A garden site that receives as few as two hours of direct sunlight a day can grow vegetables. A garden that gets only dappled sunlight during the day can grow vegetables.

Fruiting vegetables such as tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants are not good choices for growing in full or partial shade; fruit-setting crops prefer eight or more hours of direct sun each day. But some varieties of fruiting vegetables—determinate or bush tomatoes, for example, and tomatoes adapted to cool conditions—can grow where there are as few as five to six hours of direct sun.

Types of garden shade

Shade in the garden can be described as deep or full shade, light shade, or partial or dappled shade.

Deep shaded

Deeply shaded or fully shaded describes a garden that receives no direct sun and very little if any reflected sunlight. A garden with deep or dense shade is not a good site for growing vegetables.

Light shade

Lightly shaded describes a garden that receives an hour or two of sun each day or is light, airy, and well-illuminated by reflected or indirect light for a good portion of the day. Reflected light might bounce into the garden from a white fence or building. Such a garden might sit under the shade of a high-canopy tree or in the shade of a distant building. Leafy crops and root crops will grow in a lightly shaded garden.

Partial shade

Partially shaded describes a garden that receives direct sun for two to six hours and is lightly shaded or receives dappled shade for the remainder of the day. A partially shaded garden may be sunny either in the morning or afternoon, but not both—the rest of the day the garden is in full or light shade. A partially shaded garden can easily grow leafy and root crops, and if the garden receives five hours of sunlight, some fruiting crops may grow there.

Vegetables that grow in shade

Rather than choose crops that will struggle in a shaded garden, choose crops adapted to shade.

Leafy crops are commonly the best choice for shade gardens; they crops have large surfaces for photosynthesis. Fruiting crops such as tomatoes and peppers demand sun to reach maturity and ripen and od poorly in shade

Vegetable crops that will grow in light to partial shade are arugula, beets, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, chard, Chinese cabbage, corn salad, endive, escarole, garlic, horseradish, kale, kohlrabi, leaf lettuce, leeks, mustard, New Zealand spinach, parsnips, peas, potatoes, radishes, rutabagas, salsify scallion, sorrel, spinach, turnips, and watercress.

Vegetables that will tolerate light to partial shade include bush beans, summer squash, and determinate or bush tomatoes adapted to cool regions or ready for harvest in 55 days or so. These varieties often bear the names of cool summer regions such as San Francisco, Oregon, New York, Russia, or Siberia.

Herbs that grow in shade

Herbs that will grow in light to partial shade are angelica, basil, catnip, chervil, chives, costmary, garden cress, germander, horseradish, lemon balm, lovage, mint, parsley, rosemary, sweet flag, sweet woodruff, valerian.

Tips for growing vegetables and herbs in the shade

• Choose vegetables and herbs adapted to shade; don’t try to grow crops that demand full sun.
• Start crops for shady gardens indoors to speed harvest; germination and early seedling growth can begin under optimal conditions before transplanting to the shady site.
• Expect slower maturation of crops and scale-down expectations of size and yield.
• Pruning away low tree branches and thinning out high branches will allow more sunlight to reach the garden.
• Painting nearby walls or fences white will allow more light to bounce into the garden. Light-colored paving on driveways or sidewalks adjacent to the shaded gardens will reflect more light.
• Grow crops in containers so that they can be moved into sunny spots as the seasons change.

Advantages of growing vegetables and herbs in shade

• Leafy crops grown in partial shade will be succulent and free of bitter taste.
• A partially shaded garden can allow for a longer growing period for cool-season crops.
• Afternoon shade protects crops from the hot summer sun.

Shade-tolerant crops checklist–including berries

• Arugula
• Beets
• Chard
• Cress
• Endive
• Herbs—cilantro, oregano, parsley
• Kale
• Lettuce and greens
• Mustard
• Radicchio
• Radishes
• Scarlet runner beans
• Sorrel
• Spinach
• Swiss chard
• Blackberries
• Currants—red and black
• Gooseberries
• Raspberries

Also of interest:

Shade-Tolerant Crops for Container Gardens

How to Grow Spinach

How to Grow Lettuce

See Garden Products Recommended by Harvest to Table

Garden Planning Books at Amazon:

• Vegetable Garden Almanac & Planner
• Kitchen Garden Grower’s Guide Vegetable Encyclopedia
• Vegetable Garden Grower’s Guide
• Tomato Grower’s Answer Book

The post Vegetables and Herbs for Growing in Shade appeared first on Harvest to Table.

The benefits of beneficial insects

One of the biggest challenges in maintaining a healthy vegetable garden is managing pests and diseases. Chemical insecticides and pesticides might seem like an easy solution, but they can do more harm than good by killing beneficial insects and disrupting the natural ecological balance of the garden. Instead, Using beneficial insects to control pests is a way to boost productivity.

One of the most important steps in fostering a healthy population of beneficial insects is to avoid using harmful pesticides and chemicals. These substances not only kill off pest insects but also kill off beneficial insects. Natural solutions such as companion planting, crop rotation, and even introducing beneficial insects directly into the garden are alternatives to using man-made chemicals in the garden.

Introducing beneficial insects to the vegetable garden is an excellent way to create a natural and healthy environment for plants. Beneficial insects control pest insects and pollinate plants. Encouraging beneficial insects in the garden can reduce the use of pesticides that can harm the environment.

Common beneficial insects

Many beneficial insects can help to protect the garden from pests and improve plant health. These insects are an important part of a natural, sustainable approach to gardening.

One beneficial insect that can be particularly helpful in a vegetable garden is the ladybug. Lady bugs are voracious eaters of aphids, which can be a major pest for many types of vegetables. They also eat other harmful insects like mites and mealybugs. By introducing ladybugs to the garden, you can keep pests under control and ensure vegetable plants stay healthy.

Another beneficial insect that can be useful in a vegetable garden is the green lacewing. Green lacewings are predatory insects whose larvae feed on aphids, caterpillars, and other pests. They can also help to control spider mites and thrips. Adding lacewings to the garden can help to keep plants healthy and minimize damage from harmful insects.

A third beneficial insect is the praying mantid. These insects are excellent predators as they hunt and consume a variety of pests, including caterpillars, moths, and flies. Praying mantises are fascinating creatures to observe.

In addition to ladybugs, lacewings, and praying mantises there are many other beneficial insects that can be helpful in a vegetable garden. These include predatory mites, parasitic wasps, and ground beetles, among others. By taking a natural approach to pest control and using beneficial insects to your advantage, you can keep your vegetable garden healthy and thriving for years to come.

Here is a list of important beneficial insects, click on any one of these to learn how they benefit the garden and how you can attract them: ladybug, praying mantid, green lacewing, assassin bug, big-eyed bug, honey bee, parasitic wasps, soldier beetle, aphid midge, damsel bug, dragonfly and damselfly, ground beetle, tiger beetle, hover fly, and tachinid fly.

Beneficial insects’ habitat

To provide a habitat for beneficial insects, plant a variety of native and non-native plants. Choose plants that provide nectar, pollen, and a place to lay their eggs. Avoid using pesticides, as they can harm beneficial insects and disrupt the balance of the ecosystem. Provide shelter for beneficial insects by placing rocks, logs, or other materials in your garden that can serve as hiding places or nesting sites.

A variety of habitats will encourage beneficial insects to live in the garden. Plant flowering trees and shrubs and hedges, incorporate mulch and fallen leaves for ground-dwelling insects to burrow under and leave patches of undisturbed soil for ground-nesting bees. A variety of habitats and resources throughout the garden can support a diverse group of beneficial insects that will help keep the garden healthy and thriving. Ensure that the habitat is away from pesticides or any other chemical contamination as these substances can cause harm to beneficial insects. It’s important to choose a location that provides food, water, shelter, and protection from predators.

Another important aspect of creating a beneficial insect habitat is creating water sources. A simple bird bath or shallow dish filled with water can provide a vital source of hydration for beneficial insects, especially during hot and dry weather conditions. Adding a water feature like a small fountain or pond can not only provide water for beneficial insects but also create a peaceful and tranquil atmosphere in the garden.

When creating a habitat for beneficial insects choose a location that meets the specific needs of insects. Consider the type of beneficial insects you want to attract. For example, ladybugs, lacewings, and hoverflies need a sunny location that receives at least four hours of direct sunlight each day. On the other hand, ground beetles and centipedes prefer a shady and damp environment. Therefore, it’s essential to locate the habitat in an area that fits the specific needs of the insects you hope to attract.

Many beneficial insects rely on certain types of flowers, herbs, and shrubs for food and shelter. It’s important to select an area with a variety of vegetation that will attract and sustain beneficial insect populations throughout the year. Since beneficial insects thrive where diverse plant species grow, consider planting vegetables with potent aromas such as basil, dill, and fennel, as they attract a wide range of beneficial insects. You can also alternate your crops to ensure that your vegetable garden has different plant species year-round, thus maintaining the habitat for the beneficial insects.

