Pests and diseases in the US
What's eating it, what's wrong with it, and what to do. The app identifies these from a photo. Here's the list.
AphidsTiny sap-sucking insects in green, black, gray or pink. Cluster on shoot tips and leaf undersides. Sticky honeydew below.Slugs & SnailsSoft-bodied mollusks that leave silvery slime trails and chew ragged holes in leaves overnight.Late BlightDevastating oomycete disease (Phytophthora infestans) of tomatoes and potatoes. Brown-black blotches on leaves, white fuzz below in humid weather. The same pathogen that caused the Irish Potato Famine.Early BlightFungal disease (Alternaria solani) of tomato and potato. Bullseye-pattern brown spots on lower leaves first.Powdery MildewWhite powdery fungal coating on leaves. Worst on squash, cucumbers, melons, peas late summer.Downy MildewDifferent organism from powdery mildew. Pale yellow patches on upper leaves, fuzzy gray-purple growth below.RustOrange-brown fungal pustules on leaves. Affects beans, leeks, garlic, asparagus and many ornamentals.AnthracnoseFungal disease causing sunken dark lesions on fruit, leaves and stems of tomatoes, peppers, beans and cucurbits.Bacterial Leaf SpotBacterial disease of peppers, tomatoes and brassicas. Small angular dark spots with yellow halos.Bacterial WiltBacterial disease (Erwinia tracheiphila) transmitted by cucumber beetles. Cucurbit plants wilt and die rapidly.WhitefliesTiny white moth-like insects on leaf undersides. Plume up when disturbed. Major pest in warm climates and greenhouses.Spider MitesMicroscopic mites on undersides of leaves. Fine webbing in bad attacks. Worst in hot dry weather.ThripsTiny slender insects that rasp leaves and suck sap. Silvery streaks and tiny black flecks (frass).Flea BeetlesTiny black beetles that jump like fleas. Pepper leaves of arugula, eggplant, brassica seedlings with shotgun holes.Leaf MinersTiny fly larvae tunnel between leaf surfaces, leaving winding pale trails. Affects beets, chard, spinach, columbine.WirewormsThin yellow-orange shiny grubs (larvae of click beetles). Tunnel through potatoes, root crops and onions.Carrot Rust FlyTiny black fly whose larvae tunnel into carrot, parsnip, celery and parsley roots. Triggered by the smell of crushed foliage.Cabbage WormsVelvety green caterpillars (imported cabbageworm) that strip brassicas. Adults are the white butterflies you see fluttering around cabbages.Cabbage LoopersPale green caterpillars that arch their backs ('looping') as they move. Eat brassicas, lettuce, tomatoes, beans, peas.Cucumber BeetlesStriped or spotted yellow-and-black beetles. Eat cucurbit leaves AND transmit bacterial wilt (the real killer).Squash BugsGray-brown shield-shaped bugs (3/4 inch). Suck sap from squash and pumpkin vines, can kill whole plants.Squash Vine BorerDay-flying clearwing moth whose larvae bore into squash vines and rot them from inside. Devastating to summer squash, zucchini, pumpkins.Tomato HornwormsHuge (4-inch) bright green caterpillars with a horn on the rear. Strip tomato plants overnight.Japanese BeetlesMetallic green-and-copper beetles. Skeletonize leaves of beans, grapes, raspberries, basil and 300+ other plants.CutwormsFat gray-brown caterpillars that hide in soil by day and chew through stems at ground level by night.Corn EarwormStriped caterpillar feeding inside the tip of corn cobs. Also attacks tomatoes (called tomato fruitworm) and beans.European Corn BorerPinkish caterpillars that bore into corn stalks, ears and tassels. Also attacks peppers, beans, potatoes.Mexican Bean BeetleYellow-orange beetle that looks like a ladybug but with 16 black spots. Larvae are yellow spiny grubs. Devastates bean foliage.Bean Leaf BeetleYellow, tan or red beetle with black spots and triangular black mark behind the head. Holes in bean leaves and pods.Colorado Potato BeetleYellow beetle with 10 black stripes on wing cases. Devours potato, eggplant, tomato foliage. Found in nearly every state.Onion MaggotsWhite maggots tunneling into onion, leek and garlic bulbs.Pepper MaggotsYellow fly larvae tunneling inside pepper, eggplant and tomato fruit.Pea MothSmall moth whose caterpillars feed inside pea pods — the maggoty peas you find when shelling.Pea WeevilsSmall gray-brown beetles that notch the edges of pea and broad bean leaves. Mostly cosmetic.Root-Knot NematodesMicroscopic soil-dwelling worms that cause gnarled lumpy roots. Plants stunted and yellowing despite good care.Rhubarb CurculioLarge rust-yellow beetle (snout weevil) that bores into rhubarb stems and crowns.Scab (Potato/Apple)Common scab (potatoes) and apple scab — different organisms with similar names. Both cause rough corky lesions.Crown RotSoft brown rot at the base of rhubarb, asparagus and strawberry crowns. Usually kills the plant.White RotDevastating soil-borne fungal disease of onions, garlic and leeks. White fluffy growth on bulb base.RaccoonsSmart, persistent, and especially fond of sweet corn the day before YOU planned to pick it.BirdsRobins, mockingbirds, starlings and grackles raid soft fruit. Sparrows tear pea seedlings.Pear PsyllaTiny sap-sucking insects on pear shoot tips. Honeydew leads to sooty mold.Raspberry BeetlesSmall brown beetle whose grubs are the maggots you find inside raspberries and blackberries.Spotted Wing DrosophilaInvasive fruit fly (SWD). Females lay eggs in ripening berries — soft fruit collapses within days.Apple MaggotFly whose maggots tunnel through apples leaving brown trails. The lumpy, distorted apple problem.Codling MothThe classic 'wormy apple' culprit. Larvae bore into the core through the calyx end. Also attacks pears and walnuts.Plum CurculioSmall dark snout weevil that scars and infests apples, plums, peaches, cherries. Distinctive crescent-shaped egg-laying scar.Fire BlightBacterial disease of apples, pears, and ornamental rosaceae. Branches look scorched as if by fire.Brown RotFungal disease of stone fruit — peaches, plums, cherries, apricots. Fruit turns brown and shrivels into hard mummies.Black KnotDistinctive black warty galls on plum and cherry branches. Looks like burned dog poo wrapped around the wood.Gray Mold (Botrytis)Fluffy gray fungal growth on flowers, fruit and dying leaves. Worst on strawberries, raspberries, tomatoes in damp weather.Mummy BerryFungal disease of blueberries. Wilted shoots in spring, berries turn pink-cream and shrivel into hard mummies.Grape Berry MothCaterpillars feed inside grape berries causing premature ripening and rot.Cherry Fruit FlySmall fly whose larvae tunnel through cherries — the maggots in your fruit bowl problem.Blueberry MaggotCherry fruit fly's blueberry cousin. Maggots inside ripe berries.Cane BorersBeetles whose larvae tunnel inside raspberry, blackberry and rose canes — causing tip wilt and cane death.Peach Tree BorerClearwing moth whose larvae tunnel in trunks of peach, plum, cherry. Sap and frass at base reveal the damage.
Plan the plot, track every sowing, cook the harvest
Sowing reminders and harvest forecasts for your own frost dates, the Seed Tin, Scan Centre for any label or packet, and the Potty Mouth Garden Club. Free to start.