Where do those mystery holes in my plant leaves come from?
How many times have you gone out in your garden to find the leaves of your plants eaten away, but no sign of any culprit?
Well, we are here to help you solve the problem!
Worms or caterpillars are 9 times out of 10 the pest at large. While they come in many shapes and sizes, they are often impossible to find.
Why might you ask?
Most worms are found in the evening or night hours when the temps are cooler and predators such as wasps are not active. You can go out and search under your leaves and locate many different kinds of wiggly pests. On large leaved plants, shine a light under the leave and look for the shadow of the worm/caterpillar. By morning, they have crawled back down your plant and into the soil for protection from the hot day time sun.
Not all worms will hide during the day. Army worms and Tomato Hornworms can often be found any time of day or night. Army worms come by the masses, just as the name might suggest, and can quickly destroy a plants foliage. I recently had a troop try and take over my mint bed. I quickly found them in the middle of the day, shaded on the underside of the leaves, eating away. Hornworms are often hard too spot because they blend in with the plants so well.
So, what can we do to take care of these pesky foliage eaters?
Natural Guard or Summit Caterpillar Sprays are examples of “BT”
Your first option if the coverage of pests is very minimal is to pick off the worm and relocate them away from the garden. The second is to spray or dust the plant with something to control worms/caterpillars. We always recommend “BT” as the first line of defense, as it allows you to spray the plant today and harvest tomorrow for safe eating after rinsing. It is an organic bacterium that destroys the worm/caterpillars gut within hours leaving them dead and your plant better off. With any “pesticide” organic or not, we recommend you follow the safety protocols on the label and fully read the instructions prior to use.
If worms aren’t your issue, check out our upcoming post on snails and slugs!
