Otherwise, you’ll just end up with a thriving population of cutworms on your hands. You can also plant sunflowers around the perimeter of the garden as a trap crop, because cutworms love these plants.īe aware, however, that because you’re providing food for the pests, you’ll need to go outside every single day to find and kill them. There are two types of cucumber beetles: spotted, Diabrotica undecimpunctata howardi (also known as the southern corn rootworm), and striped, Acalymma vittatum.īoth are similar in appearance and the type of damage they can do, and you should deal with them both the same way. Learn more about managing aphids in your garden. There are chemical controls available, but it isn’t likely that an aphid population will kill your plant altogether.Īs noted by horticulturalists at the University of California, pesticides may kill off the pollinators and beneficial insects that your garden needs to thrive, so I recommend avoiding these methods. Be sure to spray the top and bottom of the leaves and repeat the application every few days for two weeks.Īlso, limit fertilizer use because according to experts at the University of California’s Integrated Pest Management Program, too much nitrogen can favor aphid reproduction.Īpplying a reflective mulch around the plants can help to repel aphids. If that fails, you can try neem oil or insecticidal soap. You can do this by planting nectar-rich flowers, such as anise hyssop, black-eyed Susans, or bee balm, and herbs like fennel, Queen Anne’s lace, caraway, mallow, and cilantro.
#Black bug with orange stripes in nevada free
You should also keep your garden free from weeds, so they don’t have a place to hide.īeneficial insects such as ladybugs, syrphid flies, lacewings, and parasitic wasps are all natural enemies of aphids, so encourage them to take up residence in your garden. Sometimes, they will leave the plant for a different one. The first step is to spray plants with a blast of water from the hose to knock the pests loose. The earlier you deal with the problem, the better the chance that your plant will escape relatively unscathed. They don’t always cause much damage, but while you might be tempted to leave them, keep in mind that they may spread disease. The honeydew left behind by aphids can lead to sooty mold, and can also attract ants.īecause they’re so small, you may not notice them until you have a large infestation, or you see signs of damage on your plants. Zucchini plants impacted by aphids may be stunted or have curling, yellowing, mottled, or dry leaves. During the summer months, females can produce up to 12 live offspring a day. These bugs breed profusely, the eggs overwinter and hatch in the spring. A single aphid is no big deal, but in groups, they can stunt or damage plants.
They have pear-shaped bodies with long antennae, and are usually wingless.
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