Pests & Diseases
50 pests found
Anthracnose
Colletotrichum spp.
Fungal disease causing sunken dark lesions on fruits and leaves. Common on tomatoes, peppers, beans, cucurbits.
Aphids (Green Peach)
Myzus persicae
Small, soft-bodied sap-sucking insects found in colonies on new growth. Green, yellow, or pink.
Bacterial Leaf Spot
Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria
Common bacterial disease of peppers and tomatoes causing leaf spots and fruit blemishes.
Bacterial Wilt
Erwinia tracheiphila
Bacterial disease of cucurbits transmitted by cucumber beetles. Blocks water transport causing rapid wilt.
Black Spot (Rose)
Diplocarpon rosae
Common fungal disease of roses causing black spots on leaves. Included because many gardeners grow roses alongside food crops.
Botrytis (Gray Mold)
Botrytis cinerea
Ubiquitous gray mold fungus attacking fruits, flowers, and wounded tissue. Thrives in cool, humid conditions.
Cabbage Looper
Trichoplusia ni
Green inchworm caterpillar that feeds on brassica crops. Moves in a looping motion.
Cabbage Root Maggot
Delia radicum
Fly larvae that bore into roots of brassica crops, causing wilting and death.
Carrot Rust Fly
Psila rosae
Small fly whose larvae tunnel into carrot, parsnip, and celery roots.
Clubroot
Plasmodiophora brassicae
Soilborne slime mold causing grotesque root swelling in brassicas. Extremely persistent in soil.
Colorado Potato Beetle
Leptinotarsa decemlineata
Distinctive striped beetle and its red larvae that defoliate potato family plants.
Corn Earworm / Tomato Fruitworm
Helicoverpa zea
Caterpillar that bores into corn ears and tomato fruits. Major crop pest with wide host range.
Cucumber Beetle (Striped)
Acalymma vittatum
Yellow beetle with 3 black stripes. Major pest of cucurbits, transmits bacterial wilt disease.
Cucumber Mosaic Virus
Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV)
Widespread virus affecting 1000+ plant species. Transmitted by 80+ aphid species. Causes mosaic patterns on leaves.
Cutworms
Various (Noctuidae)
Caterpillars that cut seedling stems at soil level at night. Major seedling pest.
Damping Off
Pythium / Rhizoctonia / Fusarium spp.
Soilborne disease complex killing seedlings at or below soil line. Most common cause of seedling failure.
Deer
Odocoileus virginianus
Browse on garden crops, especially hostas, beans, lettuce, and fruit. Major pest in suburban and rural areas.
Downy Mildew
Various (Peronosporaceae)
Water mold causing angular yellow leaf spots with fuzzy growth underneath. Different organism from powdery mildew.
Early Blight
Alternaria solani
Common fungal disease of tomatoes and potatoes causing concentric ring lesions.
Earwigs
Forficula auricularia
Nocturnal insects with distinctive pincers. Feed on soft plant parts at night. Also eat some pests.