Plants that attract beneficial insects

A key factor in creating a beneficial insect-friendly environment is to provide a diverse range of plants. Different insects are attracted to different plants. By including a mix of flowers, herbs, and vegetables in your garden, you can attract a wide range of beneficial insects.

Flowers such as marigolds, calendula, and sunflowers are great options that not only provide food for pollinators but also attract predatory insects that feed on pests. Herbs such as dill, parsley, and fennel are also beneficial as they attract insects that feed on aphids and other harmful pests.

Some insects prefer to live in tall grasses, while others prefer to burrow in leaf litter or soil. By planting a mix of wildflowers, native plants, and grasses, you can create a variety of habitats that will appeal to a wide range of beneficial insects.

Some of the best plants for attracting beneficial insects include common herbs like parsley, dill, and mint, as well as flowering plants like coneflowers, black-eyed Susans, and sunflowers. By incorporating these plants into your garden and creating a hospitable environment for beneficial insects, you can create a thriving ecosystem that will benefit your plants and the environment as a whole.

One of the best plants to attract beneficial insects is the dill plant. This herb is known for its strong scent, which is particularly attractive to ladybugs and syrphid flies. Lady bugs are well known for their appetite for aphids, while syrphid flies feed on a wide range of pests, including aphids and thrips. By planting dill, you can attract these insects and help to keep your plants pest-free. Dill also attracts parasitic wasps. These insects are voracious predators that will pack a punch to bugs like aphids, mealybugs, and spider mites.

The nectar and pollen of plants like phacelia, buckwheat, and sweet alyssum are a favorite of beneficial insects like lacewings, which are known for keeping spider mites and aphids under control. Good bugs also feast on flower petals, so don’t be alarmed if a ladybug is seen munching on a flower head.

Another excellent plant for attracting beneficial insects is the yarrow plant. This flowering plant is particularly attractive to lacewings, which are a type of predatory insect that feed on aphids, thrips, and other small insects. Yarrow is also known to attract hoverflies, which are a type of beneficial insect that feed on nectar and pollen, as well as aphids and other pests.

Another great choice for beneficial insects is the sunflower. Sunflowers attract a wide range of pollinators, including bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. They also provide a habitat for beneficial insects, such as lacewings and lady beetles, which can help to control insects that damage your plants.

Finally, if you’re looking to attract pollinators to your garden, you can’t go wrong with planting some clover. This plant is known for its sweet-scented flowers, which are particularly attractive to bees and butterflies. By growing clover in your garden, you can help to support these essential pollinators and ensure that your plants are fertilized and able to produce fruit and seeds.

When selecting plants for beneficial insects, it is essential to consider the type of insects you want to attract and their specific plant preferences. For example, bees prefer plants with flat or shallow flowers, such as daisies, sunflowers, and lavender, while butterflies prefer flowers that have a landing platform, such as coneflowers, milkweed, and zinnias. Lady bugs are attracted to plants that have small flowers, such as dill, fennel, and coriander. By planting a variety of species that cater to the needs of multiple beneficial insects, you can increase the biodiversity in your garden.

When planting for beneficial insects, consider the timing of your blooms. By staggering your blooms throughout the growing season, you can ensure that there are always flowers available for the insects to feed on. This is especially important for bees, which need a consistent source of nectar and pollen to survive. By carefully selecting plants with different bloom times, you can create a garden that’s full of color and life all season long.

In addition to attracting beneficial insects, planting species that are native to your region can also support the local ecosystem. Native plant species have developed natural relationships with the local insects over time and, as a result, provide a reliable source of food and shelter. Native plants also require less maintenance and water, making them a sustainable addition to any garden. By choosing to plant species that benefit insects and support the environment, you can make a positive impact on both your garden and the local ecosystem.

Another effective way to promote beneficial insects is to allow a small portion of your garden to become a wildflower meadow. Let some of the weeds and wildflowers grow so they will attract hoverflies, lady beetles, parasitic wasps, and green lacewings, which are all beneficial insects. The natural plant diversity in the meadow encourages enhanced insect diversity and drives the population of good bugs.

Beneficial insects like ladybugs, lacewings, hoverflies, and parasitic wasps can help keep pests under control in your vegetable garden. They do this by eating the invasive insects or laying eggs in them, which eventually leads to their demise. The good news is that you can attract these beneficial insects to your garden by planting the right type of flowers and herbs. Choose plants that attract these helpful bugs, and you will have a self-sustaining natural pest control system.

Related articles:

Vegetable Garden Organic Pest Control

Vegetable Garden Diseases Problem Solver

Vegetable Garden Organic Weed Control

Garden Planning Books at Amazon:

• Vegetable Garden Almanac & Planner
• Kitchen Garden Grower’s Guide Vegetable Encyclopedia
• Vegetable Garden Grower’s Guide
• Tomato Grower’s Answer Book

The post Vegetable Garden Beneficial Insects appeared first on Harvest to Table.

Adult ground beetles and their larvae eat asparagus beetles, caterpillars, Colorado potato beetles, corn earworms, cutworms, cabbage root maggots, Gypsy moth larvae, slugs, snails, squash vine borers, and tobacco budworms. A single ground beetle larva can eat more than 50 caterpillars. Adults hunt their prey in the soil and on plants and trees.

There are more than 2,500 species of ground beetles in North America and more than 40,000 species of ground beetles worldwide.

The scientific name of the ground beetle is Calosoma scrutator.

How to identify the ground beetle

The ground beetle is a shiny hard-shelled insect about ⅛ to 1½ inches long. Most ground beetles are dark-colored, black, or bronze, but some are metallic green, blue, gold, or red. They have a narrow heads with threadlike antennae and sometimes can be mistaken for cockroaches. Larvae are dark brown or black grubs with 10 segments tapering toward the rear.

Most ground beetles have large mandibles to capture their prey. Ground beetles are very quick when they move to capture prey.

Ground beetle life cycle

Female ground beetles lay eggs in the soil. The larvae hatch and feed on soil-dwelling pests for two to four weeks then pupate in the soil. Adults overwinter in the soil and emerge again in the spring. There is one generation of ground beetles each year. Ground beetles can live for several years.

How to attract ground beetles to the garden

Ground beetles are not attracted to the garden by specific plants, but a diversity of perennial plants will give them places to hide and find food. Ground beetles feed at night and hide under boards, rocks, tree bark, and garden debris during the day. You can encourage ground beetles by providing shelter.

Related articles:

Vegetable Garden Organic Pest Control

Vegetable Garden Beneficial Insects

Vegetable Garden Diseases Problem Solver

Vegetable Garden Organic Weed Control

Garden Planning Books at Amazon:

• Vegetable Garden Almanac & Planner
• Kitchen Garden Grower’s Guide Vegetable Encyclopedia
• Vegetable Garden Grower’s Guide
• Tomato Grower’s Answer Book

The post Ground Beetle Beneficial Insect appeared first on Harvest to Table.

Tiger beetles are closely related to ground beetles, also beneficial insects, but unlike the ground beetle, the head of a tiger beetle is wider than its thorax—the section between the head and the abdomen.

There are more than 100 species of tiger beetles in North America and more than 2,000 species worldwide.

The tiger beetle belongs to the scientific family Carabidae.

How to identify tiger beetles

Tiger beetle adults are about ½ to ¾ inches long. They have long, spindly legs, large bulging eyes, pointed mandibles, and long antennae. Larvae are segmented with a pronounced hump with strong hooks on the fifth segment.

Tiger beetle feeding habits

Unlike ground beetles, most tiger beetles are active during the daytime. They are fast runners—as fast as five miles per hour–and can fly if need be. At night they are attracted to lights.

The adult tiger beetle has an acute vision. It will crouch and wait for its prey to pass then lunge and grab its target like a tiger. It clenches its prey between powerful sickle-like mandibles and devours it whole on the spot.

Tiger beetle larvae prey on soil-dwelling insects. They ambush their prey as they pass by the burrows in which they are born and mature.

Tiger beetle life cycle

A female tiger beetle lays 3 to 4 eggs per day. She deposits a single egg in a hole in damp sand or soil, covers it, and moves on. Eggs hatch in a few weeks and the larva takes two to four years to reach adulthood passing through three developmental stages.

Larvae tiger beetles dig burrows in the soil. They live in the burrows as they mature enlarging the burrows as necessary. They rarely leave their burrow but wait at the burrow’s entrance to ambush prey.

How to attract tiger beetles to the garden

Ground beetles are not attracted to the garden by specific plants, but a diversity of perennial plants will give them places to hide and find food. Tiger beetles take shelter under boards, rocks, tree bark, and garden debris during the day. You can encourage tiger beetles by providing shelter.

Related articles:

Vegetable Garden Organic Pest Control

Vegetable Garden Beneficial Insects

Vegetable Garden Diseases Problem Solver

Vegetable Garden Organic Weed Control

Garden Planning Books at Amazon:

• Vegetable Garden Almanac & Planner
• Kitchen Garden Grower’s Guide Vegetable Encyclopedia
• Vegetable Garden Grower’s Guide
• Tomato Grower’s Answer Book

The post Tiger Beetle Beneficial Insect appeared first on Harvest to Table.

