This is a guide to help our customers effectively identify, prevent, and prosecute common Spring Pests in the South Carolina Upstate. Familiarizing yourself with the common pests in this guide will help you be prepared if and when problems arise. Embrace the inevitability of pests as part of an ecosystem as pests often attract beneficial organisms that contribute to the overall health of your garden over time. For more in-depth information on Pests and for a complete discussion on all the common pests that you will encounter, sign up for our Bugs Course.
Before we get into the specific pests, here are some general tips:
- Regular inspection of your garden and promptly addressing any signs of pest activity is crucial.
- Utilizing indicators and “sacrificial” plants can help identify a pest presence early on.
- If you come across an infestation, promptly prevent it from escalating.
- Prioritize soil health by incorporating compost and worm castings to enhance plant resilience.
- Avoiding nighttime watering helps deter pest proliferation.
- Diversifying your garden with various plant species creates a less hospitable environment for pests.
Gnats
Gnats pose a significant threat to garden health. Identifying these tiny pests can be challenging, but they are more noticeable when plants are watered. Their larvae are typically found in the top inch or two of moist soils. While adult Gnats are often mistaken for harmless insects, they are actually predators. Gnats are indiscriminate in their feeding habits, favoring moist soil for reproduction and targeting tender plant roots. They can progress from egg to adult in as little as 7 to 14 days, with a lifespan of 10 to 24 days, during which they can lay multiple batches of eggs, totaling up to 500 eggs per lifetime.
Prosecuting Gnats
When combating Gnats, rest assured that various effective strategies can be employed. Yellow sticky cards are a proven method for large-scale operations, while homemade peroxide sprays offer a reliable DIY solution. Rotating treatments with Permethrin and Spinosad sprays can knock down populations effectively. Additionally, systemic insecticides like Acephate and Imidacloprid provide longer-lasting control, with the latter suitable for indoor plants and those not blooming outdoors within 12 weeks. With these tools at your disposal, you can confidently tackle Gnat infestations.
Preventing Gnats
Preventing Gnat infestations is key to maintaining garden health. Allowing the top inch of soil to dry out before watering can help deter these pests. Creative solutions like using apple cider or wine vats with a dash of soap can also aid in controlling Gnats. Gnats prefer still, stagnant air, thus increasing airflow in your garden by thinning out dense foliage can help deter them. Clean up fallen leaves, dead plant material, and any other decaying organic matter in your garden, as these serve as breeding grounds for gnats.
Aphids
Aphids are commonly found on the underside of leaves and exhibit various colors, including pale green, bright yellow, and black, with potential variations in white, brown, gray, or pink hues. Detecting aphids can be aided by observing white strips from molting shedding and sooty mold on leaves resulting from aphid excretions. Additionally, the attraction of ants to honeydew and the presence of ladybugs, which prey on aphids, can serve as indicators of infestation. Aphids reproduce rapidly, with nymphs maturing into adults in as little as 7 to 10 days and producing up to 80 offspring per week. They favor specific plants such as Calibrachoa, Hibiscus, Mandevilla, and Bougainvillea, along with Annual and Perennial Vines.
Prosecuting Aphids
Physically removing aphids through water blasts or manual squishing can be effective, supplemented by insecticidal soap, homemade soap salt solutions, and neem oil applications. A recommended approach involves using a combination of insecticidal soap and neem oil for enhanced control. Ladybugs, though beneficial predators of aphids, may require time to build up their population. Systemic granules containing Imidacloprid are suitable for indoor plants.
Preventing Aphids
Prevention strategies are essential for managing aphid infestations. Before purchasing plants, thorough inspections should be conducted to ensure they are aphid-free. Implementing sacrificial plants like nasturtium and mustard and repellant plants such as catnip, chives, and garlic can help deter aphids from the main garden. Special considerations are necessary when dealing with aphids on milkweed, as their removal should be limited to protect endangered monarch caterpillars, which rely on milkweed as their primary food source.
Bats
Bats are not a common garden pest, though we’ve been hearing from customers that they are everywhere this Spring. Some bats have decided to invite themselves into houses and attics, going so far as to feed on fruit & vegetable plants. Bats are mostly beneficial creatures, controlling insect populations though they can be dangerous to humans due to the risk of Rabies and their guano can expose us to diseases such as Histoplasmosis and Cryptococcus.
Preventing and Prosecuting Bats
Unfortunately we don’t have great solutions to these pests. Installing bat houses and bat proofing your house should deter bats from your home, though your garden is fair play. If you have a problem with bats, your best bet would be to contact Wildlife Control or a Bat Removal Company.
