Common Garden Pests

Identifying and Controlling Garden Pests

Learn how to identifying common garden pests and eliminate them.

If you have plants then at some point you have had or will have bugs and insects. Some of them aren't bad by themselves but large infestations can totally wipe out your plants.

Have a questions, comments, home remedies, etc. about common garden pests you would like to share? Click here to add it.

If only a small infestation is present, spraying your plants with a blast from your water hose can help control them.

Identifying insects can sometimes be difficult so knowing what to look for can help with eliminating them.

NOTE: I try to use all natural ways to get rid of bugs and insects in my yard because even though pesticides work they will also eliminate beneficial insects that we need as well. That is always something to keep in mind.

Here are some of the most common pests you may encounter.

Common Garden Pests

Japanese Beetle

These green and copper looking beetles will eat your leaves until they look like skeletons with only the veins of the leaves remaining. They can destroy your entire plant within a day.

Learn how to kill Japanese beetles

Aphids

These small soft-body insects suck the sap out of your plants and leave honeydew behind that attracts ants and can drop off trees and onto your car, and outdoor furniture.

Learn about controlling Aphid.

Mealybugs

These little white cotton-like bugs can destroy your plants by sucking the sap out of the leaves which make them turn yellow and die.

Learn how to control mealybugs here

Earwigs

These garden pests do not hurt humans but they will eat your plants. If you find holes in the leaves, then earwigs might be the cause.

Slugs and Snails

Get rid of slugs that are eating your plants

These slimy little insects will leave holes in the leaves of your plant during the night and hide in cool damp places during the day.

More Common Bugs and Insects

Caterpillars

They love to munch on leaves making your plant look unhealthy. They eat half the leaf and move onto the next one.

Learn how to get rid of caterpillars.

Spider Mites

Found on both houseplants and outdoor plants, these microscope insects will suck the sap out of the leaves and eventually they turn yellow and drop off the plant and eventually kill the plant.

Click to learn about spider mite control

Leaf Miners

Wiggly lines through your leaves? Learn about Leaf Miner control

If you see wiggly lines through your leaves, then chances are you have leaf miners.

They are larva from wasps, sawflies, and flies and live inside the leaves.

Whiteflies Control

Control white flies before they devour your leaves.

These soft bodied, winged insects love to suck the sap out of leaves and leave behind honeydew that attracts ants and can drip from the leaves onto anything that is under them.

The How To's on Whitefly Control

Plant Insects

There are a lot of ways to deal with bugs and insects if they become harmful to your plants.

Do you use all natural remedies like dish soap and water or do you use insecticides? And on which insects?

Do you have other insects not listed here? How do you eliminate them?

What is YOUR best way to get rid of pests?

Add your questions, comments, home remedies, etc. below. And if you find this site helpful, please pay it forward by answering or commenting on any of the submissions below.

How are YOU Dealing with Bugs and Insects in your yard?

Identifying and dealing with garden pests is something every gardener has to do at some point. How are you dealing with the bugs and insects that invade YOUR yard?

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Technique and Recipes from Other Visitors

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Best Recipe for Garden Pest Control
This is a recipe I use in my garden to control garden pests that are eating my plants. Organic recipe with Chillies and Garlic 1/2 cup chillies …