Let's see if this sounds familiar.
You go out into your yard to enjoy some time caring for your beautiful garden. You stop to smell some lavender, take a few pictures of the flower beds, and grab the hose to begin watering. Once you get closer to your plants, you notice that something is off...holes in the leaves and what are those white specs? *gah!* There are bugs on your vegetable plants and their leaves are full of holes.
While it's great that our gardens can provide a full buffet for a variety of insects, most of us would prefer to enjoy the fruits of our labor ourselves.
We've assembled a list of a few common bugs that like to rear their heads this time of year and solutions on how to rid them from your garden.
Scroll to learn more about Aphids, Spider Mites, Tomato Hornworms, Japanese Beetles, Slugs, and Sawfly Larvae.
Aphids
Symptoms of Aphids
- Misshapen, curling, stunted, or yellowing leaves
- Sticky substance covering stems and leaves
- Banches and leaves that appear black
- Distorted or deformed fruit
Solutions
- Spray infested plants with a strong stream of water to dislodge a majority of the aphids
- Wipe or spray the leaves of the infested plant with a mild solution of water and a few drops of dish soap. This soapy solution will need to be reapplied every 2-3 days for 2 weeks
- Apply a product such as neem oil, insecticidal soap, or another horticultural oil according to the application instructions provided. Most of these products will need to come into contact with the aphids in order to be effective
Recommended Products
Spider Mites
Symptoms of Spider Mites
- Fine white webbing on leaves
- Leaves covered with pale yellow spots and/or white dots
Solutions
- Prune infested leaves and stems. You may even need to remove a whole plant to prevent the mites from spreading to other neighboring plants
- Spray with a strong stream of water to disloge the mites
- Dab or spray rubbing alcohol on affected leaves, wait a few hours, then rinse with water to remove the dead mites
- Apply one of the recommended products according to the application instructions provided
Recommended Products
Tomato Hornworms
Symptoms of Tomato Hornworms
- Chewed or missing leaves at the top of your plant
- Dark green or black droppings on the top of tomato leaves. If you see this, there will likely be a hornworm on the underside of the leaf
Solutions
- Handpick the hornworms from your plants
- Insecticides should only be used as a last resort and only if you have a large hornworm population
Recommended Products
Japanese Beetles
Symptoms of Japanese Beetles
- Skeletonized leaves and flowers. They will have only veins remaining
Solutions
- Handpicking an be quite effective. When you pick them off, put them in a bucket with water and a tablespoon of dish soap
- Apply neem oil or an insecticide according to the application instructions provided
Recommended Products
Slugs
Symptoms of Slugs
- On plants that have been eaten, slugs will leave a trail of slime on leaves and on the surrounding soil
Solutions
- Cut down long grass near vegetable gardens where slugs may be laying low
- Remove debris such as dead or dying leaves lying around that may be home to slugs
- Lay pieces of cardboard on the bare soil around your plantings. Leave the cardboard overnight and check underneath it in the morning and dispose of the slugs found there.
Recommended Products
Sawfly Larvae
Symptoms of Sawfly Larvae
- Green larvae on the underside of rose leaves
Solutions
- If there are a small amount present, consider handpicking the larvae off and dropping them in a bucket of soapy water
- Spray the affected plant with a strong stream of water to knock off the larvae
- Apply neem oil or insecticidal soap according to the application instructions provided