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.

More Information

Publications

Publication Number: P2347

Insect Pests of the Home Vegetable Garden

News

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: