Vegetable Garden Bugs?
Question:I have terrible bugs in my vegetable garden. What are these and how can I stop them while still being able to eat the vegetables?
Yellow holes in my Bush Pickle Cucumber
Basil leaves being eaten to shreds
Eggplant leaves being eaten
Zucchini and Squash leaves eaten
Squash rotting before it has time to grow fully
I have seen many ant hills, Japanese Beetles, and little green flies
Answers:
Are you checking for snails and slugs. Sounds like they are on patrol. Also if you have white moths flying around they are laying eggs and the larvae when they hatch are enjoying your harvest. I would hand pick the larvae as not to spray your plants with a dangerous insecticide.
Best of luck
www.whatsthatbug.com
I agree with Lyn that this sounds like slug damage. I have not known japanese beetles to eat all of those plants. They usually destroy my beans. Also, look for shiny shield-shaped very flat bugs on the leaves... about 1/4 inch long. They can usually be picked off and squished. They look like little jewels, sometimes gold or metallic, but they are not precious to me!
The squash rotting problem is usually two things. 1) too much moisture with leaves not being able to dry out. To resolve this, don't water in the evening... try early morning. Try soaker hoses or watering the ground not the leaves. 2) not enough calcium in the soil. Try liming the soil around your squash, or eat some eggs, dry the shells a day or two, powder them in your blender or coffee grinder, and put about a tablespoon in the soil near each plant. I do this when planting tomatoes, peppers, and squash and have eliminated blossom end rot from my garden.
More Related Questions & Answers...