Garden Pests

This group of garden pests are the stuff of nightmares for vegetable gardeners. This dirty dozen represents the 12 worst vegetable garden pests to combat. Along with pictures and descriptions, you'll find practical and effective ways to control these tiny terrors, without using chemical pesticides.

In my garden, the most damaging insect pests seem to be hornworms and squash vine borers. Nothing makes me madder than finding a whole row of tomato plants stripped of all their leaves overnight by some fat tomato hornworm. Except maybe a withered squash vine, destroyed by an undetected squash vine borer. Which insects are the worst pest in your garden?

Don't wait until spring to relive this year's garden pest nightmares. The best defense against insect pests is a good offense, and that means starting in fall. If this year's harvest was a bust, try these 5 things you can do to prevent pest problems in next year's garden. You'll thank me when you're picking tomatoes and cucumbers.

To effectively control Japanese beetles, you must control both the larval grubs and the adult beetles. This article explains the life cycle of Japanese beetles, and provides practical advice on controlling both the beetles and the grubs.

If you have Japanese beetles in your yard or garden, the last thing you should do is hang a Japanese beetle trap. Here's why these traps are more hype than hope.

I have eastern tent caterpillars in my trees. Will they kill my trees? How do I get rid of them?

Fall webworm, the larvae of a North American moth, feeds on the foliage of over 100 shade and ornamental trees. Fall webworm caterpillars construct silk nests that enclose the foliage on which they feed. Multiple infestations on the same tree can cause branch dieback. Here's how to recognize and control fall webworm in your home landscape.

Periodical cicadas, sometimes called 17-year locusts, emerge from the ground by the thousands every 13 or 17 years. Homeowners may be concerned about damage to their landscapes or gardens.

You can see evidence of insects everywhere, especially on plants. Galls on leaves, twigs, buds, stems, and roots are most often the result of insect activity. What, exaclty, are galls?

Will insect galls damage my trees or shrubs? How do I control insect galls on my plants?

Galls are abnormal growths of plant tissue. While some galls form due to microorganisms or mechanical injury to a plant, insects or mites cause most galls. Gallmaking insects may feed or lay eggs on a tree, shrub, or other plant, triggering rapid cell division in the meristematic tissue. The resulting gall provides food and shelter to the...

If you've seen a sawfly, you might not know it. Adult sawflies look like flies, but aren't. Immature sawflies resemble caterpillars, but aren't. So what are sawflies?

Carpenter bees are beneficial insects, but they can sometimes be a nuisance to homeowners. These large bees excavate tunnels in lumber, making holes in decks, porches, and other wood structures. Learn when it's time to take action, and how to control carpenter bees effectively.