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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Ants and white fluff on my citrus tree leaves

I've noticed this weird thing on the underside of some of my citrus tree's leaves. It looks like a number of ants stuck in a bunch of white fluff. This is only on some of the leaves, and it's mostly at the bottom. The tree itself looks to be…
Haedrian
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Why remove dead leaves from plants?

What reasons are there to remove dead leaves from plants? Does plant type or indoor vs. outdoor change the important of removing dead leaves? People says it's the correct thing to do. Searching google only returns pages about how to do it and not…
AnnanFay
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What is wrong with these pine trees?

There are a line of pine trees in my development, and two of them seem to have a disease. I was hoping someone could identify what is wrong with them. They seem to both have the same problem (part of the branches are dead and there is something…
AwesomeMarioFan
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Why are there small white organisms spreading to all of my indoor ferns leaves?

I bought this fern a few months ago and it has lived on the office desk at home ever since. The small white bugs are around 1mm in size and began on just one leaf about a month ago. I noticed several weeks ago when new leaves were developing that…
Jane
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How do I control fire ants in the mulch around my tree?

I live in Houston, TX, USA and fire ants are a nearly year long concern. I have had success treating mounds with Orthene as they appear. However, I had a Siberian Elm in my backyard that was infested with fire ants and I never managed to kill the…
Steve Jackson
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How can I safely keep snakes away from the compost in a community garden?

I managed a small community garden with a small orchard and farmland. Lately, there are snake sightings in one of my cold dead leaf compost (the snake is a juvenile Ptyas mucosus). Apparently, the damp, dark and earthly-smell compost environment…
y chung
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What's eating my broccoli and kale, and what can I do to prevent it?

Something has been eating my broccoli and kale plants. I haven't seen anything on it, so I'm not sure what it is. It started eating the leaves and has progressed to eating stems and recently seems to have cut one of the broccoli plants down to the…
Mike Eng
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Best mosquito repellent plant for a sunny terrace?

I would like to put some mosquito-repelling plants in the terrace of my apartment. We live in the Latin America, where there's sun and heat all year (this week's been 32°C, or 90°F). I can water and maintain the plants, but the only shade is from…
rbhat
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Why do ants appear around my panda plant?

I've had a panda plant indoors in my office, by a west-facing window for about 6 months or so. Yesterday I found that there are red/brown ants around my plant and it is obvious that their target is actually my plant. The only possible reason I can…
lamwaiman1988
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White spots on large maple tree

I live in the UK and I have a very large maple tree in my garden and just noticed it has white spots on the trunk and some branches. Any idea what it could be and what I can use to cure it? Thanks!
Maria
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How do I prevent holes in the leaves of my vegetable garden?

Something is eating the leaves of several plants in my vegetable garden. Can you help determine what is causing this and how I can prevent it? This affects several of my vegetables: Turnips, Lettuce, Spinach, etc. I live in Los Angeles, CA and this…
Adam
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What is the white, powdery, substance on my hibiscus?

We live in Southwest Florida. About a month ago, or maybe a little longer, I trimmed back our hibiscus plants. Today, I just noticed this mass of white, almost powdery, substance on the branches and leaves of one of the plants. What is this, and…
unkfrank
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Rue with white dots and some 3mm white bugs

I have a Rue plant in my terrace, and for many weeks it has had some sort of plague made of white dots and some slightly bigger bugs, oval shape, no more than 3mm long. I've been using an organic repellent, with very little success. I don't even…
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How do I treat and care for trees infested with borers?

One of my apple trees recently started to look like it's dying (leaves dying when they shouldn't, bark peeling, lack of fruit, new branches growing and then quickly dying). My neighbor looked at it and noticed lots of small holes, pointing out that…
jhawes
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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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