Hydroponcs

Bad Bugs

Identifying the Good from the Bad

To create the perfect growing environment for your Hydroponics project. and ensuring the optimum growing conditions to produce a beautiful, tender, dirt-free, flavorful product, we suggest you utilize beneficial insects, "good bugs" to eat the "bad bugs", which keeps your produce free of harmful pesticides

Although bringing in good bugs to eliminate a bad bug problem might not always solve the problem, you might have to resort to a pesticide.  In cases like this our staff is very educated and can direct you as to the best product to use.

Watch Out for These Guys

Aphids Description: They are very small with light colored bodies. They leave a sticky residue on the leaves. Treatment: Remove damaged leaves, wash plant leaves with warm water for a week then spray an insecticidal soap onto leaves.

Caterpillars Description: Most kinds of caterpillar are considered plant pests and will eat the leaves. Treatment: Pick off by hand.

Cockroaches Description: Small dark colored insects with beetle like bodies. Treatment:  Pick off by hand if you can catch them. Remove any organic debris from the base of the plant. Set out roach traps.

Cutworms Description: Small worm type insects that curl up into a ring shape. They eat through plant roots and topple the plant. Treatment: Not too common in hydroponics - if found, spray with insecticide.

European Corn Borers Description: Small, 1 inch long caterpillars who bore into plant stems and eat them from the inside out. Treatment: Spray with insecticide.

Fungus Gnats Description: The hatched offspring of tiny black flies. The maggot offspring attack plant roots. Treatment:  Discard any damaged plants, spray with insecticide. Not too common in a hydroponics garden.

Leaf Hoppers Description: Small, 1/8 inch long, wedge shaped insects that suck the sap through the plant leaves. Treatment: Pick off by hand and apply insecticide if needed.

Mealybugs Description: Small bugs create white, powdery masses on leaf stem joints. Treatment: Scrape off and spray with insecticide.

Root Maggots Description: Fly larvae that hatch at the base of the plants and eat the roots. Treatment:  Not too common in hydroponics gardens. If found, spray with insecticide.

Scale Description: Tiny waxy growths on the underside of leaves and on stems. Treatment: Scrape off and isolate plant, if possible. Wash leaves with warm soapy water and apply insecticide if needed.

Striped Cucumber Beetle Description: Small, very destructive, striped back beetles 1/4 inch long. As adults, these plant pests eat leaves and larvae eat roots Treatment: Use insecticidal soap.

Tarnished Plant Bugs   Description: Small beetles about 1/4 inch long with tarnish-like markings on it's back. They inject plants with a substance that deforms leaf tips and stem joining. Treatment:  Clean off all nearby organic debris and spray with insecticide.

White Flies Description: Tiny, white flying bugs Treatment: Very resilient. Spray with insecticide or something stronger. Also spray all surrounding plants.

Colorado Potato Beetle   Description: Inch long striped beetles and their larvae will eat everything on a plant. Treatment: Pick off by hand and optionally, spray with insecticide.

Earwigs Description: Small dark brown centipede-like insects with a pincer tail. Treatment:  Pick off by hand (they usually come out at night). .

Imported Cabbage Worm Description: Small velvety green caterpillars that eat plant leaves. Treatment: Spray with insecticidal soap.

Mexican Bean Beetle Description: Small, 1/2 inch beetles will eat roots and leaves leaving only the veins. Treatment: Wash with soap.

Spider Mites Description: Red, yellow or green microscopic bugs forming cobwebs. Treatment:  Isolate plant if you can, wash leaves with warm, soapy water and spray with insecticide. .

Thrips Description: Very small and slender bugs leaving dark blobs on the leaves. Treatment: Remove bugs by hand, wash leaves with water and spray insecticide.

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