There’s nothing worse than watching all your time, effort and money go down the drain when pests find your garden. They will destroy everything if you don’t take action. The critter pictured above will eat everything in it’s path. He’s called an Eastern Lubber Grasshopper and, with no natural predators, they cover my area in hoards.
They start off as tiny, innocent looking nymphs. This picture was taken when I first spotted them in my yard. They were so small I almost trampled them without noticing. As they mature, they will either stay black with a red, orange or yellow stripe down their backs- or they will mutate into the giant yellow and black creature from above.
But they’re not the only thing you have to worry about.
Squash bugs don’t just bother your squash plants. I keep finding them hiding out in my tomato plants- mating. How dare they?! They’re tricky to catch and stink to high heaven. Yuck!
I found these guys in my corn this morning.
Short, fat, caterpillar looking things along with a bunch of little critters that look like a cross between an aphid and a tick.
I have yet to figure out what they are but they have been treating my corn like their personal buffet.
Of course, there are tomato hornworms and cabbage worms as well but my biggest nuisance right now are snails.
As adorable as they are, they have been causing the most damage. Every day I come home to more holes in my leaves.
So, what do you do? Well, you could try any of the numerous chemicals on the market advertised as your garden savior but to be completely honest- I wouldn’t waste your money. I’ve tried most and haven’t seen any real results. Plus, you run the risk of harming the all important pollinators!
I find the only thing that actually works is what God has already provided us with: our eyes, hands and the many beneficial creatures that prey on these garden pests.
