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.

296 questions
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What should I do to keep my peppermint plant alive?

I decided to buy a small peppermint plant to have in my room this year. I put the plant in a new pot with additional soil and I've been keeping it indoors for most of the time in a place where it has lots of sun (I live in Spain) and I've been…
S -
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How effective are praying mantis in keeping a garden clear of pests?

I was wondering if anyone has had any experience with using praying mantises for pest control, and what kinds of pests could be managed with them?
Enigma
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What are these little green bugs on the roots of indoor plants?

I got a plant pot in my room, growing some coriander. I noticed some dusty stuff at the foot of the stalks, and upon closer inspection they are tightly clustered tiny little bugs! They are all over a lot of my plants, tiny little green dots! Are…
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what are effective, non-chemical, ways to control japanese beetles?

I'm beginning to see adult Japanese beetles on my dahlias and other flowers. It doesn't look like a heavy infestation but I am wondering what are some non-chemical control methods. I've read that nematodes are one option. Are they effective? Are…
dkackman
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Black and yellow insect on lavender

I'm trying to identify the following bug on a lavender plant. Theres about a half dozen of them and they appear to have six legs and a long abdomen. They're black with yellow or orange sides.
Seamus
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What is this insect with rough brown shell on potatoes?

This insect with a rough brownish shell showed up on potatoes at a friend's house in Vermont. I've looked around in books and online and can't find anything that's an exact match. Current control strategy is knocking them into a can of soapy water.…
bstpierre
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What is this beetle-like, brown-spotted flying insect?

I found another strange insect flying around in my garden today that I'm hoping to get identification on. This website was helpful previously, but I haven't been able to figure it out this time. It flys around pretty bee-like, but also sort of…
Joel Eckroth
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What is this Michigan garden insect with a striped body and reddish head?

Here's a photo of a bug in Michigan that's eating my tomato, chard, and other plant leaves. Can you identify it? For extra credit, can you tell me how to get rid of it organically?
Feature
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What kind of insect is this on my green chilli?

I have a green chilli plant that I bought a couple of weeks back. It seems to have some sort of insect over several of its leaves (see pics below). I am wondering if this is scale or spider or mite? If so, should I treat it by rubbing alcohol?…
vk_
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What's this insect on my cauliflowers?

Found these insects all over my cauliflowers hiding under the covers I'm using to blanch the heads. I suspect it's an earwig. Solutions for control? And yes, I have a bad case of pieris rapae ... bought some bt today.
Graham Chiu
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Why would my citrus tree have dying twigs, burrowing insects and black scale?

My citrus tree is not healthy. The leaves are falling off, and the twigs are becoming brown and dying: In the middle trunk, where a large branch was pruned years ago, there seems to be some burrowing insect that's causing saw dust and what looks…
loginid
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What are these white things on the conifers in my garden?

I found these white pea-sized things on some trees in my garden. The garden is in Lower Saxony, Germany. I already looked through similar questions here but none of them looked quite like this. From what I read so far it must be some kind of insect…
user16719
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Black beetle identification, crawling on potato plant

I need help identifying a beetle I found in my garden. I've never seen them before, but suddenly today there were many of them crawling around my russet potato plants. They were quite active and walking all over the place. What are they, and do…
NeutronStar
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Identify striped bug on plants: safe or suspect?

New to gardening, many species are unknown to me. This one (and many of its friends) with nice metallic colored stripes just apppear on my lavender, rosemary and slightly less on honeysuckle. What is its name? It looks (to me) like a Rosemary…
Laurent Duval
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Caterpillar identification: tan with black triangles

What will this become? Found just north of Washington, D.C., tan with black triangles, about 1.5 inches. The fibres around its head are not part of it.
Nick Barry
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