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.
