Hungry Pests to Watch in the Garden

While the official beginning of summer is still weeks away, the temperature is warming and spring break activities are everywhere in panhandle Florida.

While the major home landscape and garden chores are ongoing, for many the springtime cleanup of raking leaves and pine straw has been done for weeks.

A few hours here and there on a mundane task, and everything is under control.

Well, not quite. The weather has been favorable for both people and the insect population in north Florida. The ample rain and the comfortable temperatures have produced not only good growing conditions for the lawn and garden, but it is also the ideal set of conditions for insects to eat, move around and reproduce at an ever-accelerating rate.

Grasshoppers are small and often overlooked now, but their chewing capacity will soon gain them notice for their level of plant destruction.

From the perspective of the homeowner, a majority of the problem insects fall into two categories. There are the chewing insects and there are the sucking insects, each with their own sets of destructive capabilities.

The most commonly encountered chewing insects are grasshoppers and caterpillars. Each displays a voracious appetite for many of the same plants and shrubs valued by the human residents of the region.

Grasshoppers started hatching out a few days ago, and most are still small and easily overlooked. They spend their days lurking in the shadows of tender plants while attempting to remain unseen by birds and other predatory species.

North Florida is home to several species of grasshoppers. They are easily distinguished by their color and markings.

The most infamous of this family of vegetation munchers is the lubber species, sometimes known as a Georgia Thumper. Legend has it that by August they can be as big as a cat with the appetite of a market hog.

Needless to say, a heavy infestation of these native insects can literally strip a garden or landscape bare in a few hours. Only inedible stems and dead twigs will remain when the herd moves to greener opportunities.

The other major chewing insect, caterpillars, comes in an even wider variety of sizes, colors and shapes than the grasshoppers. They are the larval stage of what will become a butterfly or moth, if they survive.

Some caterpillars produce large, brightly colored winged insects which flitter and float over the area. Others produce small, nondescript aerial bugs which serve as snack food for bats, birds and lizards.

All are happy to use valued foliage as their daily diet until they move beyond the insect world’s ugly duckling stage of life. If their mother places her eggs properly, the caterpillars need only emerge and begin eating.

Some are very particular, and others are completely indiscriminate about their meal choices. The Monarch butterflies seek only milk weed, but the Army Worm (really a caterpillar) will eat just about anything in its path.

Even aphids, those tiny plant vampires which suck plant juices, have remerged in April’s warming weather. Many can be found in wild areas where they dine on tender emerging weeds.

Any of these insects can be controlled with conventional or organic insecticides approved for that specific purpose. Caution is advised because nondestructive and beneficial insects can be killed, too.

Keep watch to see who shows up looking for lunch in the landscape. Even with this added chore, there will still be plenty of time for recreation this summer.

About the author
Les Harrison

Les Harrison is a longtime resident of north Florida, having attended public schools in three counties. He has a Bachelor Degree from the University of Florida in Journalism and a Master’s of Science from Auburn University in Agricultural Economics. He is the author of more than 2000 newspaper and magazine stories and journal articles. During his career, he held positions in private, government and educational (university level) sectors. He holds the title of Extension Agent Emeritus. He can be reached at harrison.gl@gmail.com.

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