There are a number of pests that can make it challenging for you to maintain your garden. Fortunately, there are some things you can do to get rid of garden pests. Below is a list of some of the most common garden pests and what you can do in order to get rid of them:
Caterpillars
Caterpillars like to chew on leaves. They can also make tunnels in vegetables and fruits. Additionally, they can damage your garden by leaving behind droppings. One of the things you can do to keep caterpillars out of your garden is to apply floating row covers.
Red Spider Mites
Red spider mites can be found underneath leaves. They can also suck the sap from the leaves. Additionally, red spider mites love to chew on tomatoes. You can get rid of spider mites by spraying them with water. If there are plants that have been severely damaged by spider mites, then you may want to consider removing them from your garden.
Keep in mind that you can also prevent spider mites from entering your garden by keeping your plants healthy. Unhealthy plants are more prone to becoming infested with spider mites. That is why it is important to make sure that the plants get enough water and nutrients.
Tarnished Plant Bugs
Tarnished plant bugs are brown or green in color with forewings. They feed on fruits, vegetables and flowers. Tarnished plant bugs can damage your garden by sucking the nutrients from your plants. One of the best things you can do to prevent tarnished plant bugs from entering your garden is to keep it weed-free. You can also apply floating row covers.
Gall Mites
Gall mites are tiny, so it can be very difficult to see them. They look like enlarged buds or raised pimples on leaves. Gall mites do not harm plants. That is why you do not have to do anything to get rid of them. However, if you want to keep gall mites out of your garden, then you can apply a horticultural oil application.
Flea Beetles
Flea beetles feed on vegetable crops. They are found throughout many places in North America. They not only feed on vegetable crops, but they can also cause small holes to develop inside of the plants. You can keep flea beetles out of your garden by spraying garlic spray to the plants. You can also apply a floating row cover.
Colorado Potato Beetle
Colorado potato beetles feed on eggplants and tomatoes. They can defoliate and kill plants. That is why it is important for you to get them out of your garden. You can keep Colorado potato beetles out of your garden by using a floating row cover. You can also use deep straw mulches. Additionally, you can use insecticidal soap.
Box Suckers
Box suckers are wingless nymphs that have a waxy coat. They are most abundant in the spring months. One of the things you can do to control this pest is to cut off the affected growth.