Colorado potato beetles are bright yellow with 5 bold brown stripes along the length of its body. Found in southwestern states, they are a pest of potato crops as well as tomatoes, eggplant, and peppers. They become active in May and will lay eggs as soon as a host plant is found, hatching in 4 – 15 days. They feed on foliage and can cause extensive damage. Hand pick them off plants and drown them in soapy water. Treat with Neem insecticide.
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
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
The bees that cause precise circles or ovals in foliage are small and hairy, either black, green, purple or blue. They seem to prefer foliage of roses, although any tree or shrub that has a shiny, firm leaf may be cut. Bees are docile and rarely sting humans and can … Read More
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 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.
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.
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
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.
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 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
Crickets are nocturnal insects, smaller than grasshoppers, which develop underground for 2-4 years. Male crickets chirp in a high pitch tone. Crickets lay eggs in the soil and in plant stems, causing serious damage to plants. Use a granular treatment of `Kill A Bug` if treating in a garden or … Read More