One piece of good news is that hydroponics gardens will, in general, have less pests than the average dirt garden due to the lack of soil allowing easy access and homes for many bugs.
And the only quick and deadly remedy for plant pests is harsh chemical but many, including me, do not want toxic poisons in our hydroponic nutrient solution. True, some bugs can be knocked off the plant with a stream of water or even picked off by hand but the majority hang on with a vengence. There are now many options for dealing with pests from natural organic solutions, buying and hatching larvae of bugs that eat the pests to insecticidal soaps and, of course, harsh chemicals. BetterGrow Hydroponics, of which I am an affiliate has many items to choose from. Click on the following to check them out,
BetterGrow Hydroponics Pest Control.
When you get a pest infection the first means of defense is identifying what type of pest you have. Below is a table describing common pests and how to get rid of them:
| Pest | Description | Treatment |
Aphids | They are very small with light colored bodies. They leave a sticky residue on the leaves. | Remove damaged leaves, wash plant leaves with warm water for a week then spray an insecticidal soap onto leaves. |
Caterpillar | Most kinds of caterpillar are considered plant pests and will eat the leaves. | Pick off by hand. |
Colorado Potato Beetle | Inch long striped beetles and their larvae will eat everything on a plant. | Pick off by hand and optionally, spray with insecticide. |
Cockroaches | Small dark colored insects with beetlelike bodies. | Pick off by hand if you can catch them. Remove any organic debris from the base of the plant. Set out roach traps. |
Cutworms | Small worm type insects that curl up into a ring shape. They eat through plant roots and topple the plant. | Not too common in hydroponics - if found, spray with insecticide. |
Earwigs | Small dark brown centipede-like insects with a pincer tail. | Pick off by hand (they usually come out at night). |
European Corn Borers | Small, 1 inch long caterpillars who bore into plant stems and eat them from the inside out. | Spray with insecticide. |
Fungus Gnats | The hatched offspring of tiny black flies. The maggot offspring attack plant roots. | Discard any damaged plants, spray with insecticide. Not too common in a hydroponics garden. |
Imported Cabbage Worms | Small velvety green caterpillars that eat plant leaves. | Spray with insecticidal soap. |
Leaf Hoppers | Small, 1/8 inch long, wedge shaped insects that suck the sap through the plant leaves. | Pick off by hand and apply insecticide if needed. |
Mealybugs | Small bugs create white, powdery masses on leaf stem joints. | Scrape off and spray with insecticide. |
Mexican Bean Beetles | Small, 1/2 inch beetles will eat roots and leaves leaving only the veins. | Insecticidal soap. |
Root Maggots | Fly larvae that hatch at the base of the plants and eat the roots. | Not too common in hydroponics gardens. If found, spray with insecticide. |
Scale | Tiny waxy growths on the underside of leaves and on stems. | Scrape off and isolate plant, if possible. Wash leaves with warm soapy water and apply insecticide if needed. |
Spider Mites | Red, yellow or green microscopic bugs forming cobwebs. | Isolate plant if you can, wash leaves with warm, soapy water and spray with insecticide. |
Striped Cucumber Beetles | Small, very destructive, striped back beetles 1/4 inch long. As adults, these plant pests eat leaves and larvae eat roots | Use insecticidal soap. |
Tarnished Plants Bugs | Small beetles about 1/4 inch long with tarnish-like markings on it's back. They inject plants with a substance that deforms leaf tips and stem joinings. | Clean off all nearby organic debris and spray with insecticide. |
Thrips | Very small and slender bugs leaving dark blobs on the leaves. | Remove bugs by hand, wash leaves with water and spray insecticide. |
Whiteflies | Tiny, white flying bugs | Very resilent. Spray with insecticide or something stronger. Also spray all surrounding plants. |
