Pests like aphids, spider mites and mealybugs can quickly ruin the health and appearance of the plants in your yard. To keep the plants alive and intact, you must act quickly to stop a burgeoning infestation. Let’s explore the indications of a pest infestation in your plants.

Leaf Damage

Leaf damage is one of the most common signs of a plant pest infestation. You may notice irregular patterns, holes and chew marks in the leaves of your plants. Caterpillars and beetles are among the most common pests that inflict leaf damage on outdoor plants.

Skeletonized Leaves

Beetles and leaf miners also leave behind skeletonized leaves. They eat away at the green part of the leaves, leaving just the stems.

Curling or Wilting

Leaves that curl or wilt provide you with another clue that you have a plant pest infestation. Insects like aphids and spider mites suck the sap out of the leaves. Removing the sap makes the leaves twist unnaturally or droop.

Speckling or Yellowing

Insects likewise will drain the nutrients out of leaves on your plants. Without nutrients, the leaves will develop speckles or yellowing. Many times, pests like mites and aphids inflict this type of damage.

Blotches and Dark Spots

Blotches and dark spots typically mean your plants have a fungal infection. However, pests often trigger this infection.

Fine Webs

Look under the leaves for fine webs. This type of webbing could mean the plants have a spider mite infestation. The webs consist of sticky residue that allows them to cling to the leaves.

Sticky Residue

Aphids and scale insects create a sticky sheen or honeydew on vegetation. They excrete a sugary residue. The residue attracts other pests like ants and can lead to mold growing on the plants in your yard.

Wilting Despite Regular Watering

If the vegetation wilts despite regular watering, chances are you have a pest infestation. Root pests like maggots and nematodes interfere with the plants’ ability to take in water. The plants will then wilt and die from the infestation.

Visible Insects

Of course, you can tell that you have pest infestations if you see pests on or around the plants. Some of the pests that you can see include aphids, whiteflies and mealybugs. Aphids are tiny green, white or black bugs. Whiteflies fly up when you disturb them. Mealybugs create cotton-like masses on the leaf joints and stems.

Those prodigious leaf and flower munchers known as eastern and plains lubber grasshoppers are also a threat. The big, multicolored critters are not native to the West Coast, but unfortunately for your garden, they love to travel.

Holes in and Around the Roots

Pay attention to the soil around the plants in your yard. Look for warning signs like holes in and around the roots. Holes could mean you have pests like root weevils and grubs in the yard.

These warning signs tell you that pests have infested the plants in your yard in San Carlos, CA. If you recognize any of them, contact West Coast Tree Care Inc. today to keep your plants healthy.