Problem Category: Lawn & Garden

Vegetable Insects

Cutworm

Gray-brown worms that chew young plants and frequently cut off stems near the ground. Tomatoes, peppers, beans and pea plants are susceptible. Cutworms live in the soil during the day and emerge at night to feed above ground. Cutworms curl up when unearthed. Some cutworms can climb up plants to feed on fruit and leaves.

Learn about the Wilson Solution >>

Slugs & Snails

Slugs are slimy mollusks that feed on leaves, vegetables and fruit. Snails are similar but have an external shell. They hide in dense ground cover and prefer moist conditions. Slugs leave a slime trail as they travel, a sure sign of their presence.

Learn about the Wilson Solution >>

Colorado Potato Beetle

Adult potato beetles have yellow and black stripes and are about 3/8 inch long. The larvae are soft, orange and have black dots. Look for yellow eggs on the underside of leaves. Potato beetles will attack potato, pepper and tomato plants, often defoliating the entire plant.

Learn about the Wilson Solution >>

Cabbage Worm

Cabbage worms or loopers are the larvae of moths that feed on many vegetables and berries. Leaves have irregular holes and may be entirely chewed off.

Learn about the Wilson Solution >>

Aphids

Tiny, soft insects that cluster on the underside of leaves, stems and buds and suck plant juices. Aphids can multiply rapidly and large numbers will damage young leaves and fruit. Aphids leave a sticky secretion on plants.

Learn about the Wilson Solution >>

Leafhoppers

Pale, green insects 1/8 inch long that fly away when a plant is touched. They feed on underside of vegetable and fruit leaves. Leafhoppers will migrate in the spring from warmer areas.

Learn about the Wilson Solution >>

White Flies

Tiny, winged flies that flutter about when a plant is touched. Common to gardens and greenhouses. The larvae feed more heavily on plants. Whiteflies excrete honeydew on plants which then become susceptible to a black fungus.

Learn about the Wilson Solution >>

Earwigs

Dark brown insects about 3/4 inches long with pincers at the rear. They feed at night on lettuce and other vegetable leaves and hide in moist, shady locations in daytime. Earwigs often invade homes.

Learn about the Wilson Solution >>

Flea Beetles

Tiny beetles 1/16 inch long that jump like fleas but are not related to them. They chew pinholes in leaves of many vegetables. There are up to 4 generations per year.

Learn about the Wilson Solution >>

Top of the page