Adult and larvae rove beetles eat soft-bodied pest insects including the eggs and larvae of aphids, mites, and mealybugs. They also eat nematodes, cabbage maggots, caterpillars, grubs, fly maggots and pupae, and the larvae of root maggots.

Rove beetles eat rotting vegetation and insects that feed on the decaying flesh of dead animals.

There are more than 3,100 species of rove beetles in North America.

The rove beetle belongs to the scientific family Staphylinidae.

How to identify rove beetles

Rove beetles are about 1/10 to 1 inch long. They are black or brown and have elongated bodies with short wing covers that leave most of their abdominal segments uncovered. Some have red wing covers and markings. They can fly.

Rove beetle larvae are off-white or beige with dark heads and resemble adults though wingless.

Some rove beetles react to threats by tipping their abdomens up as scorpions do, but they can’t sting, though some can bite. They have modified mouthparts for chewing and long sharp mandibles that close sideways in front of the head.

Rove beetles are nocturnal feeders and scavengers. They feed in slightly moist places below ground or in soil litter. They are most active during warm weather. They overwinter as larvae, pupae, or adults.

Rove beetle life cycle

The rove beetle develops through four stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. Female rove beetles commonly lay eggs near a food source such as colonies of plant-feeding mites. The larvae develop through four stages of instars becoming adults in 3 to 4 weeks. There are multiple generations each year.

How to attract rove beetles to the garden

Rove beetles are not attracted to the garden by specific plants, but a diversity of perennial plants will give them places to find food. Rove beetles take shelter under boards, pots, rocks, tree bark, and garden debris during the day. You can encourage rove beetles by providing shelter.

Related articles:

Vegetable Garden Organic Pest Control

Vegetable Garden Beneficial Insects

Vegetable Garden Diseases Problem Solver

Vegetable Garden Organic Weed Control

Garden Planning Books at Amazon:

• Vegetable Garden Almanac & Planner
• Kitchen Garden Grower’s Guide Vegetable Encyclopedia
• Vegetable Garden Grower’s Guide
• Tomato Grower’s Answer Book

The post Rove Beetle Beneficial Insect appeared first on Harvest to Table.

Good Products for Pest and Disease Control at Amazon:

• Garden Safe Snail and Slug Bait
• Bonide Sulfur Fungicide
• Monterey BT Caterpillar Killer
• Neem Bliss 100-% Cold Pressed Neem Oil
• Safer Brand Insect Killing Soap
• PyGanic Botanical Insecticide

Here are common vegetable insect pests:

Aphid

• Scientific name: Order Homoptera: Family Aphididae
• Description: Tiny soft-bodied, pear-shaped insects may be pale green, brown, yellow, pink, blue, or black. Usually wingless but some females may be winged. Adults less than 1/10-inch long.
• Emergence time: Eggs over-winter hatch in early spring, throughout the growing season.
• Susceptible plants. Nearly all vegetables, fruits, and many other plants.
• Damage: Sucks sap from leaves, fruits, stems causing foliage to curl, pucker, and yellow; loss of plant vigor; some transmits diseases such as mosaic; excrement supports black, sooty mold; attracts ants
• Prevention and controls: Spray away with strong water; soapy water spray; aluminum foil placed on the ground under young plants reflects the sky and confuses insets; as a lure, use yellow containers of soapy water, commercial yellow stick traps, or a board painted yellows and coated with a sticky solution such as Tanglefoot; cover plant with Spun polyester blanket or other row covers.
• Biological controls: Ladybugs; spiders; syrphid flies; lacewings.
• Natural insecticides: Insecticidal soap; nicotine. Pyrethrum; sabadilla; use with care, insecticides also kill beneficial insects. Light horticultural oil spray.
• Plant companions: Plant aster and parsley family plants also alyssum or clover to attract aphid-easting beneficial insects. Onions and garlic may repel aphids. Trap crops: early cabbage, marigolds, and nasturtiums.
• See Aphid Organic Pest Control.

Asparagus beetle

• Scientific name: Crioceris asparagi
• Description: Blue-black with four white spots and red margins; oblong to ¼ inch long.
• Emergence time: Over-winter in the garden, emerge in spring.
• Susceptible plants: Asparagus
• Damage: Chews leaves and spear tips.
• Prevention and controls: Remove plants and debris after harvest; shake beetles from foliage into soapy water; use row covers as a barrier early in the season; use rock phosphate or bone meal dust on plants.
• Biological controls: Ladybugs, predatory flies.
• Natural insecticides: Pyrethrum, and rotenone dust for serious problems; use with care, insecticides also kill beneficial insects.
• Plant companions: Beetles dislike tomatoes, nasturtiums, and calendula.
• See Asparagus Beetle Organic Pest Control.

Blister beetle

• Scientific name: Family Melodae
• Description: Slender, elongated metallic blue-gray, black, or black and yellow striped insect about ¾ inch long, with long legs and narrow neck. Soil-dwelling larvae do not eat vegetables.
• Emergence time: Over-winter in the garden; adults emerge in early to mid-summer.
• Susceptible plants: Adults feed on leaves, blossoms, and fruit of nearly all vegetables—beans, beets, melons, peas, potatoes, and tomatoes.
• Damage: Chews leaves, flowers, and fruits.
• Prevention and controls: Remove plants and debris after harvest; handpick or shake beetles from foliage into soapy water (always wear gloves because they secrete harmful oil that can blister the skin; use row covers as barrier early in the season; spray with canola oil; use rock phosphate or bone meal dust on plants.
• Biological controls: Ladybugs, predatory flies.
• Natural insecticides: Pyrethrum, and rotenone dust for serious problems; use with care, insecticides also kill beneficial insects.
• Plant companions. Beetles dislike nasturtiums and calendula.

Cabbage looper

• Scientific name: Trichoplusia ni
• Description: Light green caterpillar with yellow stripes running down back; loops as it walks. The adult is a brownish night-flying moth with a sliver spot in the mid-forewing.
• Emergence time: Spring.
• Susceptible plants: Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, Chinese cabbage, collard plants, greens, beans, peas, potatoes, and tomatoes.
• Damage: Small to large holes eaten in leaves. Eats seedlings.
• Prevention and controls: Dust looper-worms with flour or salt; cover plants with spun polyester blanket or other row covers to prevent moths from laying eggs; plant resistant varieties, time planting to avoid insect growth cycle.
• Biological controls: Trichogramma wasps, lacewing, ladybug; Bacillus thuringiensis spray every 2 weeks.
• Natural insecticides: Rotenone; pyrethrum-diatomaceous earth blend; sabadilla; use with care, insecticides also kill beneficial insects.
• Plant companions: Celery is a trap crop. Intercrop with marigolds. Repelled by garlic, hot peppers, hyssop, onions, rosemary, sage, tansy, and thyme.
• See Cabbage Looper Organic Pest Control.

Cabbage maggot

• Scientific name: Delia radicum
• Description: Small, gray-white, legless worm to ⅓-inch long, blunt end. The adult looks like a housefly.
• Emergence time: Early spring to fall, several generations.
• Susceptible plants: Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, Chinese cabbage, collards, parsnips, radishes, and turnips.
• Damage: Brown tunnels into stems just below the soil, and seedlings wilt and die.
• Prevention and controls: Apply lime or wood ashes around the base of plants; time planting to avoid insect growth cycle.
• Biological controls: Beneficial nematodes, chalcid wasps, Trichogramma wasps.
• Natural insecticides: Lime-water mix drench: 2 pounds of lime per 5 gallons of water.
• Plant companions: Radishes and turnips as trap crops. Mint, rosemary, sage, and tomatoes repel cabbage maggot.

Carrot rust fly

• Scientific name: Psila rosae
• Description: Black fly to 1/5-inch long with yellow head and legs. Maggots are yellow to white about ⅓ inch long.
• Emergence time: Spring, over-winter as maggots.
• Susceptible plants: Carrots, celery, parsley, parsnips.
• Damage: Maggots tunnel into roots causing stunting of plants; soft rot.
• Prevention and controls: Sprinkle wood ashes around the crown of the plant; cultivate in winter to expose maggots; rotate crops; time planting to avoid insect growth cycle, carrots come to harvest in fall.
• Biological controls: Parasitic nematodes.
• • Natural insecticides: Use with care, insecticides also kill beneficial insects.
• Plant companions: Onions and leeks repel fly, Also pennyroyal, rosemary, salsify, sage, and wormwood.

