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.