Monthly Tip

It’s never helpful to have critters competing with you for your food. Damage can be done by squirrels, raccoons, rats, birds, and caterpillars, yet it is the tiniest creatures that can be the hardest to detect. That’s why it’s helpful to do a regular inspection, as often as once or twice a day if possible. Knowing what it is will help you figure out what to do to maximize the productivity of your garden. Some pests are out during the day and others do their damage at night, so you may want to take a flashlight out at non-peak gardening hours. Holding a piece of white paper under a plant and shaking the plant can make insects fall off for identification. The most common place to find pests is on the undersides of leaves so make sure to closely inspect those parts. A magnifying glass of some sort is a useful tool. You can also take a picture with your cell phone and then zoom in for a closer view. It’s important to be able to recognize the eggs, the larval and nymph stages, and the adult form, and to be able to differentiate between beneficial insects and harmful pests. Don’t indiscriminately squish everything that moves! Once you have done your detective work, you can go to the University of California IPM website for identification and management tips, or contact the Master Gardener Help Desk for guidance.

 

More Information: Beneficial Predators – These are the ones you want!