Description
Lady bugs are colorfully spotted, 1/4″ long, red with black spots. They feed on aphids, mites and other soft-bodied insects. They cause no plant damage, making them beneficial insects commercially sold in nurseries.
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Thrip Damage
Thrips scrape openings in plant tissue to feed on plant juices and lay their eggs inside. These minute cuts cause silvery flecks on foliage and silver or brown blemishes on flowers and buds. They chew and suck plants vigorously scraping away the chlorophyl on leaves where they feed. Thrips look … Read More
Slugs
Slugs thrive in moist, shady sites. They often hide under foliage rosettes for protection from drying sunlight. Silvery trails along the ground and on leaves are signs of their presence. They can decimate plants in a short time. Hand pick them to protect plants from looking ragged. Snail bait can … Read More
Psyllids
Psyllids are small winged insects called jumping plant lice. They are greenish or brownish and no more than 1/10″ long. They have antennae and clear wings that fold into a triangular shape and jump up when disturbed. They target acacia, boxwood, eucalyptus, laurel, magnolia, and pear trees. They will suck … Read More
Leaf Rollers
Leaf rollers are caterpillars that feed on leaves, shoots, and fruit. Larvae roll themselves up inside leaves, sometimes spinning a web to join fruit and leaves together. Other pests and fungal rots later enter the holes that leaf rollers chew in fruit. Treatment: Thuricide
Leaf Roller Damage
Leaf roller larvae will roll themselves up inside leaves, spinning a web to join leaves together. Other pests and fungal rots later enter the holes that leaf rollers chew. Treat with Thuricide.
Lacewings
Lacewings are 1/2 inch in length, a delicate green color, and have transparent wings. They feed on plant nectar and pollen. Lacewings consume many garden pests such as aphids, mealybugs, scale, leafhopper nymphs, whiteflies, small caterpillars and spider mites, making them a beneficial garden insect. The larva looks somethng like … Read More
Japanese Beetles
Sporadic sightings have occured in western states. The body is 1/2″ long, has a distinctive metallic green sheen, and wing covers are copper colored. Larvae that live in the soil are white, C-shaped grubs. Adults feed on flowers and foliage during the day. They can fly as far as 5 … Read More
Ground Beetles
These insects are shiny black. They can fly, but prefer to crawl. Beetles live in burrows in the soil, emerging to hunt and feed at night on other insects, caterpillars, soil maggots and grubs. Some larger species eat snails and slugs. They do not damage plants. No prevention is needed.
Grasshoppers
These 1/2″ long winged insects with enlarged hind legs can be brown, green or yellow. Although they chew grass, they are usually not a problem, but in large numbers can strip plants right to the ground. They can be controlled with insecticide.
Earwigs
Earwigs are reddish-brown insects that are 3/4″ long. They are easily recognized by the pointy pincers on the tail end of their abdomens. Although they have wings, they rearely fly, preferring to quickly crawl. They are active from spring through fall. Earwigs eat decomposing and decaying wood. They are not … Read More
Companion Planting
Companion planting is a concept that calls for planting two kinds of plants in a bed to discourage insects from attacking one of the two. The most common example is planting marigolds in the vegetable garden. Certain soil loving nematodes attack the roots of vegetables; marigold roots secrete a substance … Read More
Animal Damage
Repellants that contain the urine of that particular animal’s predator, gopher traps placed in their major tunnels or constructed raised beds that are completely lined with wire are all remedies for animals that are damaging your plants. For rabbits, install cages over low growing beds. For birds, to protect fruit … Read More