Cucumbers are familiar with family meals. They are regularly used for daily meals from the main dishes, side dishes to juices. So, it is great if you grow them in your garden to enjoy at any time when you want. Cucumbers are easy plants to grow and often don’t require much fuss to thrive in your vegetable patch. However, do you know ways to have a bountiful harvest from your cucumber garden?
Cucumbers are not only our favorite vegetable, but pests also seem to love cucumber plants as much as we do. But their eating habits lead to dire consequences! Luckily, there are some effective ways to control these bad bugs to prevent their invasion of your crops. And in the post today we will share the 8 Common Cucumber Harmful Pests and some methods to get rid of them from your garden. Keep reading to know more about them.
#1 Cucumber Beetles
Source: Luv2garden
Cucumber beetles are one of the most common pests that plague cucumber plants. They feast on the foliage of cucumber plants, leaving holes across leaves and flowers, even nibble on the plant stems and vegetables. And then defoliation will occur. To control them, you can place sticky straps around the base of your cucumber plants.
#2 Aphids
Source: Morningchores
Aphids spot on the undersides of leaves, sucking on sap. They also can often lead to the growth of other diseases like powdery mildew. In the early stages, of small infestations, you can simply pinch them off the undersides of leaves or zap them off with a spray water bottle. For a completely natural method, you can introduce some aphid predators, like ladybugs into your garden.
#3 Thrips
Source: Drecampbell
Thrips are tiny pests that can’t be seen with the naked eye, but once they nestle into your plants, there can be devastating consequences. They can deform foliage and wilting leaves, or cause striking silver streaks and patches on leaves. To get rid of them, you can prune and destroy any infected foliage and practice good garden hygiene. Besides, you can use neem oil and several other horticultural oils are just as effective and completely natural.
#4 Squash Bugs
Source: Growveg
Squash Bugs can be extremely damaging as they favor so many types of vegetables, and cucumbers aren’t spared. They suck on the sap of the leaves and inject a toxin into the leaves which causes them to yellow and weaken even further. If they appear on your cucumber plants, pick them off and squish them between your fingers. Also, to protect your cucumber garden, good garden hygiene and the correct care stop your cucumber plants.
#5 Whiteflies
Source: Gardeningknowhow
Whiteflies can be found on the undersides of leaves. They suck up sap and also excrete a honeydew substance that attracts pests. To deter, you can use neem oil and other horticultural sprays.
#6 Cabbage Loopers
Source: Infonet-biovision
Cabbage Loopers can quickly destroy entire cucumbers by nibbling away at leaves. You can pick off any adult loopers, larvae, and eggs off your plants as soon as you spot them and prune away any destroyed leaves.
#7 Cutworms
Source: Chelseamorningfarm
Cutworms love cucumbers. You can easily control them by picking them off your cucumbers and tossing them into soapy water. If you spot cutworm eggs, crush them before they hatch.
#8 Two-Spotted Spider Mites
Source: Gardendesign
Two-spotted Spider Mites might be tiny, but they quickly cause a multitude of problems such as stunted growth and can lead to defoliation. In this case, cut away and destroy any infected leaves. Keeping a good watering routine will help them from settling on your cucumbers.