Plant Gardens 101

There is nothing more destructive to a person’s home or home life than the introduction of insects. insects come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. Typically an individual would not be concerned by the tendencies of other creatures but the infestation of one’s home is an exception to this rule. Three of the major insects that affect a home owner’s life are ants, fleas, chiggers and moles and the following will highlight how to get rid of each one.

Following are few ways which can aid you to get rid of each one of these pests:

Ants: Ants are the most usual home invaders in relation to the kitchen. With their incredible senses it does not take much to entice an ant scout leading to a full infestation overnight. Easy steps can be made as precautionary measures when battling specifically with ants. Often cleaning counters with a vinegar and water concoction or a bleach solution will help sterilize your eating area and disrupt the senses of ants. Additionally fixing dripping faucets and utilizing baking soda to line trash cans will additionally help confuse the senses of the ant. In the event of an infestation the best way to get rid of ants is to spray them with the same formula you use to sanitize the counters. This will kill the ants and help get rid of their residual trail. (more…)

A small sucking insect that feeds primarily on new soft growth.

An insect whose larva feeds inside developing apples.

While you may enjoy sitting on your veranda or hosting parties during the summertime, bugs such as mosquitoes and flies, can ruin the party. Because verandas are open structures, it is very easy for bugs to attack. But there are ways to reduce the number of bugs that invade your veranda so that you can have a good time all summer long.

You can reduce the amount of bugs on your property by trying the following:

¥ Mow your lawn ¥ Remove all stagnant water ¥ Make use of bug repellent ¥ Buy special plants ¥ Use citronella candles

MOW YOUR LAWN

One of the easiest ways to keep bugs from invading your lawn is to keep it neat and trim, especially during warmer months. Bugs like to hide in areas that have a lot of brush and plant growth. Mowing your lawn can destroy nests, keep pollen seeking bugs from wasting their time on your property, and keep them from finding their way to your veranda. (more…)

Butterflies, especially the colourfully marked types are very pretty to watch as the undulate through the summer breezes but there are certain varieties that can cause losses in your vegetable garden.

The cabbage white butterfly

The main culprit is the cabbage white butterfly which is mostly attracted to a chemical emitted from the leaves of brassicas. The brassica group covers such vegetables as cabbage, brussel sprouts, broccoli and cauliflower. The butterfly lands on these plants and in itself is harmless but the eggs it deposits are the problem, or what eventually emerges from these eggs. Emerging quite soon after are the dreaded caterpillars which are hairy and about 3 to 4 cm long. (more…)

A gastropod closely related to the slug, but with a shell. It feeds on plants at night.

For many bird lovers cats can be seen as a major pest and are one of the reasons cited for the decline of garden birds in theUK. It is estimated that cats kill up to 55 million birds a year of which the most commonly caught are house sparrows, bluetits and black birds.

However, there is no evidence that cats are affecting the bird populations as many more millions die naturally each year through starvation or disease or are killed by other predators. As cats tend to prey on weak birds it is likely that the birds they kill would have died before the next breeding season anyway.

Each breeding pair of birds only needs to bring up two chicks to maturity for the species to remain constant and millions of baby birds die each year; again this is quite natural. (more…)

A type of silk moth accidentally introduced into the United States from Europe. The larvae of the gypsy moth feed on the leaves of hardwood trees and, in a bad infestation, can completely defoliate a forest.

There’s nothing like the glow of deep virtue that comes after the new organic gardener gives up poison sprays. You are increasing the health of your family, producing vegetables with a more delicious flavor, and making the planet a better place.

Then your tomatoes wilt, your cucumbers ditto, and large numbers of seeds you plant somehow never come up. For years I planted sunflower seeds, thinking of those golden-bronze-red beauties in August, but they didn’t seem to emerge. I learned that, in fact, they had emerged but were eaten in the night by slugs that seemed to find them more delicious than all other mealtime possibilities.

In California the snails ate my baby seedlings; in Virginia it was their relatives the slugs. It was agonizing to wake up in the morning, go out to admire my baby plants – some of which I had nurtured for months in little peat pots – and find that THEY HAD ALL BEEN EATEN IN THE NIGHT. My babies! Gone! Dead!    (more…)

A caterpillar that is a serious pest on several conifers, including firs, hemlocks, and pines, in addition to spruces.

Any of numerous small flies and moths that in the larval stage tunnel through and feed on leaf tissue.

A destructive insect whose larvae, smaller than a pinhead, suck the sap from grasses.

The larva of many kinds of beetles, including the Japanese beetle. Many grubs live underground and eat plant roots.

Any insect or other creature that damages plants. Strictly speaking, bacteria and viruses are diseases, not pests, although in practical terms, these—and also weeds—are considered by gardeners to be pests.

Any of numerous insects of the family Cicadellidae that suck juices from plants.

(singular and plural)

A tiny slender insect that feeds on leaves, flowers, buds, and stems.

So what are aphids?

Although other aphids exist, the main two types of aphid are black fly and greenfly, these are small soft bodied insects anywhere from 1mm – 5mm long and are very destructive to many plans in gardens and forests alike. These small fast breeding creatures survive by feeding on the sap from plants and get this sap by piercing the phloem, where the sap flows through the plant. In doing this, aphids can carry many different diseases that are harmful and can kill your plants.

When growing peppers aphids can be a big problem and as aphids prefer heat much like your peppers and chilli’s do, the problem is worsened. Greenhouses are a common place that aphids will survive well and can feed of many plants and reproduce at a rapid rate in a close area to each other. (more…)

A beneficial insect of the genus Encarsia that preys on the larvae of the whitefly.

Got aphids?

Aphids are one of the most common destructive insects around. It would be safe to say that most gardeners have encountered aphids at one time or another. Aphids are small, soft-bodied insects that use their piercing mouth-parts to suck sap out of your plants. They reproduce quicker than rabbits, and can infest your entire garden and indoor plants before you are aware you have them.

If you notice curled or yellowing leaves, stunted growth or a shiny, sticky coating on the leaves of your plants (honey-dew), chances are, you’ve got aphids. Two other things to look for are ants and Sooty Mold. Ants love honey-dew, the shiny, sticky liquid that is excreted by the aphids. Keep the ants away though, as they are one of the culprits that helps spread the aphids from plant to plant. Honey-dew is also a great environment for Sooty Mold fungus to develop. If you have Sooty Mold, the leaves of your plants will look like they have been painted black or have black soot on them. (more…)

Any of several garden beetle pests that feed on all parts of plants, typically most active at night.