Gardening and Landscaping Stack Exchange
Gardening and Landscaping Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [pest-control]

For questions about controlling garden pests. Use this tag with questions about how to keep identified pests at bay. For unidentified pests use the [pest] and [identification] tags. For questions about pesticides use the [pesticide] tag.

Garden pests can include , other invertebrates, mammals, , and domesticated creatures. Although "" indicates that they actively destroy plants and crops, this tag can also be used for (cats/s) that merely cause inconveniences (see example question).

A range of control methods are available including synthetic , organic s, traps, and deterrents. Clearly not all methods are appropriate for all pests or situations, and many methods are illegal for specific pests and jurisdictions.

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How to rid a colony of ants from my yard

The photo is deceiving: It looks like just a few ants. Actually there is a million of them over a 200sf section of my lawn. I believe a can of ant spray will not do the trick outside. How can I kill these pests???
Marinaio
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Rabbits ate the blueberry shrubs I planted right down to the ground. Will the shrubs grow back?

I made the mistake of not setting up chicken wire and the rabbits ate these 24" bushes I just planted. All that remains are 1-2 little twigs, stripped of all the branches and leaves. Will these plants grow back in spring?
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How can I handle a cricket problem without using pesticides?

I have a problem with crickets eating my seedlings and young plants. I have found very little information on keeping crickets away, as this doesn't seem to be a problem for most people. Without resorting to synthetic chemical pesticides, how can I…
GeneratorHalf
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Are woodlice eating my carrots?

I lifted some carrots this evening. It being December these are carrots which have been in the ground some time. They're big and fat, they need cleaning up and the damage needs cutting out, but basically most of them is OK to eat. As I clean them up…
Tea Drinker
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Killing fruit flies without pesticides?

We currently have bowls of apple-cider vinegar set out, and the flies are definitely attracted to them but very few are actually ending up IN the vinegar. Mostly they are just sitting on the bowl. What are other pesticide-free ways of killing fruit…
beta
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What are these woodlouse-like bugs and how do I kill them?

I have these black woodlouse like bugs that infested my whole back yard. They are eating through many of the leaves in our garden and wreaking havoc. (Click to enlarge) What kind of pesticide / approach can I take to eliminate them or reduce their…
Sam Saffron
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What's digging holes in my indoor potted plants?

I have a indoor basil potted plant in an office environment and over the weekend holes appeared on the surface of the soil, as if something dug them. The pots are next to a window, but it's closed at the weekends. A few times I've I noticed…
aporat
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How can I get rid of a large hornet nest in my hollow tree?

I have an old hollow black cherry tree and sandhills hornets moved in this year. The hole is about one foot from the ground. How can I get rid of the nest without a professional?
J. Musser
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Bay Leaf Tree (Laurus Nobilis) with severe scale

I'm new to gardening as I have just bought my first house. I inherited a very large (about 6m tall) Bay tree that is severely sick. I took a sample to my local garden center and I was told that it is infested with Aphids/Scale (I think they mean…
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Soybean oil as insect repellent?

Some of the "natural" insect repellents I use (the kind you put on your skin) have soybean oil listed as one of the active ingredients. I've also seen ~6% soybean oil listed as an active ingredient in some of the "natural" garden insecticide sprays…
bstpierre
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How can I stop cane borers in my rose bush?

I've been having problems where whenever I prune one of my rose bushes, often one of the branches is burrowed into by a nasty cane borer, meaning I have to cut back the rose even further. I'm trying to control the problem by applying PVA to the…
Paul Turner
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Are there any bad effects in using nematodes in pest control?

I have a pest situation on my apricot tree caused by the beetle Capnodis tenebrionis (see this question). I am averse to using chemical pesticides, and I read that nematodes can be used to control C.…
Jonathan
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How can I remove moles from my lawn?

The pest control professional told me that there may be moles in my yard. Some parts of the lawn were torn up, especially in small areas where the lawn did not grow well and was bare. They told me that removing moles can be quite expensive. Are…
user288609
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Should I clear my plants of cobwebs?

I have a few plants that have cobwebs on them. Should I clear these cobwebs and discourage the spiders that live there, as they may cause damage to the plants, or should I leave them, as they might take care of a few airborne pests? This answer…
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What's eating my Peaches?

Several of my peaches have this crystalised goop on the outside, as seen in the first picture. Cutting the peach open reveals some kind of bug trail. The hole the bug made is full of the sticky goop and I guess the crystal outside is the dried…
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