Garden Pests

Garden pests include all insects and animals that interfere with the growth and health of plants.

There are many ways of ridding your garden of these pesky pests, ranging from harsh chemical and organic chemicals to simple home remedies.

Types of Garden Pests

· Insects- Insects can be the most difficult garden pest to get rid of because of their size and the ability to multiple so quickly. Some common insect garden pests are ants, aphids, borers, bugs, the Japanese beetle, leaf cutters, mealy bugs, scale and soil insects, spider mites, spittle bugs, thrips and whiteflies.

· Mollusks- Snails or slugs do not seem to be a terribly huge concern when it comes to gardening but , in fact, they can do a great deal of damage, especially to the cabbage family.

· Birds- Crows and Blue Jays eat corn, and many birds eat seeds and seedlings, as well as fruit, berries and nuts. There are many birds that a gardener should be aware of, which include, but are not limited to, gulls, magpies, pigeons, robins, sparrows, geese, ducks and starlings. Although most birds can be a nuisance in the garden there are some that actually help control bug populations, such as the Purple Martin.

· Rodents and small mammals- These garden pest may venture into your hard work and destroy it by eating plants and digging. Some small mammals that you may encounter are aramadillos, groundhogs, mice and rats, moles, racoons, and skunks. Unfortunately, you may find yourself attempting numerous times to get rid of this problem because this group can be a bit pesky.

· Larger mammals- Only becoming a problem in the suburbs, the list includes bears, deer and moose. Coyotes and local cats and dogs are also known to munch on your vegetables. This category is much more difficult to control; contact an authority on the best way to handle the types of larger mammals you might find in you area.

Types of Insects

· Ants- Cause root damage as they burrow to build their nests.

· Aphids- Usually clumped together in numbers, aphids suck the life right out of plants, or, in other words, the sap, which leads to slower growth and shabby appearances. This insect can be any color.

· Cane borer- The maggot of the eggs laid by sawflies or carpenter bees in the freshly cut can of the rose after pruning. Identified when the puncture a hole visible in the top of the cane.

· Japanese beetle- Indiscrimenately eats parts of the foliage and sometimes the flower. These garden pests can be pinched off by hand.

· Leaf-cutter bee- This very small garden pest is yellowish to green and jumps on the underside of foliage to eat, often leaving a white skin behind.

· Mealy bugs- When first discovered in a garden, mealy bugs often times are mistaken for some sort of disease or mold. Their appearance is very similar to a mold, and hence are difficult to get rid of due to misclassification.

· Scale insects- These garden pests often build up to large numbers because they go undetected. They are oval, 3 millimeters in length and look like small, brown limpits. Their shells protect them from most pesticides.

· Soil insects- Soil insects, as the name suggests, live in the soil and usually do not damage crops or plants, unless larger colonies form. Since they live underground, when harm does occur it generally affects the root system of the plant.

· Spider mites- Almost impossible to see, spider mites attack new leaves and buds giving the appearance of salt and pepper particles. Once a plant is infested it is almost impossible to control.

· Spittle bug- This greenish to yellow bug hides inside a circular mass of white foam on the surface of new stems, usually during the development of the first blook cycle in early spring.

· Thrips- Very difficult to locate due to their size and brown coloration, thrips are also difficult to get rid of because when sprayed they simply fly to another location.

· Whitefly- Leaving the plant as soon as you spray, whiteflys are exactly what they sound like, small, white flies. The immature stage is scale-like and unmoving.

Better Homes and Gardens. 2006. 28 September 2006. www.bhg.com/bhg/story.jhtml?storyid=1templatedata/ bhg/story/data/identifypests_03052002.xml
The Garden Helper. 1999. 26 September 2006. www.thegardenhelper.com/bugs.html

Wise Geek. 2006. 26 September 2006. www.wisegeek.com/what-are-the-different-types-of-g arden-pests.htm