Identifying Garden Pest -- 4 ways to identify insects in your garden
In growing a garden, it is important to earn the skill of identifying garden pest. Pests can be insects or mammals. Most mammals such as squirrels and rodents are definitely detrimental as they can destroy the garden and damage the plants. However, in insects, not all of them can be classified as pests as some of them are actually beneficial. Thus, in getting rid of pests in the gardens, one should be able to distinguish and Identifying Garden Pest. The Cooperative Extension Services provide fact sheets about the garden pests. There are also books and magazines showing photos of different insects.The two resources above and the web will help to accurately identifying garden pest. Nonetheless, if one is immediately confronted with unfamiliar insects in the garden, it would be wise to have the knowledge to identify them. So, there are 4 ways to identify the pests in the garden. First, observe the behavior of the insect. Take notice of its movement. Does it fly, hop, skip, or jump? Second, find out its location. Some pests lurk on the undersides of the leaves, while others congregate on the branch tips, leaf-stem joints, and on the surface or beneath the soil. Third, learn about its size. There are insects that are visible, and those that need a magnifying glass to detect them. Fourth, observe how the plants in the garden react. Are there holes or mines on the leaves and stems? Maybe some of the plants are discolored, the leaves dropping off and the flowers withering before they even bloom. Caterpillars including grasshopper, corn earworm, tomato hornworm, and cabbageworm are large. They reside mostly on the underside of the leaves and joint connecting a stem to a leaf. When they attack, they eat on the leaves and stems of the plants, leaving holes. They can consume plants almost an overnight. Beetles. Beetles come in different varieties like Japanese beetle, Colorado Potato beetle, Sweet Potato weevil, corn rootworm, and etc. Besides feasting on the plant leaves and stems, they also feed on the plant roots, especially if the beetles are still on their pupae stage. Beetles are among the hardest to destroy because their shells protect them from pesticides. Small insects. To this category belong the spider mites, aphids, thrips, leafminer, and mealybug. When they attack, they all suck the plant juices, instead of eating the foliage. At times, they leave fungus that makes the plant to wither. Because they are small, they are difficult to spot. However, using a magnifying lens, they are seen on the undersides of the leaves, and on the stem and stalk. Underground insects. Many of the garden pests stay underneath the soil, such as cutworm, snails, slugs, earwig, and fire ants. Generally, they are hibernating beneath the soil at daytime. When dark comes, they come out and have a feast on the leaves and stalks of tomato, pepper and bean plants. Once identified, the next step would be to disinfect the plants, apply an effective garden pest control and make a move on its prevention. Similar Posts _________________________________________________________________ Return to the top of Identifying Garden Pests Page listed under Garden Pests |