The long, hot days of summer signal vacation time for most of us. For common plant pests, however, the summer season is when they’re most active.
Before you’re able to relax and enjoy your blooming backyard in all its glory, you’ll have to know how to prevent plant pests from feasting on your beloved bushes, flowers, and vegetable patches.
But what common summer pests should you be on the lookout for? Keep reading to find out.
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Bagworms
This summer pest’s larva bag looks like a dried evergreen leaf, often allowing the bagworm to go unnoticed unless you know what to look for.
But, the damage bagworms can do certainly won’t go unnoticed. Their MO involves attaching their bag to the plant and feeding on its nutrients until it can transform into a moth. They’ll eat new growth and most of the tree so you should employ the same tactics as you would with household roach control and get rid of these unwanted occupants as soon as possible.
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Aphids
These tiny, pear-shaped insects are one of the most common summertime pests. But, since aphids can be either winged or wingless and come in a variety of colors, they’re often difficult to identify.
Aphids tend to cluster around new plant growth, sucking on sap and distorting leaf and flower growth. But, while it can be a shock to find an army of aphids feeding on a stem, they’ll rarely do enough damage to kill the plant.
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Japanese Beetles
These 1/2-inch long beetles have coppery wings and a metallic blue or green body. Often hitting hardest in July, these voracious eaters will make short work of your plants, leaving only leaf veins behind. Japanese beetle larvae can also be problematic in lawns, weakening the turf and allowing weeds to overrun the grass.
Wondering how to protect plants from pests like these? The most effective method is to pick the Japanese beetles off one by one as soon as they appear. Unfortunately, this won’t offer any ongoing protection from further infestations.
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Thrips
These tiny white and yellow bugs are very active in the summertime, often preferring vegetable patches, greenhouse plants, and flowers.
Since thrip eggs hatch within a week and female adult thrips can lay as many as 80 eggs, you’ll need to control them fast to prevent your garden from becoming overrun with plant disease.
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Spider Mites
While spider mites, red spiders, and southern red mites thrive on any plant growing in unfavorable conditions, other species of spider mites tend to stick to their preferred host. These include spruce mites, boxwood mites, and oak mites. So, if you have these trees in your backyard, be on the lookout for these tiny summertime pests.
The best way to control mites is to catch them in early June, before they become too numerous. But, their teeny size means most gardeners don’t know they have a mite problem on their hands until they notice their leaves turning yellow.
Common Plant Pests in Summer
Knowing how to protect plants from pests is difficult, especially when many of them are so tiny yet so determined!
But, now you know some of the common plant pests to look out for, at least you’ll be better prepared to protect your garden from their insatiable appetites.
Looking for more informative content like this? Be sure to check out our other blog posts, full of handy advice and great how-to guides!
