Cutworms, cabbage loopers, corn earworms, snails, slugs and diamondback moth caterpillars are all common pests of spinach. Symptoms are irregularly shaped holes on either the leaf margins or in the middle of the leaves.
What could be eating my spinach?
Common Spinach Pests
Cutworms and wireworms – Cutworms cut young seedlings off at ground level and wireworms feed on the foliage and roots. Older transplants are less appealing to these insects than tender seedlings. To trap wireworms, plant full grown carrots in the garden every 2 ½ to 3 feet (76-91 cm.).
What is eating my green leafy vegetables?
Rabbits, Voles, Woodchucks, Deer, Chipmunks, Squirrels. All eat leaves or fruits of plants in vegetable gardens. Symptoms include: Large parts of the plant are chewed off.
What has eaten my lettuce?
Common Lettuce Pests
- Aphids.
- Beetles.
- Caterpillars.
- Crickets.
- Fungus Gnats.
What can I spray on my spinach?
Bacillus thuringiensis, a naturally occurring bacterium that kills several pest species, is an effective and safe product to use for most caterpillars. Mix 2 to 4 teaspoons per gallon of water and spray the upper and lower leaves of spinach until thoroughly wet, following safety guidelines.
Is it OK to eat spinach with holes?
Fortunately, there’s good news! Greens with holes in them that were created by feeding insects or slugs should be fine to eat, if you cut away the damaged parts.
What eats spinach leaves in the garden?
Spinach and other leafy vegetables can be plagued by caterpillars. A common type of caterpillar on greens is a looper. Loopers are light green caterpillars that completely or partially eat leaves of vegetable plants. These caterpillars are the larvae of variuos moths; the most common is the cabbage looper.
What can I spray on lettuce for bugs?
Select the proper chemical spray for the specific pest overpopulation. For loopers and other caterpillars, leafminers and thrips, choose bacillus thurengiensis or spinosad. For beetles, crickets or cutworms, choose cabaryl. For aphids or whiteflies, choose imidacloprid or insecticidal soap.
What is eating my lettuce leaves?
Key to Lettuce Pests. Caterpillars attacking the fall crop are usually the most troublesome field pests of lettuce. In the greenhouse, aphid and cabbage looper infestations often give problems. Cutworms, whiteflies, leafminers, and slugs are slightly less important greenhouse pests.
What’s eating holes in my lettuce?
Slugs are the most common cause of holes in leaves, but they often remain unseen because they feed at night. Sometimes larger slugs eat leaves from the edge inward, but small slugs make irregular holes inside leaves, as shown in the chard leaf on the right in the above photo. Slug holes always have smooth green edges.
Will rats eat my lettuce?
They can feed on growing and stored fruits and vegetables.
Do mice eat lettuce?
They’ll Eat Your Greens If You Don’t
Naturally, this doesn’t stop after your vegetables are harvested and brought inside. Carrots, corn, potatoes, and lettuce are all tempting treats to mice. The same rules apply for vegetables as they do for fruit.
Do mice eat lettuce in garden?
Do mice eat plants? Yes, and they will eat garden plants and houseplants, too.
How do I protect my spinach plants from insects?
Insect mesh or horticultural fleece will stop just about any pest from getting near your hard-won crops. Allow covers to rest on the plants or support them on hoops. Secure them around the edges so pests can’t gain access by just walking in at soil level.
What kind of bugs eat spinach?
One of the most common spinach plant pests is aphids. These small insects stick to the underside of the leaves, sucking on the juice of the plant and excreting a sticky substance called honeydew. Honeydew attracts ants and encourages the growth of sooty mold on your spinach plants.
What does aphids look like?
Aphids are small, 1/16- to 1/8-inch-long (2-4 mm), pear-shaped, soft-bodied insects. They can range in color from green, black, red, yellow, brown or gray. Mature aphids can be wingless or can have wings. Winged aphids are similar in color but are a little darker.
How do I keep bugs off my lettuce?
Lettuce Insecticides or Chemical Control
Bacillus thuringiensis is a natural soil bacterium, which can aid in the eradication of caterpillars. Spinosad is used to control the Lepidopteran larvae and leaf miners. Its use over years; however, has resulted in resistance in some insects species.
Should I cut off leaves with holes?
You should remove leaves with holes if they are caused due to a disease. This will help prevent spread of the disease if it’s a fungal problem. You can also remove leaves with holes if you are growing the plant for aesthetic appeal. You should remove leaves with holes if the major portion of the leaf is damaged.
Do rats eat spinach?
It’s very popular in the human diet, but can rats eat spinach? Surprisingly, the answer is no. The reason for this is that spinach contains a relatively high number of oxalic acids or oxalates. In small amounts, oxalates may not harm your rat, but in large quantities, they can be dangerous.
What is a natural way to get rid of leaf miners?
With repeated spraying on an infested plant, a neem oil solution can interrupt the leaf miner life cycle by messing with feeding and mating routines. Neem oil may take a while to work, but it is a natural solution that eliminates leaf miners.
How do I keep bugs from eating my vegetable plants?
7 Simple Strategies to Prevent Garden Pests
- Grow Resistant Varieties.
- Confuse Pests.
- Plant Outside of Peak Times.
- Grow Out of the Way.
- Use Physical Barriers.
- Attract Beneficial Bugs.
- Keep Plants Healthy.