Insect Pest Control

If your vegetables are being destroyed insect pest control is important to manage.  Just remember animals and insects are part to our environment and are often more beneficial than harmful. They are needed a healthy vegetable garden environment. Check out these strategies to prevent any huge damage to your vegetable garden.

Common Insects that can harm Vegetables:

Learn how to identify each insect, the damage they do, susceptible vegetables, and what to do if you are having problems by choosing from the following list of common insects:

• aphids
• cabbage worms (cabbage moth)
• carrot fly
• cutworm
• earwig
• flea beetle
• thrips
• wireworm

Check out animal pest control and disease for a list of common animal pests and diseases that can cause damage to your vegetables.

There are organic practices and preventions that can help if you have a pest problem.  One of these practices is to attract beneficial bugs and insects to your garden.  

1. Provide a safe place for them to live.
2. Give them access to water by having some kind of water feature or bath for them to use.
3. Providing food by planting some of the flowers listed above. 

Beneficial Animals for Insect Pest Control:

• Birds – place bird house, feeders, water bowls; protect berries and fruits with netting.
• Bats – bat house, flattened bird house with an entrance slot on the bottom
• Toads – provide water and shelter with an upside down clay flower pot with holes chipped out on the sides for an entrance. They eat slugs.
• Snakes – pile rocks and sticks leaving room for snakes to enter. They eat slugs, snails, and insects.

Beneficial Insects for Insect Pest Control:

• Braconid wasps
• Earthworms
• Ground beetles
• Honeybees
• Ichneumon wasps
• Lacewings
• Lady bugs (ladybird beetles)
• Praying mantises
• Robber flies
• Spiders
• Syrphid flies
• Tachind flies
• Yellow jackets (hornets)

Beneficial Flowers for Insect Pest Control:

• Marigolds
• Calendula
• Sunflower
• California poppy
• Flowers of dill, parsley
• Lemon balm
• Flowers of broccoli and celery
• Nasturtiums

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