Colorado potato beetle

• Scientific name:Leptinotarsa decemlineata
• Description: Yellow convex beetle to ⅓-inch long with black stripes and orange head covering. Grubs are red with black spots and a black head.
• Emergence time: Spring.
• Susceptible plants: Potatoes, tomatoes, eggplants, peppers.
• Damage: Skeletonized leaves, growth tips chewed.
• Prevention and controls: Handpick beetles and larvae; remove orange egg masses from undersides of leaves; spray with a mixture of basil leaves and water; place a 1-inch thick layer of clean hay or straw mulch around plants to keep beetles from climbing to the stems; cover plants with spun polyester blanket or other row covers; plant resistant varieties; time planting to avoid insect growth cycle.
• Biological controls: Ladybugs, Bacillus thuringiensis
• Natural insecticides: Rotenone; sabadilla; use with care, insecticides also kill beneficial insects.
• Plant companions: Interplant with catnip, coriander, and tansy; intercrop with basil.
• See Colorado Potato Beetle Organic Pest Control.

Corn earworm / Tomato fruitworm

• Scientific name: Helicoverpa zea
• Description: Spiny caterpillar, white, green, or red to 1½-inches long. The adult is a brown moth.
• Emergence time: Late spring.
• Susceptible plants: Corn
• Damage: Feed buds and leaves and later on silks and kernels at the tip of an ear.
• Prevention and controls: Hand pick from husk after silks brown. When silks tassels brown, apply 10-20 drops of mineral oil with an eye dropper to the tassels or spray mineral oil on the tassels. Remove debris from the garden in the fall and cultivate thoroughly.
• Biological controls: Trichogramma wasps, Bacillus thuringiensis, beneficial nematodes.
• Natural insecticides: Spray young plants with horticultural oil mixed with Bacillus thuringiensis every 2 weeks. Rotenone; use with care, insecticides also kill beneficial insects.
• Plant companions: Plant smartweed as a trap crop.
• See Corn Earworm Organic Pest Control.

Cucumber beetle, spotted and striped

• Scientific name: Diabrotica undecimpunctata howardi (spotted cucumber beetle); Acalymma vittatum (striped cucumber beetle)
• Description: Yellow beetle with black head and three wide black stripes or spots on the wing covers; beetle to ¼-inch long. Larvae: slender, white grubs.
• Emergence time: Adults emerge in late spring.
• Susceptible plants: Cucumbers and other vine plants; beans, corn, peas, and flowers of many plants. Damage. Larvae feed on roots and stems; adults chew on leaves and shots; can transmit wilt and mosaic virus.
• Damage: Chew stems, flowers, leaves, and fruit; they usually cluster around the crowns of young plants and among blossoms. Adult striped cucumber beetles spread bacterial wilt that causes vine death.
• Prevention and controls: Handpick; mulch around plants; cover plants with spun polyester blanket or other row covers; plant resistant varieties; dust with wood ashes or rock phosphate; grow plants on trellises; time planting to avoid insect growth cycle. Place thick mulch around plants.
• Biological controls: Braconid wasps, tachinid flies, beneficial nematodes.
• Natural insecticides: Apply garlic spray. Liquid rotenone or pyrethrum; sabadilla; use with care, insecticides also kill beneficial insects.
• Plant companions: Interplant with catnip, tansy, or radishes.
• See Cucumber Beetle Organic Pest Control.

Cutworm

• Scientific name: Order Lepidoptera: Family Noctuidae
• Description: Dull gray to brown caterpillar, plump to 2 inches long, curls when disturbed.
• Emergence time: Early spring; repeat generations through the growing season.
• Susceptible plants: Beans, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, Chinese cabbage, collards, corn, eggplants, kohlrabi, lettuce, radishes, rutabagas, peppers, potatoes, tomatoes, turnips,
• Damage: Chew through plant stems just below the soil line; eat roots, leaves, buds, and fruits.
• Prevention and controls: Place a 3-inch collar of newspaper or plastic around the stem when transplanting into the garden; clear the garden of weeds, grass, and plant debris in the fall to discourage egg-laying; sprinkle wood ashes around the base of plants.
• Biological controls: Braconid wasps; tachinid flies; beneficial nematodes, Bacillus thuringiensis.
• Natural insecticides: Diatomaceous earth.
• Plant companions: None.
• See Cutworm Organic Pest Control.

Earwig

• Scientific name: Forficula auricularia
• Description: Elongated to 3/4 inch reddish-brown, leathery forewings, pincers on the tips of the abdomen. Hide during the day and feed at night.
• Emergence time: Late spring.
• Susceptible plants: Many garden flowers and vegetables.
• Damage: Feed leaves, flower petals, and soft fruit; leave ragged holes. Only a pest in large numbers.
• Prevention and controls: Rolled wet newspaper or cardboard as traps.
• Biological controls: Tachinid fly.
• Natural insecticides: Spray young plants with natural pyrethrin insecticides; use with care, insecticides also kill beneficial insects. Trap in a low-side can with half an inch of vegetable oil.
• Plant companions: None.
• See Earwing Organic Pest Control.

European corn borer

• Scientific name: Ostrinia nubilalis
• Description: Gray to pink-flesh colored caterpillar with a dark head and small brown spots on each segment to 1-inch long. The adult moth has a zigzag pattern on its wings.
• Emergence time: Caterpillars in spring, and moths in early summer.
• Susceptible plants: Corn, chard, peppers, potatoes, tomatoes.
• Damage: Young larvae chew on leaves and tassels; older larvae bore into stalks.
• Prevention and controls: Remove old stalks and plant debris in fall or early spring before adults emerge; keep grass and weeds down; time planting to avoid insect growth cycle; hand-pick caterpillars.
• Biological controls: Ladybugs; braconid wasps; tachinid flies; Bacillus thuringiensis.
• Plant companions: Grow sunflowers as a trap crop.
• Natural insecticides: Ryania; rotenone; sabadilla. Use with care, insecticides also kill beneficial insects.

Flea beetle

• Scientific name: Order Coleoptera: Family Chrysomelidae
• Description: Shiny black, brown, or bronze beetles with large hind legs to ⅛-inch long. Jump like fleas when disturbed.
• Emergence time: Over-winter in the garden; emerge in spring.
• Susceptible plants: Beans, beets, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, chard, collards, corn, eggplants, kohlrabi, muskmelons, peppers, potatoes, radishes, spinach, tomatoes, turnips, watermelons.
• Damage: Chews tiny holes in leaves; causes wilting and slows plant growth.
• Prevention and controls: Cultivate often to disturb eggs; remove old plants and debris from the garden after harvest; plant susceptible plants near shade-giving crops, as beetles do not like shade; sprinkle wood ashes on plants; use garlic or hot pepper spray; cover with spun polyester blanket or other row covers; plant resistant varieties; time planting to avoid insect growth cycle.
• Biological controls: Beneficial nematodes.
• Natural insecticides: Diatomaceous earth; rotenone; pyrethrum; sabadilla; use with care, insecticides also kill beneficial insects.
• Plant companions: Use bok choy, Chinese cabbage, and radishes as trap crops. Interplant crops with collards and tomatoes.
• See Flea Beetle Organic Pest Control.

Harlequin bug

• Scientific name: Murgantia histrionica
• Description: Shiny black and red shield-shaped bug to ¼-inch long; large triangles on back.
• Emergence time: Overwinter in debris; emerge in spring.
• Susceptible plants: Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, Chinese cabbage, collards, collards, kohlrabi, mustard, radish, and turnip.
• Damage: Sucks sap from plants resulting in blotchy leaves, wilting, and death.
• Prevention and controls: Handpick; remove weeds and debris from the garden; plant resistant varieties.
• Biological controls: Sparrows and mockingbirds.
• Natural insecticides: Liquid rotenone-pyrethrum, sabadilla; use with care, insecticides also kill beneficial insects.
• Plant companions: Grow turnips and mustard greens as a trap crop.
• See Harlequin Bug Organic Pest Control.

Hornworm, tomato hornworm

• Scientific name: Manduca quinquemaculata
• Description: Green caterpillar 3- to 5-inches long with white stripes; horn projects from the rear. The adult is a large, mottled gray or broth moth with orange spots on each side of the body.
• Emergence time: Overwinters in soil; moths emerge in late spring to early summer.
• Susceptible plants: Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, potatoes, dill.
• Damage: Chew holes in leaves and sometimes fruit.
• Prevention and controls: Handpick; sprinkle dried hot peppers on the plant; diatomaceous earth around the base of plants; time planting to avoid insect growth cycle.
• Biological controls: Bacillus thuringiensis, trichogramma wasps; braconid wasps.
• Natural insecticides: Pyrethrum; rotenone; use with care, insecticides also kill beneficial insects.
• Plant companions: Grow dill and four-o’clocks as a trap crop.
• See Tomato Hornworm Organic Pest Control.

