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Digging Deeper

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Dealing With Pests in the Garden

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10 Comments

  • Karen Chiarini

    Reply Reply April 29, 2020

    Hi, Paul. I think I saw a sow bug (this city girl never heard of them before!) yesterday when I lifted up the cardboard I have laying over the soil. I wasn’t sure if this was one of the good guys. I’m guessing not! But there is nothing for them to eat. So, are they searching? I thought they would have been dead due to lack of air. Should I put that plastic around them even though there is no plant at this time? Thank you! Also, can you share which bugs are beneficial, though you may have a video on that that I didn’t get to yet. I only know about ladybugs!

    • Paul

      Reply Reply April 30, 2020

      Hi Karen – yes, I wouldn’t be surprised if you did see one. They like to crawl around underneath of things. I wouldn’t worry about them right now. If you plant into the area and then find out you have problems with them – that’s when I would look into ways to deal with them. Otherwise, having a few of them around isn’t usually a problem.

      Also, we don’t currently have a training on all the beneficial insects. Really, we couldn’t cover all of them since there are thousands of insects – but that’s a great idea. We should consider talking about them more!

  • Deanna

    Reply Reply May 25, 2021

    How long do you leave the little plastic cups around the plants to protect from the sow bugs? We have a major infestation of them. I believe they came in the soil we purchased. We have millions of them. They climb all the way to the top of our established plants and eat it all!!!! They eat everything. I had no idea how destructive these little bugs were. What other ways can you get rid of them?

  • Denice Moran

    Reply Reply June 26, 2022

    I have and infestation of ants. Can you give me an idea to control them?

    • Maria

      Reply Reply January 14, 2024

      I’ve used coffee grounds before to deter ants, when I tried growing potatoes in buckets. Apparently, they don’t like the smell of the grounds and go away. Worked pretty good, since we tend to have fire ants here in Florida.

  • Danielle Peck

    Reply Reply January 10, 2023

    Howdy! Great information here. I have a question about squash vine borers. I live in Western Kentucky, Zone 7A, and lose most of my squash plants every year to those monsters. I realize they’re a bug but they’re inside the plant doing their dirty work, so most powders and sprays don’t affect them. Do you have tips/tricks/suggestions for how to handle those? I do get the other squash bugs and cucumber beetles and such but not to the degree that they really do much damage and I’m still able to get a very nice harvest over the course of the gardening season. But those vine borers are making me crazy!

    • Wendy

      Reply Reply February 12, 2023

      Hi Danielle, I live in Virginia in Zone 7b/8. I gave up on most varieties of squash because of the vine borers. However, I have *zero* problems growing Cucurbita moschata, Common Name(s) include Butternut Squash, Calabaza, Winter Squash, Seminole pumpkin, especially Trombonchino squash. The tromboncino can get huge (over 3 feet long per squash), but I pick them very young and eat like zucchini. I pick the seminole pumpkin young and use like pattypan squash. The Moschata have extremely vigorous vines, growing 20-30 feet, so I grow them over the arbors and pergolas for summer shade.

  • Lana Anderson

    Reply Reply March 7, 2023

    Thank you so much! I am new to gardening this year, so will come back to these videos as needed! Excellent and clear-to-understand information!

  • Monica

    Reply Reply April 22, 2023

    Hi, love all this learning! I have collard greens that got infested with white flies. I never got to harvest any of them and they grew beautifully. Don’t know what to do with them…

  • Joni

    Reply Reply February 5, 2024

    What’s your best solution for Leaf footed bugs?

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