Insecticides are substances used to control insect pests. There are insecticides derived from plants, animals, and natural mineral sources, and there are pesticides derived from synthetically produced chemicals. Naturally derived pesticides are often accepted for use on or around organically grown vegetables and fruits. Synthetically produced insecticides are not used in natural or organic gardening…
Pest Control
Nematodes in the Garden
Nematodes are microscopic soil-dwelling worms, many less than 1/16-inch long. There are beneficial nematodes and pest nematodes. Beneficial nematodes help turn organic matter into plant nutrients. They also prey on soil-dwelling plant pests such as white grubs and root maggots. Pest nematodes feed on plant roots, stunting and sometimes killing plants including many vegetables. Nematodes…
Cutworms Natural Insect Pest Control
Cutworms are the larvae of several species of night-flying moths. The moths are brownish or gray with 1½-inch wingspans. The larvae are plump, gray or brown, hairless caterpillars often with shiny heads. Cutworms feed at night on young plants, usually severing the stem at or just below the soil line causing the plant to fall…
Sowbugs (Pillbugs) Natural Controls
Sowbugs are hard shelled land-dwelling crustaceans. They are not insects. 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 an tiny armadillo. Sowbugs eat decaying plant and other organic material in the garden including decaying vegetables and fruits. Sometimes…
Weevils Natural Insect Pest Control
Weevils are oval, brownish-gray or black, flightless, hard-shelled beetles about ⅓-inch long with a pronounced snout. Weevil larvae are plump, white grubs up to ½-inch long with yellowish brown heads. Adult weevils chew on leaf edges leaving small scalloped bite marks. Larvae are soil-dwelling and feed on plant roots. Weevil chewed leaves do little harm…
Parsleyworm Natural Insect Control
The parsleyworm is a very large, two-inch long, green caterpillar with yellow-dotted black bands across each body segment. It has a pair of orange horns that it can project to scare off enemies. The beautiful black-and-yellow swallowtail butterfly is the adult form of the parsleyworm. The parsleyworm eats the leaves and stems of carrot-family plants…
Tarnished Plant Bug Natural Insect Pest Control
Adult tarnished plant bugs are oval and small, just ¼ inch big. They are brown mottled with yellow, bronze, or reddish marks and each forewing is black-tipped with a yellow triangle. Tarnished plant bug nymphs are yellow-green and wingless, somewhat similar to adults in appearance. Tarnished plant bug eggs are yellow and long and curved….
Spittlebug Natural Insect Pest Control
Spittlebugs are the nymphs of insects called froghoppers. Adult froghoppers are small oval- to triangular-shaped insects ¼ to ½ inch in length. The adults can be green, tan, brown, or black. They can jump as much as 100 times their height, giving them the name froghoppers. They can also fly. Many species of froghopper resemble…
Squash Vine Borer Natural Insect Pest Control
The squash vine borer is a wrinkled, cream-colored caterpillar with a brown head, about 1 to 2 inches long. The adult-form of the vine borer is a narrow-winged olive-brown moth with a 1- to 1½-inch wide wingspan. The moth has fringed hind legs, a red abdomen with black rings, and translucent wings. It is sometimes…
Leafhoppers Natural Insect Pest Control
Leafhoppers are wedge-shaped, slender, greenish, yellow, or brown translucent winged insects 1/10 to ½ inch long. Nymph leafhoppers are pale green wingless insects but otherwise look like adult leafoppers. Leafhoppers have piercing mouthparts and suck the sap from many leafy crops such as lettuce and endive but they also attack potatoes and tomatoes. Leafhoppers are…
