How to get rid of pesky bugs wreaking havoc on your plants

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) – When it comes to your garden, not every bug is a bad bug. The good bugs can help take care of the bad ones.

Jeff Wallitsch from Wallitsch Gardens breaks down the good versus the bad.

Bad Bugs

Aphids, spider mites, and mealybugs are common in gardens.
If you spray pesticides for them, read the label and be careful if you have small children and pets.
A natural approach would be to introduce another bug to take care of the problem bugs.
Japanese beetles can also wreak havoc on certain plants and lawns.
The beetles are actually larvae so they burrow in the ground.
To fight these bugs, use grub control in the fall and early spring. It will kill the larvae so they don’t hatch.

Good Bugs

Lady bugs and praying mantises can be a possible solution to pesky insects.
Lady bugs eat aphids, spider mites, and mealybugs as their food source.
A bag of 1,500 lady bugs can take care of an average size yard and garden.
To release them, scatter some around your plants. Then lay the bag out and let the rest crawl out on their own.
Praying mantises will eat any and all bugs including good bugs.
Beware that praying mantises can also eat hummingbirds.
Lady bugs as well as praying mantis eggs can be purchased online.

If you aren’t sure what kind of bug is destroying your plants, take in a clipping to Wallitsch Gardens.

“Bring it in. We can identify that for you and give you the proper treatment for it,” said Jeff Wallitsch.

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