Posted by San Diego Landscaper on Wednesday, 15 September , 2021
San Diego’s temperate climate and friendly weather mean that gardens can grow year-round, making our homes beautiful and our yards enjoyable every month of the year. However, this also means that garden pests can be a problem throughout the year as well. Learning how to spot certain common pests will help you take control of your yard and protect your valuable landscape from damage.
San Diego’s Most Common Garden Pests
A few of San Diego’s most common garden pests include:
Wood-boring beetles. There are several species of wood-boring beetles that can infest trees and shrubs in the San Diego area. These insects, as their name implies, bore into the wood of trees and can eventually cause serious health issues in some varieties. Often, the only signal that you have a problem is outward signs such as small holes, left by the beetles when they emerge from boring into the tree; a powdery substance called “frass,” left behind when the beetles digest the wood; and stained or blistered spots on your tree from larvae tunneling beneath the surface.
The term “mealybugs” is used collectively to describe several types of small insects that secrete a powdery, waxy substance that stains leaves and bark. They cause damage by sucking the sap from leaves and stems, often weakening the plant in the process. The first sign most people notice is a white, powdery coating over leaves in small spots, although sometimes the tiny insects are also visible.
The tiny green insects you see on your leaves and flowers may well be aphids, one of the most common garden pests. They can quickly multiply and weaken your plants or kill fruits, so it is important to get them under control. Most people notice the small, bright green insects congregating on leaves or fruit, although you may notice dead or dropping leaves first.
Many common types of mites, such as spider mites, attack plants but are invisible to the naked eye due to their small size. Therefore, you must look for the damage they do to the plants instead of the insects themselves. Spider mites can quickly infest plants and cause serious leaf damage that often shows up as brownish, dead spots.
While caterpillars do turn into beautiful butterflies and moths, they can do serious damage to your plants before they transform. Caterpillars can infest garden plants and multiply quickly; some are also harmful to humans if handled.
If you are struggling to control garden pests in your yard and do not want to use harsh chemicals, it is important to be sure that you seek the help of experienced professionals. At Juniper Landscape Company, we offer organic pest control options to help you overcome attacks from insects while still protecting your yard and the environment. Call us today to learn how we can help you maintain your yard in its healthiest condition with natural, organic treatments that will kill pests but save the planet!
Juniper Landscape Company is a provider of professional landscaping services in San Diego, we strive to make San Diego a beautiful place by doing business with integrity and creativity.
TESTIMONIALS
Juniper Landscape Company is great. I have used them for landscape design, and they have transformed my yard into a garden retreat. Now they keep it up every week, and it looks gorgeous. They are the best San Diego landscapers! I would highly recommend Juniper Landscape Company if you are looking to landscape your... Read More
- Gita Morena
Our commercial property is located at 5150-5250 Murphy Canyon Road (the corner of Clairemont Mesa Blvd and Murphy Canyon Road).
Please be advised that we have maintained a landscaping contract with Joe Cryns for 16 years. Also, he was the landscaper for our property before the Chou’s purchased it. We have found Joe and his... Read More
- Judy Westphal - Property Manager
I must say that Juniper Landscape Company exceeded my expectations, completing the job in a timely fashion and for a fair price which we negotiated ahead of time, and which did not change even though there were difficulties with the terrain around my home in Stonebridge Estates (Scripps Ranch). Juniper Landscape Company was on-time,... Read More
- Gregory Berkoff
Thanks to the entire team at Juniper Landscape Company for a Great Job!!! It was a pleasure working with everyone…and Gabe did a great job leading the activities on-site. We were very satisfied with how the whole project progressed. The service was great...and we love the finished product! We wish everything could have gone... Read More
- Laura & Jim Garegnani
I had my front and back yards fully redone and wanted them ready for a party at my house. They worked long days and sent big crews to make sure they finished in time. The results were spectacular, and I highly recommend Juniper Landscape Company!!!... Read More
- Roberta Ganz
Jesse and Gabe did a fantastic job in the design and installation of our new backyard! They completed the job on budget and on time. Would highly recommend them to all!!... Read More
- Brad Bertrand
I have a side strip of yard which is on the street. The original landscaping was VERY high maintenance and not attractive. I was always out there cleaning up the leaf litter or be fined by the HOA. I hired Juniper Landscape Company. They came out and actually listened to what I wanted. They... Read More
- Laurie McHugh
Juniper Landscape Company has been fantastic. Before them, we ran through three or four other lawn and landscape maintenance companies who did spotty and sometimes outright poor work, were not always reliable and who ended up creating problems for us in a variety of ways. That experience led us to subscribe to Angie's List... Read More
- Letz Design Landscape
Jesse & Gabe,
I want to extend my thanks to you and your crew for participating in the Yard Crashers project the past few days. I know we are all exhausted due to the demands of filming and the logistics of the project with so many people involved.
One of the positive elements I found in... Read More