How to Identify, Prevent and Contain Common Garden Pests

Here in southern Indiana, there are pests in the garden that will devour your produce before you can turn around twice. These monsters can't be kept out by fences, have a total disregard for noisemakers, and are most often no larger than a fingernail. Here are some of the most common and tips on how to rid your garden of these beasts.

Mexican Bean Beetle: Yellow-orange with spots, this pest is many times mistaken for a ladybug. Believe me, though, you don't want these visiting your garden. They lay their yellow eggs in clusters on the underside of leaves and the larvae hatch into small spiny yellow grubs. The larvae and adults feed on the leaves (and sometimes the beans themselves) leaving lacy looking leaves and, eventually, just the leaf veins. The best method of containing theses pests is prevention. At the end of the season, clean up all your plant debris so that the adults don't have anywhere to winter. Check the underside of leaves often and smash any eggs, larvae or adults that you find on the plants. There are also horticultural oils and insecticidal soaps that will kill larvae and adults.

Tomato Horned Worm: These menacing-looking caterpillars, named for the horn by their bottom, can grow up to five inches long. Their light green color allows them to blend nicely with garden plants. Don't let their name fool you, though. They feed on all parts of the tomato plant, but also love peppers, eggplants, and potatoes. They lay their eggs on the underside of leaves, so check your plants often (both for eggs and caterpillars). Smash eggs and any caterpillars that you find.

Potato Beetle: This yellow beetle is distinguished by the black stripes running down its body, as well as the black spots behind its head. Its larvae is red with black spots down its sides. As the name implies, they feed on potatoes, but also enjoy eggplants, peppers and tomatoes. The adults dig down in the soil during the winter, then emerge in the spring and lay their yellow eggs in clusters on the underside of leaves. Mulch your garden with a thick organic mulch in late autumn or early winter. This makes it difficult for adult beetles that have buried themselves in your garden soil to emerge in the spring. Check your plants often, smashing any eggs that you find. For adults and larvae, fill a jar about halfway with soapy water, then knock the beetles and larvae into the jar.

Japanese Beetles: These pests feed on virtually every crop in the garden, as well as most ornamental shrubs. They feed on the meaty part of leaves, eventually leaving nothing but the leaf veins. Their metallic black body and copper colored wings make them easy to spot on plants. Since they do fly, it's easiest to knock them into soapy water as you would the potato beetle. You can also buy a pheromone trap, but be sure to place it far away from your garden. Otherwise, you will attract Japanese beetles in droves to the very place you are trying to protect.

Unfortunately, these are just a few of the many small pests that can invade your garden. Proper preparation of your garden, both before and after the garden season, can help prevent adults from laying eggs. This, along with keeping a watchful eye on your plants throughout the growing season, may help reduce the number of these invaders and keep damage to your garden at a minimum.

Sources:
National Gardening Association http://www.garden.org/pestlibrary/