Lepidoptera Family – Caterpillars

One of the most damaging lettuce pests is the larva Lepidoptera family, or caterpillars as they’re more commonly known. There are many kinds of caterpillars, and while each one’s feeding habits are different, they ultimately amount to the destruction of your lettuce.

With caterpillars, you can remove them with insecticide, or by introducing natural predators of caterpillars such as birds. If these don’t prove effective, contact a Tulsa pest control company to help you.

Snails and Slugs

Slugs and snails will obliterate any lettuce you’ve planted, hiding during the day in weeds, tall grass, and stones, and coming out at night to eat your lettuce.

Controlling slugs and snails can be difficult, but if you keep the area around your garden clean, this should help eliminate their hiding spots. There are natural ways to repel them, too, by using plants like lavender, sage, or geraniums, which all naturally repel snails and slugs. If you aren’t afraid to get your hands dirty, pick them off by hand after dark, but be sure to wait for two hours to ensure they’ve come out to feed.

Aphids

Aphids (or plant lice) pose multiple threats to your lettuce. Firstly, they suck out the lettuce tissue’s nutrients and water which will kill young lettuce plants. Secondly, aphid corpses are usually covered in parasites, and they can’t be rinsed off of the lettuce. Thirdly, aphids spread viruses and can cause lettuce mosaic. Fourthly, the honeydew deposits aphids leave behind leads to sooty mold on the lettuce leaves. Find  Ultrasound Services>>

Since systemic insecticides for aphids are not available, one of the ways you can control them is by introducing natural predators of aphids, like lady bugs, damsel bugs, or birds.

Thrips

The thrips of order Thysanoptera suck the sap from the lettuce, and can cause lettuce damage throughout all of the plant’s lifecycle. In addition to thrips damage to lettuce, they are also disease vectors.

Controlling thrips requires vigilance. For thrip control, you will need to prune leaves, and only use insecticidal soap. Some species of thrips will help your lettuce, so you don’t want to kill them.

Leaf Miners – Moth Larvae, Fly Larvae, etc.

The term “leaf miner” describes several types of insect larvae, from moths to some beetle varieties. The one thing they all have in common is that they live in leaf tissue, lettuce leaf included.

Only use insecticides as a last resort, and instead utilize row covers to prevent adult moths, beetles, or flies from laying their offspring in your lettuce. Furthermore, if you constantly water the plant and prune any leaves which are infested already, you can save the rest of your lettuce. If the infestation is substantial, contact pest control near you for assistance.

Beetles

The main threat beetles pose to your lettuce is when their offspring (which hatches beneath the soil) eats the lettuce roots. Different beetles require different methods of control, and Tulsa pest experts are the best equipped to handle it. Find Pool Dealer>>

Insecticides – Lettuce Pest Control

While you can get rid of pests by removing debris so they have no hiding spots, using mulch, or introducing natural predators, these sometimes aren’t enough. If you need to, you can use insecticides to handle the pest population. For example, Neemix is a natural insecticide for caterpillars and aphids made from the seeds of the neem tree. Alternatively, using spinosad can remove caterpillars and leaf miners, but be warned, some insects have developed a resistance to it.

If you need pest control quickly, then contact a Tulsa pest control expert. They’ll have the training and experience to remove any pest problem.

Our technicians can quickly eliminate rodents, termites, ants, bed bugs, and other pests to keep your space nuisance free. We have been providing reliable, safe pest control methods in Green Country since 2001. Trust the experts at Integrity Pest Control for all your pest control needs.

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Oklahoma Pest Control: Latest In Pest Management

To manage pests at Integrity Pest Management, we do more than just spray and set traps. Our integrated pest management (IPM) allows our service technicians to follow specific training procedures for the latest techniques in eliminating unwanted pests. This system monitors pest populations and uses proven strategies to rid you of the problem.

Some of our methods consist of inspections, exclusion, vacuums, and pesticides. Call us today at (918) 245-PEST whether you need to prevent an infestation, or need long term services.