Organic Insect Management A Guide to Minimizing Insect Infestation and Damage in the Home Vegetable Garden What are insects, and why is it critical to control the soil through additions of compost, organic them in the vegetable garden? fertilizers and organic matter like leaves and pine straw. Water plants judiciously and avoid Insects are defined as small arthropod animals drought stress if at all possible. that have six legs and generally possess one or two pairs of wings. Insects can damage all plant If you have weak plants, pull them out. You can structures in vegetable crops. Insects can also reduce the likelihood of pests living in your transmit vector diseases and bacteria into plants garden by clearing out old plant debris and as they feed on them. Controlling insects can help weeds and disinfecting your tools after touching a gardener produce better-yielding and more a diseased plant. visually appealing fruit and vegetables to share or If the weather allows, you may want to consider sell. planting your crops early. This allows the plants What is the difference in organic and synthetic to reach maturity faster before insect pressure insect control? becomes too high. •• Organic control is when a gardener uses natural Crop rotation is strongly suggested. Certain insecticides to reduce insect populations. plants belong to the same family. For example, •• Synthetic control is when a gardener uses man- tomatoes, eggplants, peppers and potatoes are made insecticides to reduce insect populations. all in the same family and should not be planted in the same row season after season. Instead, rotate where each family is planted. Cultural practices to reduce insect populations in the home The families of common home garden crops include: vegetable garden •• Alliums: onions, garlic, leeks and shallots Scout your garden at least once a week for pest •• Umbellifers: carrots, celery, parsley and parsnips problems. That way if you see a problem, you •• Asters: lettuce, sunflowers and a few other leafy can fix it early. Do your best to identify the pest. greens Not all insecticides control all insects, and not all •• Brassica: cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, insects are harmful to plants. Therefore, you’ll kale and many other leafy greens as well as want to identify the pest first before spraying. If rutabagas and kohlrabi you cannot find the insect, be able to describe •• Amaranth: beets and chard the damage. For instance, descriptions such as, “It •• Cucurbits: cucumbers, melons, squash and looks like bites were taken out of the leaf,” or “The gourds damage looks like tiny holes,” help an extension •• Legumes: peas and beans professional identify your pest. •• Grass (Poa): corn, wheat, oats and rye Healthy plants are generally less susceptible to •• Solanaceae: tomatoes, peppers, eggplant and pests. You can optimize plant health by improving potatoes
http://www.lsuagcenter.com/en/lawn_garden/home_gardening/vegetables/ When planning your vegetable garden, consider are considered beneficial because they pollinate the mature size of the crop in relation to spacing. crops, including butterflies and bees. Lady beetles Avoid planting seeds or seedlings too close — commonly referred to as ladybugs — crawl together. For example, tomato seedlings start all over our vegetables but never damage them. off small but will grow at least 2 to 3 feet across. Instead, they eat soft-bodied insects such as Plenty of space should be given between each aphids and mealy bugs that not only physically plant to encourage air flow. If plants are too close damage crops but also transmit plant diseases. together it could encourage disease. Proper For beneficial insects, like lady beetles, to work as spacing will ensure your plants are not crowded a method of insect control, you must first identify and may encourage vigorous growth. your problem insect (pest) and then determine which beneficial insect will work the best. As the Carefully consider how you will mulch your population of the pest insect declines, so will garden. Pine straw and leaves are excellent the beneficial insect. Beneficial insects will move organic mulches for the garden. Avoid barks, from your garden to other places in search of which can rob plants of nutrients. food. Thus, beneficial insects generally need to be purchased each year as a means of control. Beneficial insects can be purchased at local plant Using beneficial insects to nurseries and from online sources. Remember, control pest insects beneficial insects are susceptible to both organic Beneficial insects are natural predators of insect and non-organic insecticides. You will want to pests, meaning they eat insects and not plants. limit spraying insecticides or not spray at all when Some beneficial insects do not eat insects but using beneficial insects.
