Lately, your garden has become more than just your pride and joy. It’s been a way to get outside, get some air, and spend some quality time with nature, something that we all need during these hard times. Your garden is meant to be a serene place where you can relax — that is until you notice bugs crawling all over your precious plants. Pro-Staff, experts in pest control Ankeny, can help you clear your garden of any bothersome pests.

Aphids

Aphids are pear-shaped creatures that have two tubes protruding from their abdomen. They use these tubes to suck up plant sap, which can cause premature leaf drop, disease, and even encourage mold growth.

Control: Using either water or hot pepper or garlic repellent sprays, spray the plant liberally.

Caterpillars

Caterpillar larvae will eat pretty much anything, chewing on leaves and tunneling into fruits — ruining your garden.

Control: By hand-picking your harvest and encouraging natural predators, such as birds, you can prevent caterpillars.

Cutworms

Cutworms are chubby and about an inch and length. They are segmented gray or black in color. Cutworms will target any seedlings in your garden, chewing through stems at base level. They are most active throughout the months of May and June.

Control: Hand-pick cutworms off of your plants, or simply delay planting to prevent an infestation.

Colorado Potato Beetles

These pests are yellow-orange in color and have 10 black stripes on their wing covers. As their name suggests, these beetles love potatoes, as well as eggplants and petunias. Colorado potato beetles are known to reduce yields, defoliate plants, and even kill young plants.

Control: Incorporate straw mulch into your garden.

Leafminers

While adult flies are no threat, larvae will tunnel in between the layers of leaf tissue, ruining your crop. Keep an eye out for leafminers in your beets, blueberries, chard, and spinach.

Control: Cut off and affected leaves, and be sure to plant any flowering herbs in the same gardening bed.

Slugs and Snails

These mollusks come in a variety of colors, including gray, brown, black, and orange. Both creatures leave behind a slime trail, making them easy to spot in your garden.

Control: Encourage natural predators, such as birds and frogs, and water your plants in the morning.
No matter what pest is bugging you, Pro-Staff, your pest control Ankeny experts, can help. Learn about our pest control plans by giving us a call at (515) 279-7378.