18 Common Pests Eating Your Garden Leaves (And How to Stop Them)

Garden pests can be a real worry , especially when they begin crunch on your dear works . From small insects to larger critters , these pests can promptly damage leaves , leaving holes and a trail of destruction behind . Understanding which pests are causing the job is the first footmark in protecting your garden and keeping your industrial plant healthy .

In this guide , we ’ll depend at 18 common plague that sleep together to feast on garden leaf and share some pragmatic bakshish for observe them at alcove . With the right plan of attack , you could stop these pests in their runway and foreclose further damage , see to it your garden stays vivacious and fly high all season long .

Aphids

Aphids , those tiny sap - sucking insect , can be notoriously underhanded . They meet in clusters , mainly aim the bottom of leaves . Their presence can guide to yellowing leaf and stunt increment .

To combat aphid , introduce ladybugs to your garden , as they are raw predators . Additionally , a potent spray of water can free them from flora . Using insecticidal scoop is another effective method acting to keep aphid populations in hindrance .

Slugs and Snails

poke and snail are notorious for munch on tender leaves , especially after a rainy day . Their silvery trails are a telltale house of their nocturnal sojourn .

To deter them , consider introduce diatomaceous ground around plants , which act as a barrier . instead , setting beer traps can entice them aside . Encouraging natural predatory animal like frogs can also help in controlling their number .

Caterpillars

Caterpillars , the larva of butterflies and moths , are voracious eaters . They can strip a plant in no clip , leaving behind ragged leave-taking .

Hand - cull caterpillars is the most straight control method . Bacillus thuringiensis ( Bt ) , a natural bacterial spray , can also be effective . Encouraging birds to claver your garden can help keep caterpillar numbers down .

Spider Mites

wanderer mites are tiny gadfly that form vane on the undersides of leaves . Their feeding habit extend to speckled leaves and , finally , foliage drop .

Regularly misting plant life can dissuade spider mite , as they thrive in dry consideration . introduce predatory mite is another organic solution . Neem oil sprays can effectively carry off spider mite infestations .

Japanese Beetles

Nipponese beetles are known for their metal sheen and voracious appetency for foliage . They skeletonize leaves , bequeath them looking lacing - like .

paw - pick beetles in the early morning can be efficacious as they are sluggish at this meter . Using words covers during visor beetle season can preclude damage . Neem oil and insecticidal soap atomizer also work well against these pests .

Whiteflies

whitefly , as their name suggests , are tiny , fly dirt ball with a penchant for garden industrial plant . They feed on plant sap , make leaves to yellow and drop .

introduce beneficial insects like ladybird beetle and lacewings can help control their numbers . Reflective mulch can deter these pests by confusing them . Using insecticidal soap is another effective strategy for managing whiteflies .

Earwigs

Earwigs , with their distinctive pincers , are more than just a garden oddity . They chew on leaves and blossom , peculiarly during dampish nights .

To manage earwigs , set out traps made from rolled - up newspaper , where they cover during the day . promote dame to your garden , as they by nature hound earwig . Diatomaceous earth sprinkled around flora can serve as a handicap .

Mealybugs

Mealybugs resemble tiny cotton balls on plants . These plague lactate sap , weakening the host plant and promoting coal-black mold growth .

Using a cotton swab dipped in inebriant can in effect remove mealy bug . Introducing predatory insects like ladybugs can avail control irruption . on a regular basis wiping leaves with a damp cloth can also melt off their presence .

Leaf Miners

Leaf miners are larvae that burrow between leaf layers , create unsightly trails . Their feeding can step down plant , cut their overall health .

Remove and destroy infested leaves to minimize damage . Floating words covers can prevent adult flies from laying nut . Using neem oil atomizer can dissuade larvae and protect plants .

Cutworms

cutworm might be small , but they pack a slug when it comes to destruction . These larvae chew through stems and leaves , often killing seedlings .

To protect young plant , place collars around their bases . Encourage nocturnal predator like toads to control cutworm populations . Using beneficial nematodes in the soil can also aid come down their numbers .

Thrips

Thrips are bantam insect that feed on plant tissues , leave alone silvery stripe and causing discolored flower petal .

Introducing raw predator such as minute plagiarizer bugs can reduce thrips population . Insecticidal soap and neem oil sprays also work effectively against them . on a regular basis inspecting plant can foreclose big infestations .

Flea Beetles

Flea beetles might be small , but their jump trick and feeding can cause meaning hurt , especially to young plants . They chew small , rotund holes in leaf .

float course covers can protect seedlings from mallet attacks . Using diatomaceous earth as a barrier can deter their movement . encourage beneficial dirt ball like ladybugs can also help in managing flea mallet populations .

Cabbage Worms

Brassica oleracea worms , the larvae of cabbage white butterfly , are notorious for munching on cabbage and related to flora .

manus - picking is an effective method acting to control these pest . Introducing innate marauder like birds can help keep their numbers in check . Neem fossil oil sprays can act as a deterrent , preventing further impairment .

Grasshoppers

Grasshoppers may seem harmless , but in heavy numbers , they can devastate a garden . Their powerful jaws can masticate through folio and stems .

Encouraging birds , specially swallows , can help superintend hopper populations . Using a garlic or hot pepper nebulizer can deter them from feast on plants . Planting trap craw out from the main garden can also belittle hurt .

Scale Insects

Scale louse attach themselves to stems and leaves , resemble small bulge . They suck sap , causing plants to weaken .

Using a horticultural oil atomizer can suffocate these pests . further natural predators like ladybugs and lacewing fly to keep their number down . Regularly inspecting plants and removing infested parts can forbid severe infestations .

Leafhoppers

leafhopper are small , wedge - mould insects that feed on plant sap , causing stippling and sometimes transmitting diseases .

precede good louse like lacewings can check leafhopper population . Using insecticidal soap and neem oil color spray can effectively deal plague . Regular monitoring and move out affected leaves can prevent widespread damage .

Ants

ant are often seen in gardens , drawn by the sweet secretions of aphids and other sap - sucking insect . While they do n’t directly harm plants , they advance other pests .

To discourage ants , controller aphid populations by introducing ladybird . Using roadblock like diatomaceous world or cinnamon can foreclose ants from accessing plant . Sealing entry points and eliminating food sources can also help lose weight their Book of Numbers .

Rodents (Mice and Rats)

gnawer can have considerable legal injury , gnawing on stems and leaves , specially in vegetable garden .

jell up bunker and using repellents can help control their numbers . Encouraging natural predator like owls can dissuade these pestilence . Keeping the garden tidy and absent food generator can forbid rodent infestation .

18 Common Pests Eating Your Garden Leaves (And How to Stop Them)