Managing Pests in the Garden: Identification and Organic Controls

Having pests in the garden is a common problem for most vegetable gardeners. Learning to identify them can be valuable information when trying to control them. Every gardener faces pest issues from time to time and the accompanying dilemma of whether to try to control them, get rid of the entire crop, cut away the areas damaged by insects, or just grow crops less susceptible to pest damage, like the ones listed under Rarely below.

Here are five pests that cause the most damage in our zone and organic controls to help you fight the pest battle.

Squash vine borers (Melittia Satyriniformis)

We usually notice the presence of a borer when we suddenly see our plant wilting. If you notice a hole in the stem at the base of the plant, a borer is most likely the culprit. The plants that are more susceptible to this pest are winter and summer squash, melons, and pumpkins. Even cucumbers are sometimes affected.

There are several remedies that I have tried; some have been successful and some have not. Covering my crop with a floating row cover has brought me much success. When the plant begins to flower, remove the row cover and monitor closely. An organic control to try is Bt (Bacillus Thuringiensis). Spray it on the base of the plant weekly to smother any eggs that may be present.

Cabbage Worms (Artogeia Rapae)   

Cabbage worms can cause severe damage to plants in the brassica family by chewing holes in leaves, sometimes to the point that only the stem remains. Plants that are more likely to experience damage from these pests are cabbage, broccoli, kale, and collards, amongst others.

Attracting birds to your garden can be helpful as a physical preventative measure. If they cause more damage, row covers can also help decrease the damage from cabbage worms. An organic control to apply on your crop is DE (Diatomaceous Earth). Sprinkle this powder on your foliage to stop the infestation. Bt (Bacillus Thuringiensis) also works well as an organic control here.

Aphids

Aphids are tiny insects that can be winged and non-winged, depending on the species. They also can have many colors—including brown, black, green, red, and yellow—and affect many vegetable crops, including tomatoes, lettuce, kale, and cabbage.

Since aphids typically feed off of new plants, sucking the plant juices and causing abnormal growth, I suggest a row cover here as well. Neem oil is the organic control that is usually used with much success.

Tomato Hornworms (Manduca Quinquemaculata)

Hornworms can vary in size from one inch to as large as four inches in length and get their name from the small “horn” projecting from their abdominal area. Tomato hornworms survive winters as pupae and emerge as adult moths in spring. They can be found on potatoes, eggplants, and peppers, but they prefer tomato plants. Unfortunately, the horn worms blend in perfectly with the leaves and may not be noticed until most of the damage is done.

Remove weeds or any physical environment where worms can lay eggs, and check your plants at least twice per week for damage. Using Bt (Bacillus Thuringiensis) can be effective but works best on young caterpillars. Insecticidal soap is also effective, but mostly on the younger caterpillars.

Harlequin Bug (Murgantia Histrionica)

This pest has the ability to destroy and entire crop when it’s not controlled. The harlequin bug injures the host plants by sucking their sap, causing the plants to wilt, brown and die. Plants commonly attacked by the harlequin bug include such crucifers as horseradish, cabbage, cauliflower, collards, mustard, Brussels sprouts, turnips, kohlrabi and radishes.

Other than adding a row cover to your crop, an organic control for the harlequin bug is one part Neem Oil mixed with one percent insecticidal soap.

Pests are part of a gardener’s life, but it’s possible to control them using organic methods. Our gardens will thank us!