Most Common Garden Pests In Winter

There are plenty of insects that can infest your garden in winter; some are beneficial while some are destructive. Luckily, you can get rid of them with simple solutions. Here is a list of
common garden pests in Australia and how you can get rid of them:

Aphids

The cotton aphid and the cabbage aphid are two widespread species in Australia. Aphids feed on vegetables, fruits and ornamentals by sucking the fluid of phloem vessels. They can easily and rapidly reproduce. To get rid of them, you can use systemic insecticides or garlic spray.

Snails and Slugs

These pests can pose a huge threat to your garden. They can damage leaves, underground tubers, fruit, and plant seeds, and this can lead to major production losses. Snails thrive most in a moist environment.

To control snails, there are many different techniques you can implement. First, you can make a DIY snail trap using beer. Second, assault them at night using a torch and gumboots. Third, handpick and drop them in a bucket filled with salty or soapy water. Lastly, spray them with copper oxychloride.

Caterpillars

Small caterpillars love vegetables like broccoli and cabbages. Get rid of them by hand as this is the most efficient way to do so. Also, you can dust with derris dust. Similar to aphids, caterpillars can be deterred through the use of garlic sprays.

Bronze Orange Bugs (Stink Bugs)

Stink bugs can typically be found in New South Wales and Queensland. They are considered a pest to all citrus trees. They appear in late winter as lime green nymphs, but as they grow, they turn into an orange to bronze colour. When controlling these pests, you must be very careful since they emit a foul-smelling liquid that burns the eyes and skin on contact.

As such, you need to use protective glasses, and wear clothes with long sleeves, a pair of gloves, and a hat. You can use a vacuum cleaner to suck them up. Use planks of wood to crush them. You can also pick them up using tongs and drown them into a bucket with soapy water.

Tips for Preventing Plant Diseases in Winter

• Perform supplementary hand watering in the morning to allow the leaves to dry during the day.
  Handpick mummified fruit from under fruit trees or on their branches. Place them in the rubbish.
• Watch your clivia since the winter cold may cause fungal problems that can rot the neck of the bulb. As soon as you notice any brown blistered patches on the leaves, spray it with anti-rot.
• When leaves fall from prunus trees, immediately control shot hole which may disfigure the leaves with a copper oxychloride spray.

Heavy dew can be caused by cooler nights and winter rains. Gardeners may think that they won’t have to spend time and money watering at this time; unfortunately, the moisture can promote bacterial and fungal disease in your garden, so keep this in mind.