Insects-Vegetable Gardens

The average home vegetable garden contains more than a dozen different vegetables, and each is attacked by several different insect pests. Insects can damage vegetables in several ways. Some pests, such as cutworms and squash vine borers, attack and kill entire plants. Other pests, like tomato fruitworms, stink bugs, and cowpea curculios, go directly for the fruit. Pests such as aphids and whiteflies cause indirect damage by sucking sap from the leaves, and many insect pests transmit plant diseases.

See Publication 2347, Insect Pests of the Home Vegetable Garden, for information on the identification, management, and control of the most common insect pests in Mississippi gardens. This publication also contains information on the best insecticides for home vegetable gardens and tips on how to apply insecticides. Publication 2347 also contains information on organic insect control. For more detailed information on non-insecticidal management methods see Organic Insect Control for Commercial Vegetable Production. Although this publication is written for commercial producers, many of the non-insecticidal management methods discussed also apply to home gardens.

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Publications

Publication Number: P2347

Insect Pests of the Home Vegetable Garden

News

Common Garden Pests

May 19, 2023 - Filed Under: Insects-Vegetable Gardens

If you have a home garden, you know the pain of managing the pests that feast on your crops. Luckily, you won’t have to guess what bug is snacking on your plants! We’ve gathered information on common pests found in Mississippi gardens to help you identify and manage the bugs that are giving you problems!

three different pictures of caterpillars.

Monarch Butterfly, Pipevine Swallowtail, and Black Swallowtail Caterpillars are commonly found in Mississippi.

3 Common Butterfly Caterpillars

March 22, 2022 - Filed Under: Insects, Lawn and Garden, Insects-Vegetable Gardens, Wildlife, Urban and Backyard Wildlife

Butterflies aren’t just beautiful. They are important pollinators for wildflowers and woody plants. But before they transform into the colorful, winged adults you see fluttering around your landscape, they are caterpillars hatched from eggs. Mississippi is home to more than 50 species of butterflies. Have you seen any of these three common butterfly caterpillars in your yard?

Stinkbug

Five Common Garden Insect Pests

July 16, 2021 - Filed Under: Insects-Crop Pests, Insect Identification, Insects-Pests, Insects-Vegetable Gardens

If you have a home garden, you know the headache of dealing with garden pests. Insects can damage the produce, both directly and indirectly. There are a multitude of different insects that can wreak havoc on your vegetables. We asked MSU Extension Entomology Specialist Blake Layton what are the five most common insects he sees in gardens. Here’s his list:

Fire ants are a nuisance, but vegetable gardeners do have some safe options to use around food-producing plants.

How to Get Fire Ants Out of the Vegetable Garden

June 23, 2021 - Filed Under: Insects, Fire Ants, Insects-Vegetable Gardens, Vegetable Gardens

Do you have fire ants in your vegetable garden? Me too. Good news for all of us! There are some fire ant baits that are safe to use around food plants.