Gardening is not all fun and games, sometimes it’s more than a little frustrating. One of the things that makes it not so much fun is managing garden pests. We’re growing our garden for us to enjoy, but nature does what nature does. Here are some common pests you might encounter in your garden. I’m going to leave out the run-of-the-mill bugs like slugs, beetles, and flies for this, but know they can be a problem too!
Hornworms
If you are growing tomatoes or peppers, you will probably run across hornworms at some point. To me, these are super gross, and I hate them. If left alone, they will decimate your plants in a single day. They get their name from the long horn on the end of their body. It’s best to remove them and dispose of them. If you have chickens, I’ve heard that they think hornworms are a tasty snack.
Aphids
Aphids are tiny little bugs that can look a little furry. You will generally see them in clusters, not just one here and there. I find them most commonly on roses, but they can be found on a wide variety of plants. Including vegetables such as lettuce. They can be hard to find and get rid of because they often sit on the bottom side of leaves. I have found the most effective way to get rid of them is water or soap sprays. Ladybugs also love them, although people seem to have mixed results when purchasing ladybugs for this purpose.
Squash Vine Borers
These are nasty bugs. Not in appearance, but in destruction. They get their name from how they bore into the vines of squash and zucchini plants, although it can affect other similar plants too. The adults lay their eggs in the plant stems, and the larva burrow through the leaves and stems until it eventually kills the entire plant. If caught early, it is possible to dig out the eggs and larva, but I find this is hard to get the timing right.
Have you heard about these pests before? Have you ever had to deal with them? Were you successful? What other common garden pests have you encountered?