Worms and Caterpillars
Worms and caterpillars can wreak havoc in gardens. These pests often blend in with foliage, predominantly appearing in shades of green, but may also exhibit bright colors. Signs of their presence include holes in leaves and flower petals and floriferous plants ceasing to bloom in early summer. Cutworms are notorious for severed stems, while army worms leave behind brown sod.
Monitoring indoor and outdoor ferns year-round is essential, with brown pinhead-sized poop serving as a telltale sign of infestation. These pests are indiscriminate, and they often feed at night, with bud worms particularly fond of flowers from Zinnia, Bacopa, Calibrachoa, and Petunia.
Prosecuting Worms and Caterpillars
Combatting worms and caterpillars requires a combination of physical removal methods and targeted treatments. Large worms and caterpillars should be manually removed and squished during night raids. Bonide chemicals are our go to for prosecuting these pests; Bonide Bacillus Thuringiensis (BT) and Dipel Dust, which contains BT, are effective treatments for most infestations. Birds are beneficial predators but cannot eliminate all pests. Cutworms can be controlled with Acephate systemic insecticide, while Bonide Grub Control is effective against worms.
Preventing Worms and Caterpillars
Fall vegetable plants should be covered, and Dipel dust can be applied preventatively in the fall. When caterpillars are found on milkweed or passion flower vine, allowing them to feed is essential for endangered monarch caterpillars and Gulf fritillary butterflies, respectively. Consider implementing natural predators like parasitic wasps and predatory beetles in your garden. These beneficial insects help keep pest populations in check without the need for chemical pesticides. Additionally, practicing good garden hygiene by removing plant debris and weeds can eliminate hiding spots for these pests and disrupt their life cycles.
Spider Mites
Spider Mites, though difficult to spot with the naked eye, are a formidable foe in gardens, necessitating careful identification and understanding of their behavior. Recognizing signs such as mottled or stippled leaf surfaces and webbing underneath, especially along veins, is crucial. The “Mite Test” can aid in detection. This involves shaking the foliage of potentially infected plants over white paper Look for small black specks that have been dislodged from the foliage. Watch these specks for 30-45 seconds. If these specks race across the white paper, you have mites.
Spider mites are indiscriminate pests, capable of being wind-borne or hitching rides on humans or pets. Under ideal conditions, Spider Mites can progress from egg to adult in as little as five days, with a lifespan of 3 to 4 weeks and hundreds of eggs laid during that time. They thrive in dry, warm conditions and infest various plants.
Prosecuting Spider Mites
Combatting spider mites requires a combination of physical removal methods and targeted treatments. Physically wiping leaves with a water and soap mixture can help control infestations, while neem oil and horticultural oil applications are effective treatments.
Preventing Spider Mites
Special considerations must be made when dealing with spider mites on specific plants. For instance, if mites infest milkweed or passion flower vines, chemical treatments should be avoided, and the affected plants should be wiped down or cut and disposed of in the trash. Additionally, when temperatures exceed 90 degrees Fahrenheit, neem oil should not be used, but horticultural oil can be applied at night if thoroughly rinsed off in the morning.
Japanese Beetles
Japanese beetles, identifiable by their metallic green bodies with coppery wings, are a notorious garden pest demanding careful identification and understanding. Their presence is often marked by decimated leaves and fruits seemingly overnight. While indiscriminate in their feeding, they do have preferred target plants. Each adult female can lay eggs that develop into 50 grubs annually, typically along the grass or sod line.
These grubs feed on tender roots until becoming dormant in winter, then pupating in spring and emerging as adults in summer. The adults emerge over a 2-3 day period in late May or early June, often in masses, particularly along the edges of sod, before converging on target plants.
Prosecuting Japanese Beetles
Combatting Japanese beetles requires both immediate action and preventive measures. Regularly inspect your plants for signs of Japanese beetle damage, such as skeletonized leaves and clusters of beetles feeding. As soon as you notice them, take action IMMEDIATELY to eradicate them. Revenge tactics include physically squishing them, which can be effective for smaller infestations, as well as using Japanese beetle traps. Applying insecticides such as Permethrin (Bonide Eight) and Acephate (Bonide Systemic Insect Control) can also prosecute these pests.
Preventing Japanese Beetles
Early and comprehensive eradication efforts are crucial to managing their populations and minimizing damage to plants. Prevention strategies include using Milky Spore (Bacillus popilliae) powder, which targets beetle larvae, and eradicating them early and completely to eliminate the problem. Proper lawn care practices, such as aerating and overseeding, can also help make your lawn less attractive to Japanese beetles. Finally, rotating crops in your garden can disrupt their life cycle and reduce their numbers over time.
