Pest

Types of plant pests

The common types of plant pests you might find among your plants include

Sucking insects

Food source Plant sap
Symptoms White or yellow spots
Brown patches on leaves
Silver or bronze stippling
Leaf-curling
Pest Types Aphids
Mealybugs
Whiteflies
Scale insects
Mites
Thrips
Leafhoppers

Sucking insects

Food source Plant leaves
Branches
Tree trunks
Symptoms Leaves with only veins left
Defoliation
Shoot dieback
holes on leaves
Pest Types Caterpillars
Bagworms

Mining insects

Food source Leaf surfaces
Symptoms Mine trails in leaf tissues
Severe defoliation and dieback
Serpentine, winding trail, and blotch tunnelling patterns

Pest Types Larvae of moths
flies
beetles

Boring insects

Food source Bark
Branches
Tree trunks
Buds
Roots
Symptoms Borer holes
Insect frass
Sap exudation
Tunnels
Plant part dieback
Pest Types larvae of beetles
weevils
moths

Home Remedies for Pest Control

Home Remedies for Pest Control

1 ) Home made soap solution works well for all insects. Mix a teaspoon of shampoo in 1 liter of water. Mix it well and spray on the plant. Do not spray in direct sunlight. Do this early in the day or later in the evening, when temperatures are cooler. After spray, wash the plants with fresh water after 3-4 hrs.

  • Avoid using soaps on plants

2) Vinegar is also available in all households. A mix of 3-table spoon of vinegar in a 1 liter of water can be sprayed on the plant. Do not spray in direct sunlight. Do this early in the day or later in the evening, when temperatures are cooler. After spray, wash the plants with fresh water after 3-4 hrs.

The oil and soap mix works on aphids, spiders, mites, thrips, whitefly, lacebugs, scale and mealybugs.

3) Also Neem works , to get rid of plant pests and diseases. Boil neem leaves in water and spray the cooled down water on the plants. You also use neem oil for the same. Neem based insecticidal sprays are also available in market.

4) you can also use lemon-scented liquid dish soap, 1 tablespoon per gallon of water.