So you’ve tried to do it all right: You’ve given your plants adequate light, proper watering and good nutrition. Yet despite your best efforts, somehow – Poof! Like some kind of magic “they” appear in the middle of the night. Then the next day you stand there scratching your head asking yourself, “How did they get here, and at such high populations?”

Cryptolaemus montrouzieri pupa
This Cryptolaemus montrouzieri pupa is a kind of ladybug and one of the good guys. It can easily be mistaken for a pest mealybug or scale insect.
Photo Credit: ©2006 Buglady Consulting
Calendula
Calendula (pot marigold; not your common marigold) is excellent for attracting native beneficial insects.
Photo Credit: ©2005 Buglady Consulting

Well, it’s not magic. It’s possible that one of the insect pests you’re looking at had hitchhiked onto the plant when you first bought it and was hiding in a leaf fold or even in the soil. Or perhaps a neighboring plant that can sustain the pest without showing signs of damage is the culprit. Insects and mites can move on wind current, people’s clothing and tools, so these could be possible sources as well.

Whatever the cause, once a pest problem has been discovered, you need to take a step back and analyze the situation:

  1. Are you sure it’s a pest that’s causing your plant damage? Make sure you have a correct ID. Less than 0.1 percent of insects are actually pests.
  2. Is this plant worth the time and money to save? If not, get rid of it ASAP before it infects your other plants. (Don’t spend a dollar to save a dime.)
  3. Is plant stress part of the problem? If so, make sure you solve the stress factor first – your plant may be suffering from lack of sunlight or water, for example.
  4. Are beneficial insects at work? Before you treat your failing plant, look to see if good insects like ladybug larva, lacewing larva and beneficial flies are present. They may have already begun doing the work for you.

Once you’ve answered these questions, research your control options.

  1. We’ve already discussed getting rid of the plant (and here’s your second opportunity to consider that option).
  2. Remove the infected plant parts (and don’t forget that insects can hide really well in all the nooks and crannies). Once the infected part of the plant has been removed, either burn it or put it immediately in the trash. Do NOT toss it in the compost pile or leave it lying around – this could allow the pests to reinfect your plants.
  3. Use a biological control, where Mother Nature helps you out. This can happen by native beneficial insects moving in on their own. Many pests have natural predators that are good at finding their prey. You can attract more of these “good guys” to your garden by incorporating the plants they like.
  4. Purchase beneficial insects, predatory mites or beneficial nematodes from a reliable Internet source. All of these good guys can help out greatly, but you must buy the right beneficial for the right problem.
  5. Chemical control should be your last option. If a chemical must be used, be sure to read the label on any product, and make sure it’s labeled for the pest you want to kill, where you plan to apply it, the time of year you want to treat and the type of plant you plan on spraying (houseplant, vegetable, fruit tree, etc.) Always carefully mix products following label instructions and at the labeled rate. Remember: More is not better, and it could severely damage the foliage (or even kill the plant).

Integrated pest management can help you handle your pest infestations by giving you the needed steps to find a solution to your particular problem. Identification is one of the most important factors. Once you have a proper ID on your pest, decide if the insect needs to be controlled. If the answer is “yes,” select the proper method that suits your situation.