A plant pest is any animal, pathogen, or environmental factor that negatively affects the health or growth of a plant. Plant pests can be classified into several categories, including insects, mites, nematodes, fungi, bacteria, viruses, and abiotic factors such as drought or excess heat. Some common examples of plant pests include aphids, caterpillars, mealybugs, fungus gnats, and various types of fungus.
They can cause a wide range of problems, including damage to leaves, stems, and roots. As well as stunted growth and reduced crop yields. In some cases, pests can even kill plants. To control them, gardeners often use a combination of physical, chemical, and biological methods. Such as handpicking, pesticides, and releasing predatory insects like Ladybugs.
It is important to use these methods carefully, as overuse of pesticides can lead to environmental problems and the development of pesticide resistance in pest populations.
Here you will find information on all types of plant pests for indoor and outdoor plants. How to identify, how to get rid of plant pests and prevent future infestations.
Fungus gnats and fruit flies are two of the most common, and annoying, insects found in homes. Both are in the insect order Diptera and adults are about ⅛ inch long. Even though they’re small, there are several physical characteristics you can use to identify them. They also cause different types of damage and tend …
Gnats Vs Fruit Flies (What’s the Difference?) – GIY Plants Read More »
There are more than 5,000 described species of ladybugs in the insect family Coccinellidae. New species are still being discovered, with a few being described for the first time as recently as 2020. The name ladybug is often misleading since these insects are beetles, in the order Coleoptera, not true bugs which are in the …
Cucumber beetle is the common name given to members of the genus Acalymma and Diabrotica. The most common cucumber beetles are the striped cucumber beetle (Acalymma vittatum). And the spotted cucumber beetle (Diabrotica undecimpunctata howardi). These beetles can be serious pests on cucurbit plants in your garden. In this article, we will cover everything you …
Cucumber Beetle (Striped and Spotted) – GIY Plants Read More »
Japanese beetles (Popillia japonica) are invasive insects in North America that were brought over from Asia in the early 1900s. Since then, they have spread to more than 30 states in the U.S. and into Canada. Adults can cause unsightly damage to many ornamental plants and their offspring are significant pests of turfgrass. Controlling Japanese …
Japanese Beetles (Popillia japonica) – GIY Plants Read More »
There are approximately 5,000 species of aphids in the family Aphidoidea, all of which feed on plant sap. They tend to live in colonies with hundreds or thousands of individuals. When populations become too large, or food sources run low, aphids can produce offspring with wings that disperse to new plants for feeding. Aphids can …
Aphid (Aphidoidea) Management Guide – GIY Plants Read More »
The tomato hornworm (Manduca quinquemaculata) is a member of the Sphingidae (hawk moth) family. The formal common name is tomato hornworm, but it has been given all kinds of names on the internet including green tomato worm, tomato caterpillar, green caterpillar, and tomato worm moth. Even the adult form has a formal common name, the …
Tomato Hornworm (Manduca quinquemaculata) – GIY Plants Read More »
Thrips can cause a variety of plant damage and are easiest to get rid of using a combination of integrated pest management (IPM) techniques. There are more than 5000 known thrips species in the insect order Thysanoptera. Some species only feed on a few plants while others will feed on a wide variety. Adult thrips …
There are more than 2,000 species of mealybugs in the family Pseudococcidae. Thankfully, you’ll likely only find two species of mealybugs on houseplants! Their name refers to the white secretions covering their bodies. That look like finely ground meal[5]. They feed on a wide variety of ornamental plants indoors and outdoors. While mealybugs are not …
Mealybugs On Houseplants (Get Rid of & Prevent) – GIY Plants Read More »
Scale insects on houseplants can be a major headache. There are more than 8,000 different species, all within the superfamily Coccoidea[1]. Around 1,000 scale species can be found feeding on plants in North America. They are extremely diverse in appearance, behavior, lifecycle, and reproductive strategies. Scale bugs are difficult to control due to the protective …
There are several ways to get rid of fungus gnats in houseplants. The best method is to keep the soil surface dry since eggs are only laid on wet soil. Let the top 1 inch of soil dry between waterings and/or add a 1 inch layer of coarse sand on top. The sand will dry …
How to get rid of fungus gnats in houseplants – GIY Plants Read More »
GIY Plants is made up of a group of gardening enthusiast covering topics for beginners as well as seasoned gardeners. We cover topics on houseplants, gardening & pests.
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