Imported cabbage worm

• Scientific name: Artogeia rapae
• Description: Adults are white butterflies; wings are white with black tips and 1 or 2 black spots on the forewing; wingspan of 1.5 inches. Larvae are velvety green caterpillars with a fine, light yellow stripe down the back.
• Emergence time: Adult butterflies emerge in spring to lay eggs; three to five generations per year.
• Susceptible plants: Cabbage family plants, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower.
• Damage: Chew holes in leaves; feed on undersides of leaves; produce pellets of dark green droppings; feed for 2-3 weeks, then pupate on the soil surface or in debris.
• Prevention and controls: Handpick caterpillars and eggs; cover plants with floating row covers to prevent butterflies from laying eggs. Place yellow sticky trap among host plants.
• Biological controls: Attract parasitic wasps, also yellowjacket wasps
• Natural insecticides: Spray with Bacillus thuringiensis; spray with pyrethrins.
• Plant companions: Cabbage family trap crops
• See Imported Cabbage Worm Organic Pest Control.

Japanese beetle

• Scientific name: Popillia japonica
• Description: Adult metallic, blue-green beetle with bronze wing covers to ½-inch long. Grayish-brown grub with a brown head.
• Emergence time: Adult beetles emerge in early summer after over-wintering underground.
• Susceptible plants: Asparagus, beans, okra, peaches, raspberries, rhubarb, leaves of corn.
• Damage: Grubs feed mostly on grassroots; adults feed on leaves and flowers of susceptible plants.
• Prevention and controls: Handpick; remove all plant debris from the garden; grubs are discouraged by high soil pH; place commercial pheromone traps around the garden; time planting to avoid insect growth cycle.
• Biological controls: Bacillus popilliae (milky spore) infects grubs, and requires wide application; beneficial nematodes.
• Natural insecticides: Sabadilla, liquid rotenone, or pyrethrum controls adult beetles; use with care, insecticides also kill beneficial insects.
• Plant companions: Larkspur foliage is toxic to beetles; geraniums repel beetles; smartweed repels insects. Grow light-colored geraniums and zinnias as trap crops.

Leafhopper

• Scientific name: Order Homoptera: Family Cicadellidae
• Description: Green, brown, or yellow bugs to ⅓-inch long with wedge-shaped wings; bugs move sideways.
• Emergence time: Spring.
• Susceptible plants: Potatoes, beans, carrots, celery, chard, eggplant, rhubarb, beets, lettuce, spinach, squash, and roses.
• Damage: Suck juices from leaves and stems causing stunted, crinkled, mottled, curled leaves; some transmit viruses.
• Prevention and controls. Insect prefers open areas so shelter susceptible plants; cover with spun polyester blanket or other row cover for about 4 weeks after plants sprout; plant resistant varieties.
• Biological controls: Green lacewing, braconid wasps, Trichogramma wasps.
• Natural insecticides: Diatomaceous earth; insecticidal soap; summer horticultural spray oil; liquid rotenone or pyrethrum; use with care, insecticides also kill beneficial insects.
• Plant companions: Grow corn as a trap crop.
• See Leafhopper Organic Pest Control.

Leaf miner

• Scientific name: Order Diptera: Family Agromyzidae
• Description: Tiny black flies about 1/10-inch long with yellow stripes. Larvae are pale green maggots.
• Emergence time: Adults emerge in spring.
• Susceptible plants: Beans, beets, cabbage, chard, lettuce, peppers, tomatoes.
• Damage: Larvae tunnel inside leaves, stunting growth.
• Prevention and controls: Destroy infected leaves; cultivate the garden to disturb the life cycle in fall; cover plants with spun polyester blanket or other row covers; time planting to avoid insect growth cycle.
• Biological controls: Chickadees, finches, robins.
• Natural insecticides: Light horticultural oil spray.
• Plant companions: Grow radishes as a trap crop.
• See Leaf Miner Organic Pest Control.

Mealybugs

• Scientific name: Order Homoptera: Family Pseudococcidae
• Description: Adult females have soft, oval, pinkish bodies covered with white powdery, or waxy fluff; about 1/10 inch long. Males are tiny, two-winged insects.
• Emergence time: Several generations per year.
• Susceptible plants: Potatoes, citrus, fruits, grapes, ornamentals.
• Damage: Suck plant juices; feed on all parts of the plant. Attacked leaves wither and turn yellow; fruit may drop. Mealybugs excrete honeydew on leaves as they feed; excrement supports the growth of sooty mold.
• Prevention and controls: Spray plant with stream of water or insecticidal soap; spray summer oil on plants that tolerate oil.
• Biological controls: Native parasitic wasps.
• Natural insecticides:
• Plant companions:
• See Mealybug Organic Pest Control.

Mexican bean beetle

• Scientific name: Epilachna varivestis
• Description: Round yellow- to copper-colored beetle with 16 black dots in three rows down the back, similar to a ladybug.
• Emergence time: Adults emerge in spring.
• Susceptible plants: Beans, squash.
• Damage: Skeletonize leaves, plants dry out and die; also feed on bean pods and stems.
• Prevention and controls: Destroy eggs; hand pick beetles; keep the garden free of plant debris to limit egg-laying habitat; time planting to avoid insect growth cycle: earlier plants are less susceptible; plant resistant varieties.
• Biological controls: Ladybugs; Pediobius wasps kill larvae.
• Natural insecticides: Liquid rotenone or pyrethrum; use with care, insecticides also kill beneficial insects. Rotenone dust; sabadilla; summer horticultural spray oil.
• Plant companions: Plant nasturtiums, marigolds, savory, or garlic nearby. Grow lima beans as a trap crop.
• See Mexican Bean Beetle Organic Pest Control.

Mites — see spider mites

• Description:
• Emergence time:
• Susceptible plants:
• Damage:
• Prevention and controls:
• Biological controls:
• Natural insecticides:
• Plant companions:

Nematodes

• Scientific name: Phylum Nematoda
• Description: Microscopic worms live in the soil and attack plant roots.
• Emergence time:
• Susceptible plants:
• Damage: Roots become shriveled, with swellings called galls ranging in size from a pinhead to 1 inch in diameter. Galls cut off the flow of nutrients to the plant. Plants can become stunted and turn yellow; fruit can be undersized.
• Prevention and controls: Grow plants resistant to nematode attack. Look for the letter “N” after the name of the vegetable variety, such as ‘Supersteak VFN’.
• Biological controls:
• Natural insecticides:
• Plant companions: French marigolds repel nematodes.

Onion maggot

• Scientific name: Delia antiqua
• Description: Maggots are brown, legless, hump-backed, and hairy to ⅓-inch long.
• Emergence time: Adult flies emerge in late spring to lay eggs at the base of plants.
• Susceptible plants: Onion, radishes.
• Damage: Tunnel into the lower stem of onion near bulb, damaging neck.
• Prevention and controls: Remove and destroy infested plants; avoid planting crops too closely or full crops in one place. Use wood ashes and diatomaceous earth as a barrier.
• Biological controls: Beneficial nematodes, predatory flies, spiders, ichneumonid wasps.
• Natural insecticides: None.
• Plant companions: Intercrop with plants that are not susceptible to onion maggot.

Root maggots

• Scientific name: Several species exist; including cabbage maggot, carrot maggot, and onion maggot.
• Description: Fly larvae resemble common house fly maggots. White, peg-shaped, 1/4 inch long
• Emergence time: Fly lays eggs at the plant base; maggots crawl into the soil where they feed on the roots.
• Susceptible plants: Cabbage, carrot, onion
• Damage: Roots eaten, leaves wilt, and the plant is stunted.
• Prevention and controls: Dust with wood ashes, rotenone, pyrethrum, and diatomaceous earth; garlic spray; cover the soil with black plastic mulch and plant through the plastic to prevent adult flies from laying eggs.
• Biological controls:
• Natural insecticides:
• Plant companions:

Slug and snails

• Scientific name: Class Mollusca
• Description: Mollusk; brown, gray, white, purple, or yellow snails without shells to 2 inches long.
• Emergence time: Early spring; prefer cool temperatures.
• Susceptible plants: Almost all vegetables.
• Damage: Eat large, ragged holes in leaves, stems, and fruit.
• Prevention and controls: Handpick and destroy; sprinkle slugs with salt; place protective borders of sand, lime, or ashes around plants; mulch with wood shavings or oak leaves; trap with saucers of stale beer set out at soil level; place boards or newspapers as traps; border with copper bands; protect plants in plastic tunnels.
• Biological controls: Garden birds, woodpeckers, robins; snakes, toads, turtles; black rove beetles, centipedes, ground beetles, and soldier beetles eat slugs and slug eggs.
• Natural insecticides: Diatomaceous earth.
• Plant companions: Low-growing shade plants will shelter slugs; handpick from beneath the shelter.
• See Slug and Snail Organic Pest Control.

Spider mite

• Scientific name: Order Acarina: Family Tetranychidae
• Description: Tiny spider-like arachnids: red, black, or brown.
• Emergence time: Hot, dry weather; many generations in a year.
• Susceptible plants: All vegetables and fruit crops.
• Damage: Suck plant juices causing stippled leaves that are yellow, dry, and drop.
• Prevention and controls: Spray cold water or solution of water, wheat flour, buttermilk on leaves; soapy water sprays; light horticultural oil sprays.
• Biological controls: Ladybugs; lacewings, predatory mites.
• Natural insecticides: Liquid rotenone or pyrethrum; use with care, insecticides also kill beneficial insects; insecticidal soap; horticultural oil spray.
• Plant companions: None.
• See Spider Mite Organic Pest Control.

