Pests & Diseases
50 pests found
Fire Blight
Erwinia amylovora
Devastating bacterial disease of apple, pear, and related fruit trees. Can kill entire trees.
Flea Beetle
Various (Alticini tribe)
Tiny jumping beetles that create shothole damage on leaves, especially on brassicas and eggplant.
Fusarium Wilt
Fusarium oxysporum
Soilborne fungus that blocks water transport in plant vascular tissue. Race-specific to many crops.
Groundhog (Woodchuck)
Marmota monax
Large rodent that devours garden crops and burrows under fences. Can consume entire plantings.
Harlequin Bug
Murgantia histrionica
Black and orange/red stink bug that feeds on brassica crops. Major pest in southern US.
Imported Cabbageworm
Pieris rapae
Velvety green caterpillar, larva of the common white butterfly seen hovering over gardens.
Japanese Beetle
Popillia japonica
Metallic green and copper beetle that skeletonizes leaves. Larvae (grubs) damage lawns and roots.
Late Blight
Phytophthora infestans
Devastating water mold disease of tomatoes and potatoes. Caused the Irish Potato Famine. Spreads rapidly in cool, wet weather.
Leaf Miners
Various (Agromyzidae)
Fly larvae that tunnel between leaf surfaces creating serpentine trails.
Mexican Bean Beetle
Epilachna varivestis
Copper-brown ladybug relative that feeds on bean leaves. Only harmful ladybug in US.
Powdery Mildew
Various (Erysiphales)
White powdery fungal growth on leaf surfaces. Common on cucurbits, peas, and many crops. Thrives in warm, dry conditions with cool nights.
Rabbits
Sylvilagus spp.
Herbivores that clip stems cleanly at 45-degree angles. Especially damaging to young plants and bark.
Root-Knot Nematodes
Meloidogyne spp.
Microscopic roundworms that infect roots causing galls. Widespread in warm soils.
Rust
Various (Pucciniales)
Fungal disease producing orange-brown pustules on leaf undersides. Affects many vegetables and beans.
Septoria Leaf Spot
Septoria lycopersici
Very common tomato disease causing small spots with dark borders and light centers.
Slugs and Snails
Various (Gastropoda)
Soft-bodied mollusks that feed at night, leaving slime trails. Major pest of seedlings and leafy crops.
Soft Rot
Pectobacterium / Dickeya spp.
Bacterial decay causing mushy rot in storage crops, especially potatoes, carrots, and onions.
Spider Mites (Two-Spotted)
Tetranychus urticae
Nearly microscopic sap-sucking mites. Thrive in hot, dry conditions. Produce fine webbing.
Squash Bug
Anasa tristis
Dark brown shield-shaped bug that sucks sap from squash and pumpkin, causing wilt.
Squash Vine Borer
Melittia cucurbitae
Moth larvae that bore into squash stems causing sudden wilt. Devastating to summer squash and pumpkins.