door to the garden and
pick fresh vegetables every night. They were
always part of a delicious summer dinner.
My Mom was the same way with her
flower garden. Fresh flowers were always in
our house and it was as simple as walking
outside with a scissors and putting together a
APHIDS
Aphids show up on new shoots, and
the undersides of leaves. Aphids suck
plant sap, causing foliage to distort and
leaves to drop; honeydew excreted on
leaves supports sooty mold growth;
feeding spreads viral diseases.
Control: Wash plants with strong
spray of water; cover plants with floating
row cover; apply hot-pepper or garlic
repellent sprays; for severe problems,
apply horticultural oil, insecticidal soap,
or neem.
beautiful bouquet of fresh lilacs, tulips, daisies
or, if you’re good…ROSES!
Certain pests love our beloved garden
bounties as well. And while there are beneficial insects like butterflies and honey bees
that are the worlds’ greatest pollinators, there
are some not-so-beneficial insects and other
pests that we have to control around our
gardens to protect our precious plants. Here
are a few common garden pests and some
planet-friendly things you can do to protect
your plants and flowers this Spring.
BEETLES
Beetles come in many varieties.
The adults chew on leaves, and
larva feed on roots and they defoliate
and kill plants.
Control: Hand pick; shake from plants
in early morning; spray plants with Bt or
neem; a good repellent is garlic spray or
kaolin clay; plant your bush beans early
in season.
“Pest” photos courtesy of NPMA
We all love our gardens. From
flower to vegetable gardens,
there is just a wonderful beauty
and sense of accomplishment
when we see the fruits – and
flowers – of our labor. But what
to do when unwelcome guests
love our gardens just as we do?