Garden Pest Control in Ethiopia, Addis Ababa
Your garden is home to creatures that provide benefits and some that are not so helpful,
just like any environment in nature. Most of the time, the beneficial ones, such as pollinators
and predatory insects, keep the destructive pests in check. But sometimes the balance shifts and a
plant can sustain enough damage that you'll want to take action. Fortunately, most garden pests can be
dealt with using non-toxic methods such as handpicking larger insects or blasting them off with a strong spray of water.
How you deal with the problem depends on what insect is causing damage.
Types of garden pests
1. Aphids :-
What they look like: Tiny, pear-shape, and soft-bodied, aphids can be yellow, white, red, or
black, and either be winged or wingless. A white cottony form of aphid prefers fruit trees.
Plant damage: Aphids are typically found clustering on the tender new growth of plants,
where they suck sap, causing distorted leaves and flowers. Although it can be startling to find hundred
s of them clustered on a plant stem, they rarely do enough damage to kill a plant. Unless they are affecting
a large agricultural crop, they aren't usually a cause for great concern.
2. Caterpillars & Worms :-
What they look like: TCaterpillars (sometimes called worms) are the larval stage of moths and
butterflies, which makes them trickier to deal with because many will turn into the pollinators that your garden
and landscape needs. And who doesn't love butterflies?
Plant damage: Caterpillars and worms feed on plants, consuming leaves and stems.
3. Flea Beetles :-
What they look like: Tiny black or gray beetles are less than 1/8-inch long and will hop away like a flea or cricket when disturbed.
Plant damage: Many scattered pits or small, ragged holes in leaves, typically appearing in spring and early summer.
4. Japanese Beetles :-
What they look like: Metallic blue or green, Japanese beetles are 1/2-inch long and have coppery wings.
Plant damage: Japanese beetles are voracious eaters: Adult beetles consume leaves and flowers,
leaving behind only leaf veins. Common targets include roses and hibiscus, but hundreds of plants are favored by Japanese beetles.
The larvae (grubs) of Japanese beetles can also be a problem in lawns; they overwinter in the soil, then eat grass roots in spring before they
emerge as adult beetles. Heavy infestations in turf grasses weaken them and allow weeds to take over.
5. Mealybugs :-
What they look like:Mealybugs are small, sap-sucking, cottony insects.
Plant damage:Mealybugs suck sap from plants causing distorted and limited growth and leaf loss.
They secrete honeydew as they eat, which can attract ants and lead to the growth of sooty mold.
6. Scale Insects :-
What they look like:Although there are several kinds of scale insects, all begin as crawlers, which are mobile until
they find a good plant feeding location. Once settled, the 1/16-inch-long s
cale insects become immobile and develop hard, oval shells that are difficult to distinguish from bark.
Plant damage: Scale insects suck out vital plant fluids, which leads to stunted leaves and needles, yellowing, and twig and branch dieback.
7. Slugs & Snails :-
What they look like:Slimy and black or brown, slugs look similar to short worms but have tiny antennae.
Snails look like slugs but have hard circular shells on their backs.
Plant damage: Both slugs and snails love moisture and rasp holes into leaves and flowers.
They feed at night and cloudy days, leaving shiny slime trails.