Squash bug, stink bug

• Scientific name: Anasa tristis
• Description: Flat-backed, shield-shaped black or brownish bug to 5/8-inch long with a triangle on its back.
• Emergence time: Adults emerge when squash vines begin to grow.
• Susceptible plants: Vine crops: cucumbers, muskmelons, pumpkins, squash, watermelons.
• Damage: Sucks plant juices and injects toxins resulting in wilt and death.
• Prevention and controls: Handpick; keep the garden free of debris and hiding places; use trellis to raise off of ground away from bugs; dust with wood ashes and lime; cover with spun polyester blanket or other row covers; plant resistant varieties; time planting to avoid insect growth cycle.
• Biological controls: Tachinid flies
• Natural insecticides: Sabadilla; rotenone dust; liquid rotenone or pyrethrum; use with care, insecticides also kill beneficial insects.
• Plant companions: Plant trap crops: marigolds, radishes, tansy, or nasturtiums nearby.
• See Squash Bug Organic Pest Control.

Squash vine borer

• Scientific name: Melittia cucurbitae
• Description: Fat, white caterpillar with a brown head. The adult is a moth with red, black, and copper rings 1½-inch long.
• Emergence time: Late spring.
• Susceptible plants: Vine crops: cucumbers, muskmelons, pumpkins, squash, watermelon.
• Damage: Bores into stems stems and the plant wilts.
• Prevention and controls: Wrap strips of nylon stocking around stems to keep adults from laying eggs; mound soil up to blossoms and keep covered; cover with spun polyester blanket or other row covers; plant resistant varieties; time planting to avoid insect growth cycle.
• Biological controls: Trichogramma wasps.
• Natural insecticides: Rotenone; sabadilla; use with care, insecticides also kill beneficial insects. Also diatomaceous earth.
• Plant companions: Plant early summer squash around late winter varieties as a trap crop. Destroy infested early summer squash and replant for a late crop.
• Se Squash Vine Borer Organic Pest Control.

Spotted and striped cucumber beetle

• Scientific name: Diabrotica undecimpunctata howardi (spotted cucumber beetle); Acalymma vittatum (striped cucumber beetle)
• Description: Yellow beetle with black head and three wide black stripes or spots on the wing covers; beetle to ¼-inch long. Larvae: slender, white grubs.
• Emergence time: Adults emerge in late spring.
• Susceptible plants: Cucumbers and other vine plants; beans, corn, peas, and flowers of many plants. Damage. Larvae feed on roots and stems; adults feed on leaves and shots; can transmit wilt and mosaic virus.
• Prevention and controls: Handpick; mulch around plants; cover plants with spun polyester blanket or other row covers; plant resistant varieties; dust with wood ashes or rock phosphate; grow plants on trellises; time planting to avoid insect growth cycle.
• Biological controls: Braconid wasps, tachinid flies, beneficial nematodes.
• Natural insecticides: Liquid rotenone or pyrethrum; sabadilla; use with care, insecticides also kill beneficial insects.
• Plant companions: Interplant with catnip, tansy, or radishes.
• See Cucumber Beetle Organic Pest Control.

Tarnished plant bug

• Scientific name: Lygus lineolaris
• Description: Oval, brown, and mottled yellow and black bug to ¼-inch long; very mobile.
• Emergence time: Spring.
• Susceptible plants: Beans, celery, chard, lettuce, strawberries, peaches, and pears.
• Damage: Suck juices from stems, buds, and fruits leaving black spots and pitting; injects a toxin that deforms flowers, blackens terminal shoots, dwarfs, and pits fruit; can carry fireblight.
• Prevention and controls: Keep the garden free of plant debris; white sticky traps.
• Biological controls: None.
• Natural insecticides: Sabadilla dust; liquid rotenone or pyrethrum; use with care, insecticides also kill beneficial insects.
• Plant companions: None.
• See Tarnished Plant Bug Organic Pest Control.

Thrips

• Scientific name: Order Thysanoptera: Family Thjripidae
• Description: Very tiny to minute insects, yellow, brown, or black with narrow, fringed wings; leave dark fecal pellets behind.
• Emergence time: Five to 15 generations per year; slow reproduction in winter.
• Susceptible plants: Onions, beans, cucumbers, corn, melons, squash, tomatoes, and many flowers.
• Damage: Scrape plant tissue, scar leaves, stems, and fruits; transmit viruses.
• Prevention and controls: Keep the garden free of weeds and debris; place aluminum foil mulch around plants; diatomaceous earth; soapy water sprays; yellow sticky traps.
• Biological controls: Green lacewings, ladybugs, predatory mites.
• Natural insecticides: Liquid rotenone or pyrethrum; insecticidal soap; use with care, insecticides also kill beneficial insects; tobacco and sulfur dust.
• Plant companions: None.

Tomato fruitworm / corn earworm

• Scientific name: Helicoverpa zea
• Description: Spiny caterpillar, white, green, or red to 1½ inches long. The adult is a brown moth.
• Emergence time: Late spring.
• Susceptible plants: Tomatoes
• Damage: Feed buds and leaves and later bore into fruit.
• Prevention and controls: Hand pick from. Remove debris from the garden in the fall and cultivate thoroughly.
• Biological controls: Trichogramma wasps, Bacillus thuringiensis, beneficial nematodes.
• Natural insecticides: Spray young plants with horticultural oil mixed with Bacillus thuringiensis every 2 weeks. Rotenone; use with care, insecticides also kill beneficial insects.
• Plant companions: Plant smartweed as a trap crop.
• See Corn Earworm-Tomato Fruitworm Organic Pest Control.

Weevils

• Scientific name: Order Coleoptera: Family Curculionidae
• Description: Many types of small beetles; usually brown or black and tear-shaped with hard-shelled bodies and long snots. Larvae are small whitish grubs.
• Emergence time: Overwinter in soil; adults emerge in late spring.
• Susceptible plants: Most vegetables, also apples, blueberries, cherries, peaches, pears, plums, raspberries, and strawberries.
• Damage: Puncture holes in leaves stems, and fruits, sometimes defoliating plants. Larvae eat roots, fruit, and stems.
• Prevention and controls: Hill up soil around stems of sweet potato vines; rotate crops; remove plant debris; time planting to avoid insect growth cycle.
• Biological controls: Beneficial nematodes, spiders.
• Natural insecticides: Diatomaceous earth. Pyrethrum, rotenone: use with care, insecticides also kill beneficial insects.
• Plant companions: None.
• See Weevil Organic Pest Control.

Whitefly

• Scientific name: Order Homoptera: Family Aleyrodidae
• Description: Adults are white about 1/12 inch long; with wings covered with powdery white scales. Nymphs are translucent legless scales. Feed and lay eggs on the undersides of leaves; fly up in a cloud when disturbed.
• Emergence time: Eggs over-winter hatch in early spring; many generations throughout the growing season.
• Susceptible plants: Cucumbers, melons, squash, tomatoes, citrus, and many weeds.
• Damage: Sucks sap from leaves causing foliage to curl, pucker, and yellow; loss of plant vigor; some transmits diseases such as mosaic; excrement supports black, sooty mold; attracts ants.
• Prevention and controls: Spray away with strong water; or soapy water spray; as a lure, use yellow sticky traps near the tops of plants; insecticidal soap; neem oil; cover plant with Spun polyester blanket or other row covers.
• Biological controls: Ladybugs; parasitic wasps.
• Natural insecticides: Insecticidal soap; nicotine. Pyrethrum; sabadilla; use with care, insecticides also kill beneficial insects. Light horticultural oil spray.
• Plant companions: Plant aster and parsley family plants also alyssum or clover to attract whitefly-eating beneficial insects. Onions and garlic may repel whiteflies. Trap crops: eggplant and squash.
• See Whitefly Organic Pest Control.

Wireworm

• Scientific name: Limonius spp.
• Description: Larvae of click beetles: ⅓- to 1½-inches long; dark brown to yellowish jointed, cylindrical, hard-shelled, legless worm often confused with a millipede.
• Emergence time. Beetles lay eggs in the soil in spring; worms emerge and take 2 to 6 years to reach adulthood.
• Damage: Chews roots, seeds, and tubers; plants wilt and die.
• Susceptible plants: Potatoes, beets, beans, lettuce, carrots, cabbage, corn, onions, muskmelons, and turnips.
• Prevention and controls: Cultivate to expose worms and discourage egg laying; plant green manure crops such as clover. Potato trap: bury halved potatoes cut side down in the soil to trap worms then discard potatoes after two days.
• Biological controls: Beneficial nematodes.
• Natural insecticides: Tobacco dust or tobacco tea.
• Plant companions: Alfalfa and clover crops repel wireworms.

