Eliminate Those Nasty Vegetable Garden Pests

Bugs and insects are a huge pain for many vegetable gardeners. The majority of bugs are more of a nuisance than willfully destructive. But if you find a garden pest devouring your harvest, you're not going to be too happy.

The tomato hornworm is one of the most unsightly pests you'll find in the garden. This fat worm is green and white in color and has a horn like a stinger. It can be plucked from the plant using gloved hands and submerged in soapy water to kill it. You could also spray it with stomach poison insecticide, Bacillus thuringiensis or neem oil.

Thrips are partial to a variety of plants. You'll know they've been there by the random white marks you see on the leaves. To get rid of them, use a hose to wash off the bugs and then spray on some contact poison.

You know when snails and slugs have been there because they leave behind a slimy trail and eat the leaves on the plants. You can buy bait to attract and kill them, but you can achieve the same thing with a shallow dish of beer; they'll be drawn to it and drown.

Those plump white worms that you see in the ground are most likely grubs. When grubs attack your plants they start to droop and their growth will be stunted. You can usually eliminate them with some milky spore added to the earth. Grubs eventually grow into beetles, which you can rid of with stomach poison insecticide.

Cutworms tend to attack a plant's stem at the base. The only successful means of controlling them is by placing a paper collar around your plants.

Corn earworms will infiltrate a cob of corn while it's still on the stalk and consume the kernels. Likewise, a tomato fruitworm consumes the insides of tomatoes, peppers and eggplants. Try using an insecticide that specifically targets earworms.

You'll find borers in thick stemmed vine plants like squash and pumpkin. You have to cut them out of the plant in order to get rid of them. If the borer is discovered near the base, you will have to remove the entire plant and destroy it. You can usually get rid of them with insecticide.

Beetles are bothersome pests that enjoy munching on leaves. They are able to do an astonishing amount of harm to a vegetable garden, therefore it's essential to eliminate them. You can either spray them with insecticide or just pick them off the plants.

Aphids are frequently found in a vegetable garden. Typically, you'll come across bunches of tiny, soft bugs in assorted colors. To eliminate aphids, use neem oil or insecticidal soap.