Thrip
Thrip are slender bugs ranging from 1/8 to 1/4 inch in size. They are a persistent garden pest demanding accurate identification and understanding. Thrip can be found on leaves, flowers, and both the underside and topside of plants, often appearing in shades of yellow, orange, black, or brown. Their presence is indicated by leaf discolorations and can be confirmed using the “mite test.” Again, this involves shaking the foliage of potentially infected plants over white paper. Look for thin yellow or brown/black shapes that have been dislodged from the foliage. If these skinny shapes move across the white paper, you have thrip.
While thrips are indiscriminate feeders, they only cause damage to certain plants. They are particularly deadly to lobelia because they often carry the Impatiens Necrotic Spot Virus (INSP). Though they can fly, thrips are not proficient flyers, and they are attracted to white and yellow colors, thus the use of sticky pads to control Thrip. Their life cycle progresses rapidly from egg to adult in just two weeks.
Prosecuting Thrip
Combatting thrips involves using insecticides Spinosad (Bonide Captain Jacks Dead Bug Brew). Other insecticides can also help, such as organic pyrethrin (Bonide Garden Insect Spray), or synthetic pyrethrins like Permethrin (Bonide Eight).
Preventing Thrip
Preventative measures include applying Imidacloprid (Bonide Systemic Granules) for indoor plants and ensuring eight weeks of protection before plants are moved outdoors. Removing debris around affected plants is also a potentially effective solution, as thrip eggs may be contained in debris around the affected plants. Removal of soil in heavily contaminated areas may also be appropriate. Using sticky pads will attract thrip, as will sacrificial plants such as African Marigolds with yellow- and vanilla-colored flowers, but these plants would need to be discarded every three weeks once infected. For Cuban oregano, placing sticky pads between vines can be effective in trapping thrips.
Black Spot
Black spot is a fungal disease recognizable by its black or brown spots on plant foliage. Black spot is a common fungal disease on leaves that gradually increases in size. These spots often have a fringed edge and can cause defoliation if left untreated, weakening the plant over time. Black spot thrives in warm, humid conditions and can spread rapidly during periods of high moisture. This disease is indiscriminate in its attack, commonly affecting hydrangeas and roses, though it is not typically fatal to plants.
Prosecuting Black Spot
Because black spot is a fungal infection, it can be treated with fungal organic fungal sprays such as Fertilome Triple Action with pyrethrins, Bonide Copper Fungicide, and Bonide Infuse. Note, however, that black spot, once it exists on a leaf, cannot be removed. Instead, the contaminated leaf must be removed. Consequently, prevention, not prosecution is the best approach.
Preventing Black Spot
There is fungus among us, and there always will be. Preventative measures can be taken to mitigate its spread. Administering fungal sprays such as Fertilome Triple Action with pyrethrins, Bonide Copper Fungicide, and Bonide Infuse on new growth before black spot appears can prevent black spot from damaging your plant. For example, at Martin Garden Center, we apply Bonide Infuse every 4 weeks to our hydrangea to prevent black spot. We start in April and end in October.
If black spot has been problematic with your plants, the fungus that causes it is likely contained in your mulch or leaf litter surrounding your plant. Removing and replacing mulch, as well as old leaves from infected plants, can aid in prevention. Once black spot has been eradicated, ongoing prevention is not necessary until the disease reappears.
Downy Mildew
Downy mildew, a fungal disease, presents as a grey-black powder primarily under the leaves, distinguishing it from powdery mildew. Within a week, affected leaves typically turn brown on top. Identifying downy mildew can be challenging, as it closely resembles powdery mildew, often requiring expert analysis to differentiate between the two. Notable instances of downy mildew include basil downy mildew and impatiens downy mildew.
Downy mildew in Basil has resulted in a Basil shortage in the Upstate. At Martin Garden Center, we still carry Basil, but only the resistant varieties. We cannot, however, carry shade impatiens because our shade area where these plants were offered is infected with the fungus. Instead, we provided very limited varieties of shade impatiens in our Mall area, and we also offer New Guinea Impatiens and SunPatiens which are resistant to downy mildew.
Prosecuting Downy Mildew
Unfortunately, there is no direct revenge against downy mildew, as it is a fungal infection. Once your plant is infected, it cannot be uninfected.
Preventing Downy Mildew
Prevention strategies include inspecting plants before purchase to avoid introducing infected specimens into your garden. Special considerations must be made if downy mildew is identified in your garden, as it can spread rapidly to other plants. In such cases, infected plants should be promptly destroyed to prevent further spread of the disease.
If you have had Basil downy mildew or Impatiens downy mildew in the past, do not grow Basil or Impatiens in the same location, as the fungus likely remains.