Others:

• Scientific name:
• Description:
• Emergence time:
• Susceptible plants:
• Damage:
• Prevention and controls:
• Biological controls:
• Natural insecticides:
• Plant companions:

Related articles:

Vegetable Garden Organic Pest Control

Vegetable Garden Beneficial Insects

Vegetable Garden Diseases Problem Solver

Vegetable Garden Organic Weed Control

Garden Planning Books at Amazon:

• Vegetable Garden Almanac & Planner
• Kitchen Garden Grower’s Guide Vegetable Encyclopedia
• Vegetable Garden Grower’s Guide
• Tomato Grower’s Answer Book

The post Common Vegetable Garden Insect Pests appeared first on Harvest to Table.

Adult and young ladybugs also eat asparagus beetle larvae, Colorado potato beetle larvae, lace bugs, mealybugs, Mexican bean beetle larvae, scale, spider mites, whiteflies, and the eggs of several insects. One ladybug can eat 5,000 pest aphids in its lifetime.

The ladybug is also called the lady beetle and the ladybird beetle.

Ladybugs consume pollen and nectar in addition to pest insects.

The ladybug belongs to the scientific family Coccinellidae. There are more than 450 species of ladybugs throughout North America.

There are about 4,000 species of lady beetles worldwide. Perhaps the best known is the Convergent Lady Beetle (Hippodamia convergens) which is an important biological control for gardens and orchards and is commonly sold commercially to gardeners.

Several hundred lady beetles are sufficient to rid a modest garden of insect pests. About 1,000 lady beetles can rid an acre of most soft-bodied insect pests.

How to identify the ladybug

Ladybugs are about ¼ inch long. They have round bodies with black spots on bright orange to red wing covers. The number of spots varies with the species of ladybug.  The head and legs are black.

Ladybug larvae resemble miniature alligators. They are black with reddish markings, about ¼ inch long. Ladybug larvae can eat 40 aphids in an hour.

Adults

Adult lady beetles are shiny and round from 1/16 to 3/8 inch long with short legs and antennae. Common species are pale yellow to dark reddish-orange with or without circular black spots on the wing covers; some species are solid black or black with red spots. Thoracic lines for commonly used for field identification.

The often photographed convergent lady beetle is ¼ inch long, orange or red usually with 12 black spots and black thorax (the second body segment behind the head and before the abdomen) with two converging white stripes or lines on the thorax. The convergent lady beetle should not be confused with the Mexican bean beetle which is yellowish-brown and has 16 black pots on its wing cover.

Larva

Lady beetle larvae are black, spindle-shaped, alligator-like in appearance with knoblike projections but no other conspicuous markings when they emerge from their eggs. The larvae develop orange markings on the third, fourth, and fifth abdominal segments as they mature. Larvae eat 300 to 400 aphids and molt three times to a pupa stage that comes between the larva and adult stages. Adults emerge from the pupa stage in 5 to 7 days. The cycle from egg to adult takes about one month during spring and slightly less in summer.

Eggs

Lady beetle eggs are white or yellow ovals usually deposited in upright clusters from spring to late fall. Eggs are laid in groups of 5 to 50 on the underside of leaves. In warm weather, eggs hatch in about three to five days.

Ladybug feeding habits

Lady beetles in their larval and adult stages eat aphids, mealy bugs, soft scales, psyllids (jumping plant lice), whiteflies, mites, and other pest insects. One lady beetle can eat nearly 1,000 aphids in its lifetime.

Lady beetles are opportunistic feeders; they prefer to feed on large aphid populations but do not always stay around until the last aphid is gone. Lady beetles will move on to larger aphid colonies to continue feeding. Lady beetles also feed on plant pollen and nectar flowers and leafy weeds such as dandelions, wild carrots, and yarrow. If contained in a greenhouse, lady beetles should have access to simulated honeydew nectar such as a yeast-sugar mixture.

Ladybug lifecycle

The lifecycle of a ladybug—from egg to adult—lasts 5 to 7 weeks. There are one to several generations of ladybugs per year depending on the species.

Ladybugs overwinter as adults in tree bark and garden litter.

Lady beetles lay eggs in early spring. Eggs hatch in 3 to 5 days producing larvae that feed for 2 to 3 weeks and then pupate. Adults emerge in 7 to 10 days and feed through the fall, then either lay eggs and die or hibernate over winter emerging in spring to deposit eggs and die.

Many lady beetle species fly hundreds of miles to hibernate at higher elevations in winter. Most of the year lady beetles are in a quiescent state congregating in large aggregations near creeks or water during the summer and in trees and tall plants at higher elevations in fall and winter. Lady beetles feed little when aggregated living off of fat stored during the spring feeding phase. Adult lady beetles feed on 200 to 500 medium-sized aphids before aggregating.

How to attract ladybugs to the garden

Attract and sustain ladybugs in your garden by planting pollen- and nectar-producing plants such as cilantro, dill, fennel, oregano, thyme, yarrow, Queen Anne’s Lace, Coreopsis, bugleweed, and butterfly weed.

Ladybug coverage and release

Lady bugs will remain in a garden if there is enough food to sustain them. If there is not enough food—aphids or other soft-bodied pests, they will fly away or aggregate. Hibernating lady beetles released into a garden will not feed until they have burned off the fat they stored before hibernating.

If you purchase lady beetles that have been refrigerated and are hibernating, release a few dozen at a time allowing them to find food. If you release several hundred at once, they are likely to simply fly away.

The best time to release lady beetles into the garden is late in the afternoon or at sundown; this will encourage them to stay for the night and find suitable food and protection. Dampen the ground or plants before releasing lady beetles, this will encourage them to stay and drink water.

Release lady beetles at the base of plants; their instinct is to climb the nearest plant and hunt for food. Release groups of lady beetles 20 feet apart or more so that they can hunt for food.

About 1,000 lady beetles will rid an acre of ground of most soft-bodied pests.

Related articles:

Vegetable Garden Beneficial Insects

Vegetable Garden Organic Pest Control

Vegetable Garden Diseases Problem Solver

Vegetable Garden Organic Weed Control

Garden Planning Books at Amazon:

• Vegetable Garden Almanac & Planner
• Kitchen Garden Grower’s Guide Vegetable Encyclopedia
• Vegetable Garden Grower’s Guide
• Tomato Grower’s Answer Book

The post Ladybug Beneficial Insect appeared first on Harvest to Table.

Sowbugs eat decaying plants and other organic material in the garden including decaying vegetables and fruits. Sometimes they will chew on seedlings and strawberry fruits, but generally, they do not threaten crops and are important to the process of decomposition of organic matter.

Sowbugs are found throughout the United States.

Sowbugs belong to the scientific family Armadillidae.

Good Products for Pest and Disease Control at Amazon:

• Garden Safe Snail and Slug Bait
• Bonide Sulfur Fungicide
• Monterey BT Caterpillar Killer
• Neem Bliss 100-% Cold Pressed Neem Oil
• Safer Brand Insect Killing Soap
• PyGanic Botanical Insecticide

How to identify sowbugs

Adult sowbugs are slate gray or brown ¼ to 5/8 inch long with jointed armor segments and seven pairs of tiny legs. A sowbug resembles a tiny armadillo.

Some species of sowbugs that roll up in a ball when disturbed are called pillbugs or roly polys. But not all sowbugs can do this. Generally, all sowbugs are also referred to as woodlice.

Sowbug target plants

Sowbugs feed on decaying plant material. They occasionally feed on seedlings, new roots, and the lower leaves of plants that may be laying on the ground. They feed decaying vegetables and fruits laying on the ground.

Sowbug feeding habits and damage

Sowbugs will chew decaying plant leaves and fruit. They will also chew strawberry fruits laying on moist soil. The damage sowbugs inflict is not severe. Because sowbugs eat decaying organic matter, they assist in the natural composting process. They also turn the soil and aid in soil aeration which is an aid to plant roots.

Sowbug life cycle

Sowbugs reproduce both sexually and asexually. An adult female sowbug keeps eggs on the underside of her body until they hatch. Nymphs are small and white but otherwise, look like adult sowbugs. Nymphs grow into adults by progressively shedding their shell-like exoskeleton in two stages, first the back half, then the front half. After molting, sowbugs appear purple or blue.

Sowbugs are active and feed at night. They breathe through gills and require a moist environment. During the day they hide in dark, moist places, under boards, rocks, mulch, and decaying plants.

Sowbug organic controls

There are several ways to naturally, organically control sowbugs:

• Limit excessive soil moisture in the garden to limit the number of sowbugs. Water in the morning so that plants and the soil surface can dry out by night.
• Encourage air circulation in the garden; use spun poly or plastic sheet mulch to keep crops off the ground or grow plants on stakes and trellises.
• To keep sowbugs from crops sprinkle diatomaceous earth around the base of plants and build foundations where bugs congregate.
• Trap sowbugs under stones or boards, then remove them to another location or destroy them.
• Make paper traps painted with a sticky coating such as Tanglefoot; then fold them tentlike and place them around the garden.

