Home gardens are an amazing addition to many households. Whether it is a large garden or not, it is bound to draw in pests. Some pests steal the food out of a garden, while others simply damage or kill the plants. This week we are exploring some of the most common types of pests that target gardens. Read on to learn general descriptions of who to watch out for.
Larger Animals
While most people think of pests as small and bug like, larger pests do a significant amount of damage to gardens.
House Pets
Sometimes homeowner’s greatest enemies are their own pets. Dogs and cats alike will find gardens very easy to dig in because the soil has been turned over. Additionally, they may see a garden as a large toilet space for them to use. Unfortunately, animal waste tends to kill off plants.
Wild Boars
Wild boars are only really an issue in the southern U.S., particularly Florida. These aggressive creatures use their tusks to tear plants out of the ground before eating them. As a note, wild boars are highly dangerous, so do not approach them.
Deer
Most people perceive deer as sweet, graceful creatures, which they are. However, deer are also huge pests when it comes to gardens. They love to eat anything and everything that they can get to. From fruits and vegetables, to young saplings, deer eat it all.
Smaller Pests
While larger pests can be scary, they are easy to spot and identify. Smaller pests, however, are a different story. Typically, smaller pests consist of insects, beetles, and arachnids.
Snails & Slugs
Slugs and snails love to feed on both live plants, as well as decaying plant matter. They are some of the easiest small pests to identify, and easily pull off most plants. Snail and slug infestations are characterized by large holes chewed through plant leaves, plant stalks, or anything else.
Aphids
Aphids are the bane of any gardener’s existence. These little insects drain the life out of plants by sucking their sap. Oftentimes, once you know aphids are there, it is too late to save the plant. They are very tiny and many times only noticeable due to the small cobweb structure they build around a plant as they consume it.
Others
There is a long list of other common garden pests. Many thanks to our friends at Planet Natural Research center for the additional information concerning common garden pests.
- Armyworm
- Asparagus Beetle
- Bean Beetle
- Blister Beetle
- Cabbage Looper
- Cabbage Worm
- Corn Earworm
- Cucumber
- Cutworm
- Earwig
- European Corn Borer
- Flea Beetle
- Grasshopper
- Leafhopper
- Leafminer
- Potato Beetle
- Psyllid
- Root Maggot
- Sowbug & Pillbug
- Spider Mite
- Squash Bug
- Sting Bug
- Thrips
- Tomato Hornworm
- Whitefly
- Wireworm
