Pest & Weed Control

Correct ID first, least-toxic fix second. Use the finder to match the problem to your state.

Pest & problem finder

Select your state (common pests listed first) and the pest to see signs, organic, and chemical options.

State (common pests shown first)Pest / problem

Aphids

Targets

Most vegetables, roses, ornamentals

Signs

Clusters of tiny soft bugs on new growth; curled, sticky leaves (honeydew).

Organic / IPM first

Blast with water; release ladybugs; insecticidal soap or neem oil.

Chemical option (follow label)

Pyrethrin or imidacloprid soil drench for heavy infestations.

Prevention

Avoid excess nitrogen; attract beneficial insects with dill and alyssum.

Common pests

Pest	Targets	Organic first
Aphids	Most vegetables, roses, ornamentals	Blast with water; release ladybugs; insecticidal soap or neem oil.
Japanese Beetle	Roses, grapes, beans, basil, lawns	Hand-pick into soapy water; milky spore and beneficial nematodes for grubs; neem.
Tomato Hornworm	Tomato, pepper, eggplant, potato	Hand-pick; Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) kurstaki; companion plant basil.
Squash Bug	Squash, pumpkin, cucumber	Trap under boards at night; crush egg clusters; straw mulch avoidance.
Squash Vine Borer	Squash, pumpkin	Slit stem and remove borer; mound soil over wound; foil wrap stem base.
Cutworm	Seedlings of many crops	Cardboard collar around stem; diatomaceous earth ring; hand-pick at dusk.
Cabbage Maggot	Cabbage, broccoli, radish, onion	Row covers; beneficial nematodes; crop rotation.
Whitefly	Tomato, ornamentals, greenhouse crops	Yellow sticky traps; insecticidal soap; Encarsia wasps.
Fire Ant	Lawns, beds, people/pets	Broadcast beneficial nematodes; boiling water (small mounds); diatomaceous earth.
Fall Armyworm	Lawns, corn, vegetables	Bt (kurstaki), beneficial nematodes, hand-pick.
Chinch Bug	Warm-season lawns (St. Augustine, zoysia)	Reduce thatch; beneficial nematodes; proper watering.
Slugs & Snails	Lettuce, hostas, seedlings	Beer traps; diatomaceous earth; hand-pick at night; copper tape.
Grasshopper	Vegetables, ornamentals, young trees	Row covers; chickens; neem; beneficial nematodes.
Leaf-Footed Bug	Tomato, pepper, fruit	Hand-pick; row covers; neem oil.
Ticks	People, pets, edge plantings	Cedar/mint barrier sprays; guinea fowl; clear leaf litter.
Corn Earworm / Borer	Corn, tomato, beans	Bt (kurstaki) sprays; mineral oil on silk; crop rotation.
Garden Snail	Seedlings, leafy greens, ornamentals	Hand-pick; beer traps; copper barriers; predator habitat.

Common weeds

Weed	Type	Control
Crabgrass	Grassy	Pre-emergent herbicide in early spring; dense lawn; proper mowing height.
Dandelion	Broadleaf	Spot-treat with broadleaf herbicide; dig taproot; dense turf.
White Clover	Broadleaf	Raise mowing height and nitrogen; broadleaf herbicide if unwanted.
Field Bindweed	Broadleaf	Persistent pulling; glyphosate spot treatment; smother with mulch.
Yellow Nutsedge	Grassy	Sedge-specific herbicide; improve drainage; avoid overwatering.
Common Chickweed	Broadleaf	Hand-pull; pre-emergent; avoid overwatering in beds.
Canada Thistle	Broadleaf	Repeated cutting; glyphosate spot; competitive mulch.