Organically Controlling Your Garden Pests
- Leah Brooks
- Mar 3
- 4 min read
Florida: sun, sand, and ....bugs! With the good comes the bad. Identifying bugs in the garden is only half the battle - knowing how to effectively remove them without harm to the environment is the other!
Aphids
In the True Bug group for insects, aphids are a common pests in gardens. They suck out the juices with their needle-like mouthparts, and they produce a honeydew substance that attracts pest ant species and allows sooty mold to grow. Small amounts of the pest aren't harmful - however, many will kill your plants.
Commonly without wings, they are pear shaped with longer, jumping legs. Fun fact, if you've ever seen copper eggs on the bottom of your leaves, those most likely are the result of parasitized aphid eggs hatching more parasitoid wasps - a really good sign for your garden's ability to host beneficial insects.
Whiteflies
Also in the True Bug group for insects, whiteflies are yet another common pest. They also suck out the juices in plant leaves and lay their eggs there too along with the aphids. Again, small amounts aren't harmful, but many will cause damage.
So how do you tell it apart from aphids? They have prominent wings that they use to fly more often than not, and they don't have a distinct pear shape.
Leafminers
Our first Fly group pest, leafminers are actually the larvae of the pictured flies below. They crawl through the inside of the affected leaves while eating and ultimately pupate and exit out the underside of the leaf. Typically causing cosmetic damage in small amounts to plants that produce fruit, the issue lies when they affect leafy crops like spinach or cabbage.
Caterpillars
If you've ever grown cucumbers, the cucumber borers are common pests that can decimate the leaves if left unchecked. Predeceasing a butterfly that will lay more eggs, the caterpillar feeds on the leaves of different garden plants until it pupates and becomes a butterfly.
Even in a single presence, this pest typically should be monitored closely after its initial appearance. They can be physically removed, but another control method will be covered.
Stinkbugs/Other True Bugs
If you are a fruit tree grower or soft fruit grower in general, you may recognize this leaf-footed bug. In the True Bug group, its needle-like mouthparts will pierce fruit for food and cause damage before you can even see it. It can spread disease and cosmetic damage if not controlled, although a low presence doesn't necessarily require control. Don't try to touch these bugs though, as they can pierce you if threatened.
Control Methods
Outside of pesticides that you can purchase from the store that are typically broad-spectrum, there are multiple methods you can resort to before using a chemical control.
Physical Removal
You can physically remove eggs of different pests like aphids and whitefliles, and you can remove caterpillars when you find them. You'll find aphid and whiteflies on the underside of leaves and caterpillars curled up in leaves pupating or hidden under leaves. I wouldn't recommend physically removing stinkbugs/other true bugs.
Netting
Physical nettings can be placed around different plants like citrus trees and pepper plants to prevent stinkbugs and other true bugs from reaching the fruit. You'll have to self-pollinate the flowers, but the lack of damage to your fruit is worth it.
Water + Soap Spray
A common home remedy, the recommended soap percentage is about 1-2% by volume. A spray bottle may need only about a tsp. to a Tbs. of soap to create a proper solution to spray onto pests like aphids and whiteflies. Don't spray these when it is above 90 F outside and be conservative with applications - the soap, while harmless to you, is harmful to the plant in improper applications.
Neem Oil
Similar to the water and soap spray, neem oil combats pest species by suffocating insects and preventing them from intaking air through their body. Many different formulations are sold at stores, and as long as you again do not apply them in hot weather or too frequently following the instructions, your plants should live. Just don't spray a plant too close to when you harvest your leafy greens or fruit.
Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) Spray
A living solution to your pest problems, Bt spray containing Bacillus thuringiensis is a remedy to the caterpillars when you cannot remove them all. It effectively decreases their presence by acting as an anti-feeder spray. The bacteria creates a toxin that only reacts in the guts of insects, and it makes them unable to feed on your plants further after consuming sprayed plants. It doesn't even need to be spray often, making it an effective control measure.
If you want to learn more about pests and natural remedies for your garden, take a look at these articles!
Thank you for reading!
Please reach out if you have any questions or concerns by clicking here! Have a wonderful day!
-Leah Brooks
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