Questions tagged [insects]

Six-legged arthropods

Arguably the most successful group of animals to have existed, and they will significantly out number all other groups of animal in your garden. Most insects are benign, although some (eg. aphids, and hornworm larvae) can be pests. Similarly, many are encouraged as predators to eat those that are considered pests (e.g. Ladybugs and lacewings).

Insects typically have six legs, although larvae are an obvious exception. Similarly, most are capable of flight although not necessarily in all stages of growth.

Use this tag for questions about insects in the garden or landscape. For an unknown insect, also add the tag and include a photo. For questions about controlling insects, add the tag.

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Who/what is eating my mint?

Who/what is eating my mint? What should I do about it? Can I do something organic? I had destroyed my mint a year ago by spraying a pesticide, so I don't want to go that route. I live in Jaipur, India. The current temperature is 22-35 degree C…
Saurabh
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Foamy liquid on plant's stems with green larvae or bug inside - pest or no problem

Every year in May/June I'm observing on different plants, such as strawberries, lavender (pictured below) and different weeds, a foamy liquid containing a green insect or a larvae. At first I thought that this is the work of slugs, but now, that I…
Patrick B.
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Is it safe to handle soil with our bare hands?

Is it 100% safe to handle the soil by bare hands? Would any toxic insect hide inside the soils?
lamwaiman1988
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Identification of garden insect with a red-edged green body and white spots

Please can someone Identify this New Zealand Bug found on my lawn today, thank you.
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What is the cause of the dead spots in my lilac bush?

Last year, we built a home and got a Lilac as part of our landscaping package. The landscaping was planted in August, so it's almost made it a full year now. In June, we started to see dead spots appearing in the bush, where the leaves shrivel up…
Mike Cornell
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What are the white bugs on my Aeonium and how do I get rid of them?

Some of my Aeonium plants have had this bug issue for month now, so here's how the plant and the bug looks like: I have a 35mm macro lens, and I shot 1 bug (and killed it) This bug is white and produced some sort of white powder on my plant's…
tdihp
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How do you organically handle lubber grasshoppers that destroy gardens?

Last summer I had a problem with black grasshoppers with yellow stripes on them, which I identified as Lubbers. Now I grow everything organically and all my plants are heirloom varieties, so last year these insects plowed through my garden and…
Antonio
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Request for identification of insects on Brussels sprouts

I found these eggs all over my Brussels sprout plant. Interestingly, none of the other plants near this one had any eggs on it. In the close-up, it looks like some of the eggs are hatched. What insect am I dealing with? Should I be concerned for my…
SethMMorton
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What's the best way to control squash bugs

Help! I need to get rid of squash bugs. I know Sevin will kill them, but I would like to use a less toxic method. I have been destroying them manually, but I am losing the battle.
Mark Arnott
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Impact of mealworms in a garden

Many homesteading / simple living / sustainability blogs suggest farming mealworms as a protein source for chickens. Mealworms aren't part of my garden ecosystem and I am interested in knowing what the likely impact would be if a reasonable number…
going
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What are these very small red bugs on my black walnut tree?

This is a black walnut tree. My brother noticed them while we were in the backyard. I have other trees that are not black walnut and do not see these bugs on them. They are red with a black head. Their bodies have ridges on them. It's hard to tell…
MickB
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Is this a pest moth or friendly butterfly?

I found this odd flying insect hanging out on our Zucchini plant. I couldn't make out if it was a moth or a butterfly, friend or foe. Looks like a friendly insect, anybody know what it is and how it can help out or hurt the garden? Just to help…
jxramos
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Are these spider mites on my indoor eggplant?

Yes, numerous questions on the subject but I have some nice photos. These bugs are running along the webs quite freely so the webs are presumably made by them. They are on my indoor eggplant and I didn't see them last week. Only saw a few webs. But…
Graham Chiu
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Ideal mesh size for insect control

This year I installed netting that was supposed to protect my plants from insects. However, what's happening is that although I've largely excluded pieris rapae, I'm getting largely uncontrolled aphid growth. The mesh is likely excluding lady birds,…
Graham Chiu
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What's causing discoloration and spots on my Tomato and Bell Pepper plants?

I had an issue with tomato hornworms. I sprayed my plants with a BT Dipel solution. A few days after I sprayed them, I noticed a change in the plants. I did some research and found that it could be early blight. I purchased a copper spray solution…
Josiane Ferice
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