Plant Insects
It is always an accepted fact of life that plants attract insects. In the gardens, a load of different insects co-exists with plants.
Some of them are beneficial like the assassin bug that preys on flies and caterpillars, and lady beetle that feeds on the aphids.
However, in most cases, the insects are a pest; they feed on the plants, sucking them of their nutrients essential for survival and growth, and leaving them seriously damaged, sometimes, half-dead.
Common plant insects that are detrimental to plants include white and red spider mites, mealy bugs, scale, whitefly, thrips, cabbage worms, wire worms, and hornworms.
Spider mites.
Spider mites are very small, thus, they are almost impossible to spot with naked eye. To see them, one needs to use a magnifying lens. Once they are in the garden, they attack new leaves and buds. An indication that a plant has been invaded by spider mites is the paleness of the green color in a plant, leaving it washed out or bronzed.
Mealybugs.
Mealybugs are often mistaken for a disease because of their appearance?white tufts of cotton. Normally found on the undersides of the leaves or on the stems, the white, waxy coating of mealybugs protects them from pesticide sprays, making them difficult to control. An effective way of ridding them is by applying alcohol on it using a small brush dipped in alcohol.
Scale.
Mostly, the scale plant insects go undetected, hence, by the time they are visible, a large number of them has been produced. Scale insects are oval with a length of 3mm. They are protected from pesticide sprays through their shell, and found on the undersides of and on top of the leaves. They can be removed by applying alcohol.
Whiteflies.
The best way to kill whiteflies is to attack them when they are still on the pre-mature stage. They are similar to scale; they do not move. By then time, they mature, they can leave the premises when pesticide is sprayed onto them. Applying alcohol or malathion and diazinon sprays over them is effective too.
Thrips>.
Thrips, too, are hard to see due to their very small size. Their color is brown, and their body is slender. During their maturity, they develop wings enabling them to fly when disturbed. When the damage, they suck the sap of the plants, leaving the leaves distorted and dry.
Cabbage worms.
Cabbage worms feed on the leaves of the cabbage vegetables, leaving holes. The best way to remove them is by picking them using one?s hands. Also, look for eggs on the underside of the leaves.
Wire worms.
Wire worms are reddish ?brown worms of about a half of inch and are the larvae of click beetle. They spend the winter hibernating beneath the soil. Around May or June, the adults emerge and live for many months throughout summer.
Hornworms.
The hornworms are the larvae of five-spotted hawk moth. They feed on tomato and pepper plant leaves. They are not easily detected because they can camouflage into the foliage of the plant.
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