Resource: http://www.gardening.cornell.edu/homegardening/scene0391.html
Keep these points in mind
• Most pests are host specific. Cucumber bee-
tles don’t bother broccoli and cabbage-
worms don’t bother squash. This lets you
focus your actions on just the crop under
attack and not your whole garden
• The sooner you address the problem, the
easier it will be to manage. Visit your gar-
den daily if possible and look for any
changes in leaf color, damage to leaves or
fruit, size and shape of the plants, etc.
• Many pests are a problem only for certain
periods of time. Flea beetles do the most
severe damage to young seedlings. Larger
plants can tolerate much more damage, for
example
• Even organic products can be toxic or
caustic - use them with care!
• Always read the entire label, even on non
toxic products, and follow the directions
exactly
• Most of the less toxic products require pre-
cise timing and methods of application to
be effective. Read up on them!
• Try to buy pre-mixed products when possi-
ble. Buy small quantities that you expect to
use up this year
• Good coverage of both leaf surfaces when
spraying or dusting is critical, especially
with organic or non-toxic products.
Follow these steps when pests appear
Identify the Pest
• It’s essential to know your pest, and
know its life cycle so you can de-
cide the best time to take action
• It’s easy to mis-identify. Coopera-
tive Extension offices are glad to
help.
• Then you can research your pest on
the Web and elsewhere.
Consider your options
• There’s always more than one way
to tackle a problem
• Consider the least toxic methods
first
• Can your crop tolerate a mild infes-
tation, or do you need to take action
now?
• Your options will vary with the
crop, the pest, the time of year, etc.
Cultural controls include
• Timing of planting
• Excluding pests by using rowcover
(see bottom of page)
• Handpicking
• Traps
• Encouraging beneficials
Pest Management
Rowcover is a lightweight spunbond
product that can either be laid right on top
of young plants, or better yet, held up over
plants on wire hoops.
To exclude pests such as cabbageworms,
leek moths, cucumber beetles and flea bee-
tles, cover young transplants right after
planting. Be sure to bury or seal up all the
edges so insects cannot get inside. Some
crops need to be pollinated (peppers,
squash, cucumbers). Others (broccoli, spin-
ach, onions) do not need pollination so the
rowcover can be left in place until harvest.