Pest Insect Beneficial Insect(s) Typically Used for Control
Aphid Lady beetles, green lacewings Slug Beetles, toads, frogs, birds Mealy bug Lady beetles, green lacewings Thrips Lady beetles, green lacewings, assassin bugs Caterpillars, worms, loopers Birds, yellow jackets, moles Stink bugs Assassin bugs, wasps Plant bugs Lacewings, assassin bugs, wasps Weevils Fire ants, spiders, wasps Whiteflies Lady beetles, lacewings
Spotted Stink bug cucumber beetle Organic Insecticides 101 after 10 to 15 minutes or apply soaps on cloudy days. Oils and soaps can burn plant foliage in hot, There are a few organic insecticides available to sunny weather. You can dislodge aphids from homeowners. Below are descriptions of insects plants by spraying them with water from a garden and which methods of control — including which hose. Attract beneficial insects, like lady beetles, to organic pesticides — may work best. your garden. They are natural predators of aphids. Common organic insecticides Caterpillars and worms •• Bacillus Thuringiensis Worms will frequent any member of the Brassica •• Diatomaceous earth* family, including kale, broccoli and cauliflower. •• Horticultural soaps Worms can be difficult to locate. Look for the frass •• Kaolin clay* (worm droppings) on the tops of leaves. Consider •• Neem oil planting thyme around cabbage or broccoli. •• Pyrethrum Worms are repelled by phytochemicals produced •• Plant oils by thyme. Use Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) to control *Organic Materials Review Institute approved with some worms or caterpillars. Bt is a naturally occurring restrictions bacterium that when sprayed on plants and eaten Slugs by worms will kill the worms in a few days.
Control slugs by hand picking or sprinkling Squash vine borers
diatomaceous earth around the base of plants. Use row covers to reduce the instance of borers Diatomaceous earth is made from fossilized on squash until the blossoms open. Once the diatoms and works through abrasion and blossoms open, remove the covers. Avoid planting desiccation. Homeowners can also use beer traps. squash in the same row year after year. Practice Beer traps work by attracting slugs to the trap crop rotation because borers overwinter as pupae by smell. Partially bury a small container and fill in soil. Clean up all old plant and weed debris. it with fresh beer at dusk and then check the Tomato hornworm container in the morning to see how many slugs are caught. Remember not to bury the container Handpick hornworms off tomato plants whenever completely. This will keep the beneficial insects possible. Look for caterpillar frass on the tops of from getting caught in the trap. leaves. Frass resembles small black pebbles. The braconid wasp is a parasitoid of the hornworm Squash bugs and provides excellent control of caterpillar pests. These insects can be found mainly on squash and Applications of Bt and pyrethrum will control pumpkins. They are often confused with stink hornworms. Cultivate the soil at the beginning bugs, but stink bugs are wider and rounder than and end of the growing season to destroy larvae squash bugs. Control squash bugs by handpicking overwintering in the soil. the eggs off the undersides of leaves. Adults can Cutworms usually be found on the undersides of leaves or near new growth. Spraying neem oil or pyrethrum Place a cardboard collar around each plant is an effective way to control squash bugs. Once to prevent cutworms from eating the base of the squash or pumpkins are finished producing affected plants. Put the collar on immediately for the season, remove all old plants and clean up after planting. Cutworms like to consume young any debris that fell on the ground. This will help plants. Consider using an old roll of toilet paper as reduce injury to next season’s crop. Squash bugs the cardboard collar. Scout your garden and pick overwinter in old leaf material. cutworms off plants as you see them. Applications of Bt and pyrethrum provide satisfactory control Aphids of cutworms. Spray insecticidal soap, horticultural oil or soapy water on aphids. Take care to wash the soap off Cucumber beetles Cultivate the soil to expose beetles hiding in the soil. Management of cucumber beetles in field trials using organic chemicals has been inconsistent. Stink bugs Neem oil, pyrethrum and spinosad can be applied Vacuum stink bugs from plants or apply using a backpack sprayer. Using plastic mulch is insecticides with pyrethrum as the active a good way to discourage pests from dwelling in ingredient. Pyrethrum breaks down quickly your garden. Pick a plastic mulch that is silver on and has little residual effect. Organic chemicals one side and lay the silver mulch face up. Silver that are highly effective in managing stink will reflect the sunlight onto the bottom of the bugs and most beetles are not known to leaves and discourage the bugs from staying in exist. Applications of pyrethrums may result in your garden. Remove and discard all old plant management that is short term and limited. material. Beetles overwinter in old leaf litter.
Home Garden Series
Organic Insect Management Authors: Kathryn Fontenot, Ph.D. School of Plant, Environmental and Soil Sciences Mary Sexton, M.S. School of Plant, Environmental and Soil Sciences Dennis Ring, Ph.D. Department of Entomology Sebe Brown, Ph.D. Northeast Region
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