Problem
|
Symptoms
|
Control Strategies |
Chewing Insects |
Caterpillars
see
PestID |
Holes
in flowers, leaves and fruit. |
Pick
off by hand, encourage birds.
On cabbages, broccoli and other brassica plants, check planting time.
Use molasses, Derris dust, diatomaceous earth or Dipel.
|
Grasshoppers
|
Holes
on growth tips and on the edges of leaves. |
Snip large ones in half with secateurs during early
morning garden patrols. Plant sacrificial trap
crops like acalypha. Apply diatomaceous earth or use molasses or oil as a contact spray.
|
Beetles
see
PestID |
Chewed holes in flower, leaves and fruit. |
Suck off
with the vacuum cleaner. Use Derris or diatomaceous earth. Check roots for beetle larvae.
|
Cut Worm |
Seedlings cut off at ground level.
|
Place
physical barriers around young seedlings such as plastic sleeves cut
from soft drink bottles. |
Leaf Miner
see
PestID |
Silvery tracings on leaves marking internal tunnels made by
caterpillars.
|
Locate the insect and squash the leaf and the insect between your
fingers. Oil acts as a repellent.
Problem is largely cosmetic on established trees. |
Piercing &
Sucking Pests |
Aphids
see
PestID |
Tiny green, yellow, red or black insects on the new
growth of plants. |
Hose off or squash them.
Sprinkle ash, lime, Derris or diatomaceous earth to
dehydrate them.
Spray with soap or oil. Wait for ladybirds and their larvae to control them.
|
Green Vegetable Bugs
|
Tiny pale green bugs that cause tips to die and cause
spots and dimples on fruit. |
Pick off by hand. Vacuum them up. Spray with pyrethrum.
Cover plants such as capsicum and tomatoes to keep them
free from attack - also prevents fruit fly infestation. |
Mealy Bugs
see
PestID |
White fluff covered insect on roots, stems of flowers or
fruit. |
Dispose of plants where roots are infested.
Squash where visible on stems. Spray with diatomaceous
earth, oil or soap spray. |
Scale
see
PestID |
Flat disc-like insects stuck to plants often associated
with black soot and ants. |
Spray with oil or pyrethrum. Sprinkle chilli powder
around plant stems to deter ants.
Use horticultural glues or barrier
paints. Scrub heavy infestations with soap and water and
a soft nail brush, then respray with oil. |
Fruit Fly
see
PestID
homemade remedies
more info.... (pdf) |
Premature fruit drop with white maggots present in
fruit. |
Grow susceptible crops when fruit fly population is low.
Place bags over individual fruit. Cover entire vegetable gardens with
white shade cloth or exclusion fabric. Use baits
to monitor populations and act as traps. Place these
baits away from the targeted fruit as you do not want to
attract the fruit fly to the fruit. |
White Fly |
Clouds of white flying insects when plants are
disturbed. |
Overhead water to drown them. Use repellent sprays and
oils. Apply soap sprays regularly.
|
Other Pests |
Ants
see
PestID |
Ants visible on plant stems and fruit often with sticky
black soot and scale insects present.
|
Torch-light expeditions especially after rain or
watering. Buy some ducks. Place containerised baits or barriers
around plants. Iron based based are safe for the
environment and pets. |
Snails and Slugs
see
PestID |
Holes and silver trails.
Seedlings disappearing completely. |
Torch-light expeditions especially after rain or
watering. Buy some ducks. Place containerised baits or barriers
around plants. Iron based based are safe for the
environment and pets. |
Slaters |
Mini armadillos that role into a ball when disturbed. |
Large populations occur where habitat is provided
such as newspaper mulch, decomposing wood or other
organic debris. No
real damage occurs.
Buy some chickens. |
Mites
see
PestID |
Silvery appearance on undersides of leaves.
Loss of green colour on top. |
Outbreaks occur in hot, dry weather when plants are
stressed. Water, mulch, use sulphur, soap and oil
sprays. |
Root Nematodes
see
PestID |
Plants wilt in hot weather even though well watered.
Knotted, distorted roots. |
Incorporate organic matter. Rotate crops. Grow and dig in natural repellents such as cobbler’s
pegs (Bidens pilosa). Water molasses around susceptible crops like
tomatoes and capsicum |
Diseases |
Anthracnose
see
DiseaseID |
Failure to set fruit, premature fruit fall, black spots
on flowers, fruit and leaves. |
Plant
resistant varieties, prune to improve air circulation, increase potassium.
Spray copper or casuarina tea prior to flowering and at fruit set. |
Mildews and Black Spot
see
DiseaseID |
White powdery and then burnt look to leaves or black
sunken spots. |
Plant resistant varieties, check planting season, improve air
circulation, reduce nitrogen, increase potassium. Use seaweed on
a regular basis. Spray with Condies crystal, sulphur, copper or
milk. Use bicarbonate soda based sprays like Ecocarb or Eco Rose. |
Root Rot |
Poor growth and soft, brown odorous roots on plants. |
Decrease watering, incorporate organic matter and
improve drainage. |
Viruses
see
DiseaseID |
Poor growth, distortion, uncharacteristic stripes and
mosaic patterns on leaves. |
Remove and destroy infected plants.
Obtain clean seed. Avoid propagating from infected
plants. Control aphids that transfer many
viruses between plants. |