Common Garden Pests and How to Manage Them [Infographic] | Homesteading

Want to know common garden pests that are in your garden and how to get rid of them? Check out this infographic for tips and tricks!

Common Garden Pests and How to Manage Them

Living on a homestead makes it a guarantee that you’ll encounter more bugs than you probably want to. Some are beneficial and some are, well, pests. It doesn’t really end with bugs. You also have your worms and other pesky critters. So if you want to find out which ones are good and which ones are bad, along with what you can do to get rid of common garden pests, check out this infographic!

Source: Fix.com Blog

Which insects benefit your garden?

Find out which insects are friends and which are foe!

Say “Yes” to these helpful bugs:

• Bees
• Ladybugs
• Spiders
• Green Lacewings
• Praying Mantis
• Ground Beetles
• Small Pirate Bugs
• Predator Flies
• Parasitic Wasps
• Centipedes
• Earwigs
• Ants

 

Keep these pests out:

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• Tomato Horn Worms
• Cabbage Worms
• Cabbage Moths
• Mites
• Slugs and Snails
• Cutworms
• Flea Beetles
• White Flies and Aphids
• Carrot Rust Flies
• Squash Vine Borers
• Mexican Bean Beetles
• Parsley Worms

 

What’s Eating My Plant?

How to recognize common pests by leaf damage they cause.

1. Aphids

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LEAF DAMAGE: Deformed leaves, sucking damage.

 

2. Thrips and mites

LEAF DAMAGE: Discolored leaves, sucking damage

 

3. Beetles, caterpillars and sawflies

LEAF DAMAGE: Chewed or skeletonized leaves

 

4. Cynipid wasps, certain aphids, psyllids, and mites

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LEAF DAMAGE: Leaf galls (abnormal plant growths)

 

5. Beetle, fly or moth larvae

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LEAF DAMAGE: Leaf mines (white patterns on leaves)

 

6. Caterpillars, tree crickets and spiders

LEAF DAMAGE: Folded leaves

 

7. Certain mites or some caterpillars

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LEAF DAMAGE: Rolled Leaves

 

8. Slugs and snails

LEAF DAMAGE: Chewed leaves, slime trails.

 

Plants That Naturally Repel Pests

Now that you know what you’re dealing with. It’s time to find out how to repel them the natural way.

1. Marigolds

TO REPEL: mosquitoes, aphids

 

2. Nasturtiums

TO REPEL: Whiteflies, cabbage loopers, aphids, many beetles, squash bugs

 

3. Petunias

TO REPEL: Aphids, asparagus beetles, leafhoppers, squash bugs, tomato hornworms

 

4. Basil

TO REPEL: Houseflies, mosquitoes

 

5. Lavender

TO REPEL: Moths, fleas, flies, mosquitoes

 

6. Lemongrass, Lemon Thyme, Lemon Balm, Mint, Rosemary

TO REPEL: Mosquitoes

 

7. Thyme

TO REPEL: Whiteflies, cabbage loopers, cabbage maggots, corn earworms, whiteflies, tomato hornworms

 

8. Dill

TO REPEL: Aphids, squash bugs, spider mites, cabbage loopers, tomato hornworms

 

Easy, Safe, Kitchen Remedies to Get a Handle on Garden Pests

Not only can you use certain plants to repel these pests, you can also use some stuff from the kitchen to manage them.

1. Cinnamon for Fungus

Sprinkle on seedlings affected by damping-off disease (a fungus that proliferates in the damp seedling environment and attacks and kills the young stems and roots).

 

2. Garlic for All Insect Pests

Make a garlic plant spray by pureeing two bulbs of garlic. Pour 1/2 cup boiling water over garlic, cover, and steep overnight. Strain, put in a spray bottle. Spray the bottoms of leaves daily, every few days, or once per week.

 

3. Orange and Banana Peels for Ants and Aphids

Orange peels contain d-Limonene, which breaks down the waxy coating on ants and aphids and kills them. Cut up peels and bury one to two inches deep in soil. Alternatively, scatter peels around stems or hang from branches.

 

4. Milk for Mildew

Mix with equal parts water and apply to tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, and other plants to control mildew.

 

5. Apple Cider Vinegar for Aphids and Fruit Flies

Put a small amount of apple cider vinegar in a jar next to plants. Aphids and fruit flies will be attracted, fall in, and drown.

 

6. Hot Peppers or Ginger for All Insect Pests (also deters rodents)

Both contain capsaicin, which burns insects. Combine 1 quart of water, 1 squirt of castile soap, and 1 tablespoon of cayenne pepper or ginger. Try on a small portion of plant first. Dilute further if it causes leaf damage.

 

7. Baking Soda for Fungus

Mix 3 tablespoons in a quart of water and put in a spray bottle. Spray plants every few days until the fungus is gone.

 

8. Beer for Snails and Slugs

Put a little beer in a shallow container and place it in the garden. Slugs and snails crawl in, but can’t crawl out.

 

9. Castile Soap for Aphids, Spider Flies, White Flies

Mix 5 tablespoons soap with 1 gallon of water. Test on small portion. If the solution damages the foliage, dilute further.

 

10. Eggshells for Slugs, Cutworms, other Insects

Crush shells and sprinkle them on top of the soil around stems. Slugs, cutworms, and other insects are repelled by the sharp edges.

 

Do you think you’ll be giving these tips and tricks a try to manage or get rid of common garden pests? Let us know below in the comments!

You’ll also like: Natural Organic Pesticides For Green Gardening

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