Fighting garden pests can be a full time job. Here is a look at the most common ones and what you can do to fight them and keep them away!

Aphids- These come in many different colors: black, gray, orange, and green. You'll find them clustered on the undersides of leaves, on flower buds and growing tips, and where the leaves meet the stem. In bad cases the entire plant will literally be covered in them. Aphids suck out plant juices and deposit a sticky substance known as honeydew. When a plant is severely infested it's not unusual to find the surfaces around it coated in it, and honeydew attracts another common pest-ants! It's important to deal with an aphid problem as soon as it's discovered as they reproduce very rapidly-the females are actually born pregnant!

If ants are found in your plants, it's likely there is an aphid problem. Luckily they are easily treated. Simply turn the hose on and let the water knock them off and drown them. If the infestation is particularly bad, spray with an insecticide made for the specific type of plant that is infested (edible ones vs flowers, etc) or use a homemade spray made with a tablespoon of dish liquid and a ¼ tsp of cooking oil to gallon of water.

Slugs- These nasty looking pests lurk under leaves, and planters. They come out at night to feed in order to avoid the hot sun. They particularly love hostas. There are several ways to fight them, ranging from simply picking off or sprinking salt on the ones you find to sprinkling the soil around your plants with crushed eggshells or Diatomaceous earth (the sharp edges will kill them). Another trick is to leave out saucers of beer-they’ll climb in and drown!

Fungus Gnats- These tiny black flies are often found flying around plants in containers. They lay their eggs in the soil and feed off the organic matter in it. Getting rid of them is easy as they live only in overly moist soil. Simply water less often and they will disappear. Fungus gnats are a classic sign of overwatering. If they are particularly troublesome, unpot the plant, wash the soil from the roots, and repot in fresh soil.

Cutworms- These pets love to feed on seedlings, especially peppers and tomatoes. To protect them, place collars made out of cardboard or paper cups around them.

Spider Mites- These are tiny spider-like insects that are hard to see with the naked eye. The first sign of infestation are white webs that appear between leaves and stems. Other signs are wilted and speckled leaves. They thrive in hot dry conditions so it's important to keep your plants well watered. To get rid of them, hose down the plants, making sure to reach the undersides of the leaves as well.

Whitefly- If an infected plant is moved, these tiny, moth-like insects will rise above it in a great cloud before resettling. Whitefly infestations usually occur in large numbers and spread quickly from plant to plant. You can outwit them by painting a piece of wood bright yellow and smearing it with something sticky like molasses. This works like your grandparent’s old flypaper!

Leaf Miners- These pests leave pale brown lines on leaf surfaces. The simplest thing to do is just remove the affected leaves.
Japanese Beetles- These pests are the bane of rose lovers everywhere. To fight them, simply knock them off the plant and dispose of them. Avoid the traps found in most garden centers and home stores-all they do is attract more! To prevent, use a grub prevention product on your lawn-grubs are their larvae!

To prevent infestations, choose new garden plants carefully. Look under the leaves and at the stems for signs of insects and resist the urge to rescue sad looking ones-most of the time they are that way due to an infestation. Isolate new plant purchases until you're sure they are insect free. Pests are attracted to weak plants, so keeping plants healthy and happy is the best prevention of all!