Related articles:

Vegetable Garden Organic Pest Control

Vegetable Garden Diseases Problem Solver

Vegetable Garden Organic Weed Control

Garden Planning Books at Amazon:

• Vegetable Garden Almanac & Planner
• Kitchen Garden Grower’s Guide Vegetable Encyclopedia
• Vegetable Garden Grower’s Guide
• Tomato Grower’s Answer Book

The post Sowbug Organic Pest Control appeared first on Harvest to Table.

The beautiful black-and-yellow swallowtail butterfly is the adult form of the parsley worm.

The parsley worm eats the leaves and stems of carrot-family plants but does little damage. The swallowtail butterfly drinks nectar from flowers.

Many gardeners prefer to attract swallowtail butterflies to their gardens and do nothing to control the parsley worm caterpillar.

The parsley worm is found throughout the United States.

The scientific name of the parsley worm is Papilio polyxenes asterius.

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• Garden Safe Snail and Slug Bait
• Bonide Sulfur Fungicide
• Monterey BT Caterpillar Killer
• Neem Bliss 100-% Cold Pressed Neem Oil
• Safer Brand Insect Killing Soap
• PyGanic Botanical Insecticide

Parsley worm target plants

Parsley worms chew the stems and leaves of plants in the carrot family: carrots, celery, parsnip, fennel, dill, and anise as well as Queen Anne’s lace and yarrow. Adults feed on the nectar of flowers.

Parsley worm feeding habits and damage

Parsley worms chew the stems and leaves of carrot-family plants. Unless there is a large infestation, the damage to plants is commonly minor.

Parsley worm life cycle

In cold-winter regions, this insect overwinters as a pupa and in warm climates as an adult butterfly. Adults emerge from pupa in spring and lay single round, pale green or cream-colored eggs the size of pinheads on the tips of host plant leaves. Eggs hatch in four to nine days, then caterpillars feed for 10 to 30 days before entering the pupal stage—a chrysalis–for about 18 days.

There are two to four generations of parsley worms each year.

Parsley worm organic controls

Handpick parsley worms and move them to expendable host plants from the carrot family; plants specifically planted to feed the parsley worm and host the swallowtail and other butterflies.

Serious parsley worm infestations can be controlled by Bacillus thuringiensis dust; dust all parts of the leaves, especially the undersides or apply BT in liquid form; reapply every 10 to 14 days until the infestation is controlled.

Attracting Swallowtail Butterflies: To attract swallowtail butterflies provide water and plant nectar plants such as parsley, dill, fennel, butterfly bush, or lantana.

Parsley worm natural predators

The parsley worm’s insect predators include assassin bugs, lacewing larvae, parasitic wasps, and predatory flies. Animal predators include Baltimore orioles, barn swallows, bluebirds, chickadees, flycatchers, and kinglets, also snakes, and toads.

Birds will eat parsleyworms but they may not eat caterpillars that have fed on licorice-flavored anise. Licorice is a flavor most birds do not like.

Related articles:

Vegetable Garden Organic Pest Control

Vegetable Garden Diseases Problem Solver

Vegetable Garden Organic Weed Control

Garden Planning Books at Amazon:

• Vegetable Garden Almanac & Planner
• Kitchen Garden Grower’s Guide Vegetable Encyclopedia
• Vegetable Garden Grower’s Guide
• Tomato Grower’s Answer Book

The post Parsley Worm Organic Pest Control appeared first on Harvest to Table.

Praying mantids eat aphids, asparagus beetles, caterpillars, Colorado potato beetles, earwigs, leafhoppers, Mexican bean beetles, and squash bugs. Praying mantids also eat beneficial insects, butterflies, and bees.

The praying mantid is a beneficial insect sometimes known as the “destroyer of other insects.” Praying mantises eat an array of pest insects—up to 21 different species including aphids, leafhoppers, mosquitoes, beetles, caterpillars, spiders, moths, and grasshoppers.

Mantises do not distinguish between pest insects, neutral insects, and other beneficial insects; mantises are prey insects and will eat just about anything they can capture—including other mantises.

There are as many as 1800 species of praying mantid. They commonly grow from 2½ to 4 inches long, but some Asian species can grow up to 12 inches long.

Praying mantids can be found throughout North America. There are about 20 native species and several introduced species. Praying mantises are also found in Europe and Asia.

The scientific name of the praying mantid is Tenodera aridifolia sinensis and Mantis religiosa.

Good Products for Pest and Disease Control at Amazon:

• Garden Safe Snail and Slug Bait
• Bonide Sulfur Fungicide
• Monterey BT Caterpillar Killer
• Neem Bliss 100-% Cold Pressed Neem Oil
• Safer Brand Insect Killing Soap
• PyGanic Botanical Insecticide

How to identify the praying mantid

Adult praying mantid

Praying mantids are large, slender insects light brown or green up to five inches long with enlarged front legs and prominent eyes. Praying mantids have wings, but fly only to mate. The adult praying mantid has a green or brownish long body with papery wings and enlarged front legs that are adapted for grasping prey. The adult praying mantid is commonly 2½ to 4 inches long.

Praying mantid nymphs

The praying mantid nymph is about ⅛ inch long when it emerges from the egg. The nymph looks like a small adult except it does not have wings. The nymph feeds on aphids, beetles, bugs, leafhoppers, flies, bees and wasps, caterpillars, butterflies, and each other. Nymphs molt or shed their exoskeleton several times before they reach full size.

Praying mantid eggs

An egg case called an ootheca is a hard foam-like, straw-colored mass or case that contains 100 to 300 eggs. The case can be found attached to twigs or the underside leaves late summer into spring. Wingless hatchlings emerge in spring and begin to feed on insects smaller than themselves, usually aphids. As nymphs grow to adults they feed on progressively larger insects.

Praying mantid life cycle

Praying mantises go through three stages of metamorphosis in the course of one year: egg, nymph, and adult. Female praying mantids lay eggs in spongy, grayish egg cases they attach to stems or twigs. Each case contains 50 to 400 eggs. Young mantids—they look like small adults but do not have wings–hatch in spring and begin feeding immediately. A mantid nymph emerges from its egg case in late spring or early summer; each egg case contains 100 to 400 eggs. The nymph and adult look the same, except the nymph is smaller and has no wings.

As a mantid grows it molts or sheds its exoskeleton 5 to 10 times until it is fully grown. The adult will live on through the summer and autumn until it is killed by cold weather; in warm-winter regions, mantids may live on in a state called diapause—a biological quiet period.

Female mantids deposit eggs in autumn and then die about three weeks later; the eggs hatch the following spring. Egg cases are hardy and can survive in sub-zero temperatures. Praying mantids thrive in temperate climates that average 70° to 80°F and 60 to 65 percent humidity.

There is one generation of praying mantids each year. Mantids live for 10 to 12 months.

Target insects

Praying mantids eat aphids, asparagus beetles, caterpillars, Colorado potato beetles, earwigs, leafhoppers, Mexican bean beetles, and squash bugs. Praying mantids also eat beneficial insects, butterflies, and bees.

Praying mantid feeding habits

Praying mantids do not stalk their prey; they ambush their prey. They sit and wait for passing insects. They grip their prey with their enlarged forelegs and eat them live.

Praying mantid nymphs and adult mantises are ambush predators. They stand perfectly still blending into their surroundings then catch their prey with their grasping, spiked forelegs. They hold the prey with one leg between the head and thorax, and the other on the abdomen. They eat their prey alive often starting with the head first and then carrying on with the body in pieces.

How to attract praying mantids to the garden

Attract praying mantids to the garden by planting shrubs and perennials that provide strong stems and branches to which praying mantids can shelter and attach their egg cases. Praying mantids do not consume pollen or nectar, but plants that produce pollen and nectar will attract insects that mantids eat.

Using praying mantises for insect control

One hundred praying mantises or about will rid an average garden of most pest insects in short order. Mantises follow the food supply, so once a garden is rid of pests most mantises will move on.

One egg case can supply enough mantises for a small garden; three egg cases provide enough mantises for 5,000 square foot garden. The number of mantises in a garden will decrease as the food supply decreases.

Praying mantid egg cases can be purchased. Keep them refrigerated until you are ready to place them in the garden. Attach the egg cases to twigs or plant stalks or branches until they hatch.

Tie egg cases to twigs or branches or place them in a container with holes large enough for nymphs to escape; this will protect egg cases from birds and rodents.

Related articles:

Vegetable Garden Beneficial Insects

Vegetable Garden Organic Pest Control

Vegetable Garden Diseases Problem Solver

Vegetable Garden Organic Weed Control

Garden Planning Books at Amazon:

• Vegetable Garden Almanac & Planner
• Kitchen Garden Grower’s Guide Vegetable Encyclopedia
• Vegetable Garden Grower’s Guide
• Tomato Grower’s Answer Book

The post Praying Mantid Beneficial Insect appeared first on Harvest to Table.