Nothing says summer like a large harvest of homegrown zucchini.
And as much as you enjoy the freshly-plucked fruit, there are several garden pests who feel the same way about nibbling on your zucchini plants.
From the tiny aphid to the colorful cucumber beetle, there are a lot of creepy crawlies around that can’t wait to get their teeth into your veggies.
Scared? Don’t be. While the list of pests that can attack zucchini may seem long, with some quick action, most of them are easily dealt with.
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Ready to find out more? Here’s what’s ahead in this article:
If your zucchini plants are suffering from pest damage, it’s likely to be caused by one (or more!) of the following:
1. AphidsAphids are one of the most common garden pests out there, and zucchini plants aren’t immune to these sap-sucking pests.
These tiny 1/8-inch long bugs may be black, red, green, yellow, brown, or pink, depending on the type.
They have pear-shaped bodies with long antennae, and are usually wingless. A single aphid is no big deal, but in groups, they can stunt or damage plants.
These bugs breed profusely, the eggs overwinter and hatch in the spring. During the summer months, females can produce up to 12 live offspring a day.
Zucchini plants impacted by aphids may be stunted or have curling, yellowing, mottled, or dry leaves. The honeydew left behind by aphids can lead to sooty mold, and can also attract ants.
Because they’re so small, you may not notice them until you have a large infestation, or you see signs of damage on your plants.
They don’t always cause much damage, but while you might be tempted
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