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If that fails, you can try neem oil or insecticidal soap.
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You can do this by planting nectar-rich flowers, such as anise hyssop, black-eyed Susans, or bee balm, and herbs like fennel, Queen Anne’s lace, caraway, mallow, and cilantro.
THE GUNK GARDENER FIGHT FREE
You should also keep your garden free from weeds, so they don’t have a place to hide.īeneficial insects such as ladybugs, syrphid flies, lacewings, and parasitic wasps are all natural enemies of aphids, so encourage them to take up residence in your garden. Sometimes, they will leave the plant for a different one. The first step is to spray plants with a blast of water from the hose to knock the pests loose. The earlier you deal with the problem, the better the chance that your plant will escape relatively unscathed. They don’t always cause much damage, but while you might be tempted to leave them, keep in mind that they may spread disease. The honeydew left behind by aphids can lead to sooty mold, and can also attract ants.īecause they’re so small, you may not notice them until you have a large infestation, or you see signs of damage on your plants. Zucchini plants impacted by aphids may be stunted or have curling, yellowing, mottled, or dry leaves. During the summer months, females can produce up to 12 live offspring a day. These bugs breed profusely, the eggs overwinter and hatch in the spring. A single aphid is no big deal, but in groups, they can stunt or damage plants. They have pear-shaped bodies with long antennae, and are usually wingless.
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These tiny 1/8-inch long bugs may be black, red, green, yellow, brown, or pink, depending on the type. AphidsĪphids are one of the most common garden pests out there, and zucchini plants aren’t immune to these sap-sucking pests. If your zucchini plants are suffering from pest damage, it’s likely to be caused by one (or more!) of the following: 1.
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