Questions tagged [pests]

For questions about garden pests such as insects, birds and mammals.

In horticulture, the word "pests" is usually used for macroscopic animals, although smaller organisms (e.g. bacteria, fungi, viruses, nematodes) could be considered pests, as well as invasive plants (e.g. vines and parasitic plants).

Macroscopic animal pests are dominated by insects and mammals, although other arthropods, reptiles, and birds could all be pests.

All of these groups primarily contain beneficial or neutral organisms, so generally control methods should be limited and in the form of deterrents rather than chemical poisons.

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Why is this years-old vine dying and showing strange beige spots?

My housemate has a hanging plant, we think it's a form of vine, in her room. It's her favourite plant and at least 10 years old. Lately, it's started thinning out massively, leaving dried leaves on the floor. The leaves have beige spots: The…
Pekka
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Should I remove the tiny, cute, white and red bugs from my Umbrella plant (Variegated Schefflera)?

I wiped the leaves of this Umbrella plant (Variegated Schefflera) some weeks ago. Now I am seeing all these white and red bugs on the leaves of the plant. I can easily take them off with a stick. After taking one off, it doesn't seem like they are…
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Information on killing yellow jackets at the end of summer

I've got yellow jackets at my house in the Pacific Northwest. Normally I wouldn't mind terribly much, they can be aggressive but if you don't go near their hives they're fine. And if you need to get somewhere they have a hive, it's generally easy to…
Sean Long
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What is this small eucalypt-like landscape tree in California?

I would like to identify this tree, and particularly to confirm or eliminate it as a possible host for Thaumastocoris peregrinus recently sighted nearby. The leaves are glossy and have no eucalyptol scent when crushed. The trees range from ~4-8…
junkyardsparkle
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What Pest is That on My Rosemary?

It's not as massive as it might seem on this picture. The insect is about 1 to 2 mm in length. The web is very fine, you don't see it if you're standing a meter away and only the upper shoots are affected. It's located in North-Rhine Westphalia,…
bot47
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How many trees are needed to attract birds as significant pests?

If I grew a bunch of large fruit trees of a sort very, very desirable to birds (robins, mockingbirds, etc.), out in the middle of nowhere where few birds had previously dared to roam (no trees besides mine), would this increase my harvest potential,…
Brōtsyorfuzthrāx
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Is this pile of dirt in my grass a sign of a pest?

There is a strange-looking pile of dirt in my lawn that I'd never noticed before, so I'm wondering if it's a sign of a pest, say a mole or some kind of burrowing insect: The patch of dirt is about 4 or 5 inches in diameter. Because of the way it's…
Derek
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Disease / pest identification

What could have caused the damage in some of the leafs of this pothos? Fungus? Drought? Pest? Factors: It appeared suddenly, at the end of winter time, beginning of spring It is an indoor plant, and the windows have been closed for several months,…
cockypup
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What's the best way to deal with scale insects on Pieris Japonica?

I have a heavy infestation of bark scale on 4 mature rhododendrons and 3 pieris japonica. I applied dormant oil to the rhododendrons yesterday and would like to do the same to the pieris. However, the pieris is already in full flower - is it too…
kataob
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Do white butterfly decoys work against Pieris rapae?

I've seen various articles/posts to say that decoy artificial white butterflies, such as the one I just made, are effective in preventing attack of brassicas by the white butterfly Pieris rapae. The thesis is that the insect is highly territorial…
Graham Chiu
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What are these insects on my Arabian Jasmine plant & how can I eradicate them?

I have found these white moths (very small, winged, can fly) below the leaves of my Arabian jasmine plant, and the plant has stopped flowering and is in a poor state. There are surprisingly some white scaly patches too on the leaves, though I am not…
Joydeep
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Managing Bronze Orange Bugs on citrus trees

How can I eliminate Bronze Orange (stink) Bugs from my citrus trees? I know that spraying the trees with Confidor will get rid of these bugs, however I've been told that it's not suitable to use on citrus, especially when bearing fruit. Is there…
Adam
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What kind of caterpillar is this?

About 2 cm (when I found them). They are olive green. They have a black head, and black dots on the side, around the spiracles. They are not hairy. If I counted right, they have three pairs of prolegs (fake legs). I found them in a spindle…
GolezTrol
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How to 'clean' topsoil of weeds & pests before giving it to a friend

We're removing a layer of topsoil from a section our yard to lay brick paving. A friend who donated the bricks has expressed an interest in taking this topsoil for their own garden in exchange (they're in a newer neighbourhood without great…
paulw1128
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How do you get rid of root flies organically?

Now that it is warming up in Sydney, I have noticed some tiny flies in the soil of my pots. I think they are root flies. They seem attracted to the pots containing rhizomes the most[1][2]. These pots are in the shade and do not have mulch. How do I…
Megasaur
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