Plant bugs

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Identification

  • Colour Dark red, black, green, yellow, or orange
  • Size From 4 mm to 7 mm long
  • Also known as Leaf bugs, Grass bugs.
  • Description Have oval shaped bodies and relatively long legs and antennae.

How to identify Plant bugs

Plant bugs have oval shaped bodies that usually range from 4 to 7 mm in length. They may be dark red, black, green, yellow, or orange in colour, and have relatively long legs and antennae.

Signs of an infestation

Damaged or discoloured leaves are some of the first signs of plant bug problems. While lesions will appear immediately following feeding, more serious plant damage will become noticeable within a few weeks. Heavy infestations may result in plants looking burned.

Plant bugs Removal

Appropriately registered and labeled insecticides are available for controlling plant bug infestations. However, large infestations of indoor plant bugs are best handled by the trained pest professionals at Orkin Canada.

How to prevent Plant bugs from invading

Weeding frequently and trimming overgrown vegetation will make gardens less favourable to plant bugs. Individuals can also look out for signs of destruction and remove plants that look sickly.

Habitat, Diet, and Life Cycle

Habitat

These pests are found in every province in Canada and most of the United States and Mexico. They frequent areas with a high concentration of fruits and vegetables, and are likely to be found in gardens and orchards. Plant bugs overwinter in stream banks and rock piles, as well as under tree bark.

Diet

Most plant bugs eat flowers, weeds, and garden plants. They are particularly fond of beans, lettuce, peas, currants, and gooseberries. These bugs have also been known to eat azaleas, dogwoods, forsythia, and many other ornamental plants.

Life Cycle

Plant bugs typically deposit one egg at a time onto leaves and produce two or three generations per year. Nymphs emerge after 7 to 10 days and are typically around 1 mm in length. The life cycle is completed within a month. Peak breeding season is in the summer.

Commonly Asked Questions

Why do I have plant bugs?

Plant bugs, also called leaf or grass bugs, are some of the most common insect pests in North America and like living in areas with lots of fruits and vegetables.

In summer, they prefer gardens and orchards, in winter, they move to stream banks, rock piles, and under tree bark.

Most plant bugs eat flowers, weeds, and garden plants, especially beans, lettuce, peas, currants, and gooseberries, as well as azaleas, dogwoods, forsythia, and many other ornamental plants. Some species of plant bugs are also carnivorous.

How worried should I be about plant bugs?

Plant bugs damage vegetation and crops, preventing healthy growth and causing discolouration by feeding on and spreading diseases to plants. Heavy infestations may result in plants looking burned.

If preventative measures don’t resolve your plant bug infestation, you may need to use insecticide. This is best handled by a professional pest control service.

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