Riverstreet Flowerland

Vegetable Garden Pests

Pest Favorite Plant(s)

Aphids Corn, cucumber, beans, squash, melons, peppers, potatoes, eggplants, bets, peas, broccoli, cabbage, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, kale, lettuce, okra, parsley, spinach, chard, tomatoes

Cabbage root maggots Cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower

Cabbage worms Cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower

Carrot rust root maggots Carrots, radishes, parsnips

Colorado potato beetles Potatoes, eggplants

Corn earworms Corn, beans, cabbage family plants, lettuce

Cucumber beetles Zucchini, summer squash, winter squash, cucumbers, melons, beans, corn, eggplants

Cutworms Corn, cucumbers, onions

Flea beetles Corn, potatoes, eggplants, beets, carrots, beans, parsley, tomatoes

Japanese beetles Raspberries, grapes, beans

Leafhoppers Beans, potatoes, carrots, peas

Mexican bean beetles Beans, peas

Red spider mites Beans

Leaf miner Cucumbers, beets, spinach, turnips, cabbage family plants

Slugs Lettuce

Spider mites Eggplants, carrots

Squash bugs Squash, melons

Stink bugs Beans, beets, corn, cucumbers, okra, peas, chard

Thrips Beans, corn, cucumbers, melons, peppers

Tomato hornworms Tomatoes, beans, cabbage family plants, cucumbers, lettuce, melons, spinach

Vine borers Zucchini, summer squash, winter, squash, cucumbers, melons

Whiteflies Beans, tomatoes, melons

Online find a thorough publication with descriptions, including drawings, of a host of pests;

list of plants and the insects that attack them; and the pesticides that will kill these insects at

insects.tamu.edu/extension/bulletins/b-1300.html

The best defense against pests is hygiene. Remove any insects found before planting, thorough and regular weeding, removal of damaged leaves and other plant parts, and harvesting on time so rotting fruits don’t attract more insects. Plants are more susceptible to insect attacks because of poor soil, lack of water, or too much or too little fertilizer.