Pests, Disease & Garden Problems

No, you should adopt Integrated Pest Management (IPM) by treating only specific issues as they arise rather than broadcast spraying the whole yard. To protect beneficial pollinators like bees, try to apply insecticides early in the morning or late at dusk when these insects are less active.

Use an iron phosphate bait, which is extremely safe for pets and children. This bait effectively kills slugs and snails and actually adds beneficial iron to the soil as it breaks down.

The most effective method is using a systemic insecticide like Acephate applied as a soil drench so the plant absorbs protection through its roots. Because the caterpillars hide inside rolled leaves, topical sprays often cannot reach them.

Use a castor-oil-based repellent, available in granular or liquid form. It works by making the soil and roots taste bitter and irritating the animals' fur, encouraging them to leave the area.

No, it is a non-harmful fungus that helps break down wood mulch. You can wash it off with a hose or scoop it up and discard it. It primarily affects appearance rather than plant health.

Yes, for non-native varieties like Boston ferns, use 1 tablespoon per gallon of water to boost chlorophyll. However, avoid using Epsom salts on native or woodland ferns such as Christmas, cinnamon, or ostrich ferns.

Use a black light flashlight at night. These large green caterpillars glow under UV light, making them easy to spot and remove by hand from your plants.

Shot hole blight is a fungal or bacterial condition that causes small circular dead spots on leaves that eventually fall out, leaving a hole. It is often triggered by poor air circulation and overhead watering. Treatment involves removing and disposing of fallen debris and applying liquid copper fungicide.

Try placing a layer of gravel on top of the soil surface, or push plastic forks into the soil around the planting with the prongs facing up. Both methods create an inhospitable surface that discourages squirrels from digging without harming them.

Step on the tunnel to flatten it. If the tunnel has been repaired within 24 hours, the mole is still actively using that run. Focus your trapping or repellent efforts on tunnels that show this kind of activity.

A strong direct stream of water from a garden hose can physically remove aphids from stems and leaves and damage their soft mouthparts. This method can significantly reduce populations without any chemical application and is safe for use around beneficial insects.

Apply a product containing Bifenthrin or Permethrin to the entire affected area, including the lawn perimeter, foundation plantings, and shrubs. Repeat the application monthly over several months for sustained control.

No. These are the protective cases of bagworm caterpillars. Pull them off by hand and destroy them. If left in place, each bag can contain hundreds of eggs that will hatch the following season and feed heavily on your evergreens.

These are likely multicolored Asian lady beetles seeking shelter before winter. Vacuum them up rather than squashing them — when crushed they release a yellow fluid that stains surfaces and produces a strong unpleasant odor.

Repellents based on egg solids, such as those from Messina Wildlife, are among the most effective options available. They must be reapplied periodically and after rain, and applied to new growth as plants grow — deer are attracted to fresh, untreated foliage.

Wait until new shoots have grown to six to eight feet, when the canes are still tender. At that stage, spray the foliage thoroughly with a combination of glyphosate and triclopyr. Treating mature, fully hardened canes is far less effective.

Yes. There are microencapsulated deltamethrin products specifically formulated to be mixed into exterior paint. Once applied, the treated surface provides ongoing repellent protection against termites and mosquitoes for the life of the paint.

Hang shiny, reflective objects such as old CDs or metallic ornaments in the branches near the affected area to deter the birds. You can also wrap the damaged section of trunk in burlap from October through March to physically protect the bark during the period when sapsuckers are most active.

After roses finish their first major flush of blooms, prune them back by about one-third. Rose Rosette is spread by tiny wind-borne mites that tend to land on the uppermost soft new growth, so removing that material regularly reduces the plant's exposure to the primary infection site.

This is likely the Hibiscus Sawfly larva. Applying diatomaceous earth to the foliage can control these larvae effectively while leaving the developing flower buds intact.

Drench the mound with a Spinosad-based solution, using at least two gallons of liquid to saturate the deep tunnel system and reach the queen. Surface treatments that do not penetrate the full depth of the colony are generally ineffective.

These are oak galls, formed when a tiny gall wasp lays eggs in the stem tissue and the tree produces a protective growth in response. They are generally harmless to the tree's overall health and are primarily an aesthetic concern.

Yes. Cicada nymphs are not dormant underground. They actively feed on sap from tree roots throughout their development period, which for periodical cicadas spans 13 or 17 years depending on the brood.