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Stay Calm Garden pests may be a necessary evil, but don't let them get the better of you - or your plants  Image courtesy istockphoto As your garden fruits and vegetables ripen, they're tempting not only to you but to annoying pests as well. Those hardy plants, heavy with tomatoes, may beckon the fat green tomato hornworm larvae, which have a huge appetite for tomato foliage. Or maybe the translucent pickleworm has its eye on your cucumber vines. Although pests are common, you don't have to accept their devastation, nor do you have to forfeit your harvest. If you're vigilant and act quickly, you can get rid of garden freeloaders before they get rid of your crops. First check your plants to confirm a pest problem. "The clearest sign of a pest is the chewing," says garden writer Tanya L.K. Denckla. "If there are chunks taken out of the leaves you'll know," says Charlottesville, Va.-based Denckla. Perhaps you don't see specific signs of damage, but your plants aren't thriving. That could also be a sign that pests are attacking. Take a look on the underside of the leaves and the stems, where pests like to hide. You may be able to destroy the eggs before they hatch into bugs, says Joe Lamp'l, gardening expert with DIY Network. "You can brush off a cluster of eggs, knocking it into a soapy dish," he says. Larvae or full-grown insects demand a different tactic. Identify the pest before you take any action. "If you don't know which pest it is you could be doing the wrong thing," says Denckla, author of "The Gardener's A-Z Guide to Growing Organic Food" (Storey Publishing, 2004). "One kind of pest can be shaken off in the early morning," says Denckla, who uses a handheld vacuum cleaner to suck up some insects. University extension services often provide pest descriptions. Don't panic and don't pull out the bug-killer arsenal, spraying every vegetable in the garden. "That's the inclination for the novice gardener," says Lamp'l. Pests tend to be plant specific. The hornworm gorging on your tomatoes isn't going to add green beans for the sake of variety, so you don't have to spray the beans. Insecticides, however, are non-selective. You'll destroy the beneficial bugs along with the harmful ones, or worse yet, the plant munchers will be the only insects to survive, Lamp'l says. Start with home remedies. Extension service experts and master gardeners can offer non-toxic suggestions for your pest problem. Inspecting the underside of plant leaves should be a regular part of your gardening routine, says Lamp'l, founder of www.joegardener.com. You can easily destroy the eggs before you have a problem. If you see that your plants are susceptible to certain pests ask your garden center for a variety that's less pest-prone when you plant next spring, says Denckla.
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Bev Bennett, a veteran food writer and editor, is the author of "Dinner for Two: A Cookbook for Couples" and "30-Minute Meals for Dummies"
